How to set transparency color for an object?

[Rene Severens]

Hi,

Probably I am expecting to much from Capture, or the Transparancy color is not designed for what I am trying to do:
In a Palette I add 2 objects. Next I create a new screen capture to get a background object (a white workspace, so to say), on which I position the 2 objects:

Capture.PNG

Next I position 1 object partially on top of the other object:

Capture2.PNG

Now I do not want the white area to show, so I right-click the object on top and select Image properties, select the Image - Transparacy and select the color on screen, white in this case, inside the object on top, and select it as transparant color:

Capture3.PNG

However the selected color does not become the transparant color and strangely enough, when used the slider to set the transparancy of the selected color to 100%, the image completely disappears:

Capture4.PNG

What am I missing here to get the white area transparent so the two objects look like one?

Thanks,
René Severens

[atomdocs]

Hi René

It is definitely confusing. First save the capture in a format that supports transparency e.g PNG or GIF, then you can leave the slider at 0% and pick your transparent colour. Then it should work. I think the default format that Capture uses for unsaved captures is BMP, which doesn't support transparency.

[Rene Severens]

Hi,

For clarity, all used images are *.png, even the background image is a png, but it still does not work. Even when saved an image in MS paint as PNG whith the "select" option "transparent background" active, and copied an past this PNG to the background PNG in Capture a white border is showing and cannot be made transparent by selecting white as color for transparency. In MS Paint the white color is indeed the transparent color and when stacked images it works. However I would prefer to use Capture to do this and not have to switch to MS Paint.

Greetings,
Rene Severens.

[atomdocs]

I just did this, using Capture:

1. I took a cap of your "server" in the thread above.

Capture transparency server.png

2. I clicked "Insert Screenshot", and grabbed the database thing.

Capture nontransparency.png

3. In the properties of the database thing object, I set the transparency to white.

Capture transparency.png

So all that stuff I said about having to save as PNG or GIF was wrong. It's much simpler than that

It's a real puzzle that it isn't working for you...?

[Rene Severens]

Hi,

Thanks for the steps. I used a slightly different approach:

1. I start Capture and then start any other program, like Notepad, to take a first capture of a complete white area which I use as background / workspace to put the objects on.
2. Next I capture the "server" image (I also used the one in this thread) using the option Insert screenshot.
3. Next I capture the "database" image (I also used the one in this thread) using the option Insert screenshot.
4. I right-click each object an add it to a new created palette, because I want to reuse them on the same background image.
5. I right-click the database object > properties > Image > Transparency and open the dropdown list next to Transparency color and select "Pick screen color" and move the changed mouse icon to select a screencolor inside the database object and click when it is indicating white.
6. Next I move the database object on the server object, where the white color is NOT transparent ... .

When folllowing your steps, the database object is transparent for the color white. However, when added a second database object from the palette where I saved the first one to, or even when using "Insert Screenshot" to add a new object, and again set white as transparent color for this second instance of the database object, the "white" is not transparent for the second object unless positioned on top of the first "server" object.

Conclusion, your steps work, but work only for 1 layer.

So I guess the final procedure will be: After adding the second object on top of the first and set the transparency, create a new screenshot using a second instance of Capture (or the windows snippet tool), and then start over again using that screenshot as first capture in Capture and then add another second object and set the transparency color in the same way.

In the end I am trying to archieve something like this:

Result.png

which I think becomes much to complicated. And I was hoping I could use conditions to turn on/off an object ... .

Greetings,
Rene Severens.

[atomdocs]

Hi René

Yes, there is definitely a problem. Transparency for multiple objects works ok - but only if the objects do not overlap. If they overlap, then it seems that the object in the top layer masks any object below (but is still transparent against the background). I wonder if this is a bug? We'd only find that out through MadCap support I think.

There is a workaround. It's not even a workaround, really, just a different way of working:

1. Capture each object and bring it into an image editor first.

2. Remove the background colour in the image editor to leave just transparent pixels around the object.

3. Trim the image down, just to remove unnecessary transparent edges.

4. Save the image as PNG.

5. Do this for each object - If you are building a library of objects, I think it would be worth the extra bit of time.

6. Then bring your objects into Capture (File > Open, or "Insert Image"). You'll be able to overlap your objects on a background without problems.

How does that sound?

[Rene Severens]

Hi Tom,

I must discuss this with my co-workers. If this ends up in using Capture for this, then I can use your steps for creating an image library and also contact MadCap Support and enter a bug report.

Thanks for going through all steps.

Greetings,
Rene Severens

[atomdocs]

Hi René

Ok, great. I can help with providing image editing tips if you want, e.g. if your team uses Photoshop, you could set up actions and fly through the initial image edit at high speed. Once you get the images into Capture, setting up a dedicated palette (library) is simple, and you can easily share the palette to your team.