Using transparency in Aston
From the version 1.9.0 on, Aston Shell Themers can use 32 bit images in their works.
First ofl all, you must keep in mind one simple thing: when working with Aston you can deal with two kinds of transparency:
- "magic pink" (1 bit transparency)
- 8 bit alpha transparency
The difference between the two is obvious when you look at the image below:
[AD voice on] The left part of the image is made in 32 bit PNG while the right one
is ordinary 24 bit bitmap. [AD voice off]
We've tried to place both pictures on different backgrounds and here's
the result. By applying various tricks we can reduce the visibility of rough edges on
the left but we cannot disable it completely just like we cannot add
transparency to the "atmosphere" part.
"Magic pink" transparency is called so because by default so-called magic pink (255,0,255 RGB) colored areas are completely removed by the program during rendering, so instead of
one can see
depending on the background, of course :)
Save images with the "magic pink" as 24 bit BMPs and make sure this color is not "magically" displaced with another one ;) That's why we warn you against using various "optimizations": in 24 bit it might be (255,0,255) while at 8 bit it may turn into (250,5,255) and we bet you won't tell the difference relying on your eyes.
In order to use alpha transparency just create 32 bit PNG file and "feed" it to Aston. Piece of cake! ©