Bitmap Editor???

[tjgartner]

Does anybody know of a good bitmap editor which will allow the user to change colors on the image, and make certain colors transparent?

Microsoft Photoshop will only allow me to change the color by messing with the balance of the colors, but I can't get much use out of it that way.

I'm trying to create new bitmaps of my start button so I can have a silver one (for example).j

Thx!

[Osiris]

For image editing, you can't go past Adobe Photoshop.

Of course, it costs money, so if you want a freeware alternative, you could look at the GiMP, which is almost (some would so just as) good.

[Beefy]

Does anybody know of a good bitmap editor which will allow the user to change colors on the image, and make certain colors transparent?

Microsoft Photoshop will only allow me to change the color by messing with the balance of the colors, but I can't get much use out of it that way.

I'm trying to create new bitmaps of my start button so I can have a silver one (for example).j

Thx!

Bitmaps can't have transparent areas, can they?

[minibubba]

For image editing, you can't go past Adobe Photoshop.

Of course, it costs money, so if you want a freeware alternative, you could look at the GiMP, which is almost (some would so just as) good.

GiMP is awsome!
http://www.gimp.org/:2cents:

sorry, no useful info to share, just that ^ :o

[Mr. C]

Bitmaps can't have transparent areas, can they?

Sure can, Beefy.
Best example would be those icons on your desktop. The desktop shows through the icon in the areas that are not opaque.
Any pixel which does not obscure it's destination is considered to be transparent.
As .ico files are simply .bmp graphics with strict limitations on color depths and size, the answer would have to be a resounding yes.

[Beefy]

But isn't that just Windows removing a certain colour from the icon to be transparent? So when making the picture, you don't actually make a 'transparent' area, so to speak, but you use a certain colour in the area you wish to disappear, and it will be removed later?

bah, I'm confusing myself. I know what you're getting at, I'm just trying to justify what 'transperancy' truly is... :) That's how it all works, isn't it? the transparent section is simply a colour that is removed via software... yes?

[Mr. C]

I think you indeed hit the nail on the head Beefy.

In Win9x, a bitmap which has been given the appropriate color scale and size, when transformed by giving it the ".ico" extension is automatically transformed into an icon. Whatever color is present in the pixel at the upper-left of the graphic is converted to transparent by the wonder of the Windows OS.

In NT, that same pixel I believe is represented as black. The use of an icon editing utility is then needed if the transparent effect is desired.

Transparency is a pixel which does not effect it's destination, as in shuffling your icons about the desktop result in the background color showing through the icon in exactly the same places.

Typically when one thinks of transparency, the .gif is what leaps to mind. It is possible to achieve the same effect with a bitmap - and has been possible with Windows since 3.1.

[The__tweaker]

Mr. C you are right.

[Wiggo]

Paintshop Pro 7 :thumb:

[The__tweaker]

Yep, ya can't go wrong with Paintshop Pro, it's a great piece of software.. :)