Layered TIFFs and Convert Image

[Dierk]

Good one I encountered today about alpha channels.

I have some composites in my archive clearly showing the alpha channel in xMedia, that is, media view and thumbnail view show my chosen colour for the alpha channel. Today I butched together a pano with several layers, imported that into my xMedia catalogue, where it is shown in its full glory with no alpha channel indicator. So I made a derivative JPEG via Convert Image ... and found the result to be showing two of 5 layers [one foreground-middle ground photo plus a new background/sky]. the rest was silence, sorry, the rest was alpha channel indicator.

So, be careful with layered TIFFs or PSDs, if they contain alpha channels [i.e. layer masks] xMedia might have a joke on you.

[peterkrogh]

Dierk,
Probably Quicktime's joke, but same bad result.
Peter

[billseymour]

Dierk-

I encountered similar with iView, which I am still using. I experimented with a sample files, adding 1, then 2, etc Alpha channels and then seeing how iView would display them. I found that if a file had 2 or less Alpha channels, I got the correct image to display. Higher than 2 Alpha channels, and I got the "faded out" look (that you see in Windows dialog boxes, for example, when it can't figure out the image).

--Bill

[peterkrogh]

Bill,
Right - both are using Quicktime on Mac 9And maybe QUicktime on PC)
Peter

[roberte]

Hi,

I wonder if something recently changed on the Windows version? Quicktime was used to render most image file types but now it appears to be the Windows Imaging Component. On Windows to see the rendering engine in Media view hover over the file type in the top right hand corner (between the file size and rotate tool).

-- Robert.

[Dierk]

Windows Imaging Component

Media View shows the image with the layer warning colour [instead of the actual image content save one layer].