Complex export issue with layer blending and transparency

[resistance]

Let me start off by telling you the overall purpose then the problem. I used this site for tutorials in the past and the Glass Pillbutton tutorial comes to mind. In that tutorial layer blending was set to MUTIPLY and OVERLAY. So it blends in with the background. Lets say we have an animated background and we want to take that glass with blending options on and put it over the animated background.

So we have "glass" with a transparent background and we export it as a TGA or PNG (tga w/32 bit is best) but it turns into almost greyscale and doesn't keep any of the layer blending options. So is layer blending NOT supported with transparent backgrounds when you export? if it is NOT then any suggestions on how to fake the layer blending?

Without layer blending the glass doesn't look like glass. It looks like a white blotch over an image and loses all clarity

thanks in advance
Resistance
www.resistanceimaging.com

 

[wbiss]

Firstly, welcome aboard resistance!
As to exporting your glass image on a transparent background, yes all layers are "merged" and you will loose the "glass effect" when you go to put it over any other background...

Solution [confused]... place your background in first before exporting. IOW, if you want this "glass image" on an animated image, place it within each frame.

 

[resistance]

thanks! Although what you said isn't great news least I know the answer. The glass thing I was going to use is going to be in a GUI interface with a in-game engine rendered background. doing still images wont be possible. Have to redesign this a bit.

Thanks again!

 

[Guest]

Welcome to the board resistance

Feel free to come back for any other questions you might have

 

[resistance]

Here is my glass version (background isn't mine just using it to show off the glass) http://www.c3command.com/file_downloads/glass_v1.jpg

The tutorial on this site helped out but still did a lot of custom stuff. I actually have the glass in the shape of squares but I can't post it because of company policy. This effect I am showing you is hours of toying with photoshop till I was satisfied with it.

Ill stick around. I been on this site a lot and you guys know your stuff!

 

[wbiss]

Very nice job there resistance!

 

[AppleCider]

Very nicely done, resistance, and welcome to the boards!

Mark will be the first to tell you that those tutes are a starting point to teach a general effect; not something to be slavishly followed all the time. I usually follow the step-by-steps (especially for something complex, like that glass button), then merrily tweak, change, etc. to get the exact effect I want.

 

[sfm]

nice job there
Welcome aboard Resistance
sfm
whew....... didn't say it..........

Resistance is futile......... oppppps darn it sliped out