Colored Masks

[Artem]

Colored Masks

Since version 7.0, it is possible to use colored masks in PicturesToExe. A quote from What’s New of version 7.0: “Mask object can use color 32-bit PNG image file with alpha channel for special visual effects”.

Perhaps not all PicturesToExe users quite understand what exactly this means. Here’s a little illustration:

This is PicturesToExe project opened in version 6.5

This is the same project opened in version 7.0

Here’s the original file of mask, for comparison:

Source project + Exe: http://wnsoft.com/files/test/color_masks.zip

Since version 7.0 you can use almost any image file (BMP, JPG, PNG) as mask: 32bit or 24bit, black and white or colored one. The only exception are GIF files – using them as mask can lead to visual defects.

If versions 6.5 and older, however, there was a limitation: if you use a colored image file as mask, only alpha-channel of it will be used; while r,g and b channels were ignored. This is no longer the case in version 7.0.

Note: as far as I know, most PicturesToExe users (of those who use masks) have black-and-white images for masks; pre-built masks (Rectangular and Circular) which you can create right in PicturesToExe, are also black-and-white. Algorithm regarding those black-and-white masks has not changed. Changes only affect colored masks, i.e. there r,g and b channels are not equal.

If you have any questions about masks, feel free to ask.

[Lin Evans]

Thanks Artem,

That's great to know - it's an area most have yet to explore!

Best regards,

Lin

[Ken Cox]

Artem Sokovnin

possibly this should be put in another area so it does not get lost

suggest it go here

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?/forum/8-tutorials-and-articles/

and be pinned

comments?

ken

[xahu34]

Wouldn't it be fine to have several options? Examples:

• The situation as given today: Each color channel of the mask image acts as mask (alpha channel) for the corresponding color channel of the image in the mask container.
  
• A grey-scale version of the colored mask image should act as mask.
  
• A particular color channel ( R, G, or B ) of the mask image should act as mask
  
• The alpha channel of the mask image (if there is one) should act as mask
  

Regards,

Xaver

[Artem]

Xaver,

I don't think these options are really needed. You can create any image file in editors such as Photoshop, and use them as mask.

For alpha-channel mask, use black-and-white image. It will be converted inside PTE automatically (white to transparent, black to opaque).

I am not sure what you mean by "R channel acting as mask". What only R channel will determine the degree of transparency (R=255 - transparent, R=0 - opaque)?

Wouldn't it be the same as alpha-channel mask?

For grayscale mask, that's a bit tricky. If you use grayscale image file as mask (R, G and B channels equal in every pixel), it will be converted into alpha-channel mask. To avoid this, make these channels unequal at least in one pixel.

[xahu34]

Artem,

You can do a lot in Photoshop, but that isn't the point. It seems to me that you did not understand my post.

Consider a 24-bit image, having 3 color channels (R=red, G=green, B=blue). Of course, you may use Photoshop to extract and export, say, the image's red channel as a B/W-image (B/W = black and white). Now you can apply this red channel as a mask in PTE. As far as I am informed, when using Wings Platinum, you can apply an arbitrary RGB-image (R=red, G=green, B=blue) as a mask object (for some other objects), and you have a choice which of its three channels is responsible for the control of transparency (of these other objects). Yes, you can go via Photshop, but here I would prefer the way of WP (Wings Platinum). A similar choice could be offered for 32-bit images regarding the fourth channel (so-called alpha channel).

Regards,

Xaver

[Artem]

Xaver,

I see your point now. Thanks for the idea.

Programming it would be rather easy, technically.

But I have one concern. Mask is already fairly complicated feature, even advanced users of PicturesToExe might not fully understand all its aspects. This is the reason I started this topic, to explain how masks work. Wouldn't adding more options confuse users? Are these options absolutely necessary?

If more people request such options for mask, I will add your idea to my TODO list.

[xahu34]

Artem,

Do you think that most of the users are in the position to understand your example? I don't know. At present time, I do not see a big advantage in the new algorithm used in v7, and there are situations where the old method seems to be the better one. All in all, I do not regard all this as a serious problem. And, I really can live without seeing my suggestion to be implemented

Regards,

Xaver