I was just trying to create some images for my programming project, but when I went to save to bit map, the only bmp option is 24 bit. I know that I have been able to save other formats in previous versions of photoshop, anyone know a setting I mighted have skrewed up?

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Worry not little grasshoper. This is perfectly normal.
24 bits = 3 x 8bits, which means 8 bits per colour component (RGB).
32 bits would mean that you are also using an alpha layer, which is not something that exists if you use a "bitmap" format, assuming here that you refer to the BMP format.
If you are really using an alpha layer in your graphics and your code you should use a format that supports it, such as PNG.

Hope this helps ?



Sancte Isidore ora pro nobis !

Let me add on a little bit. The texture I use for alpha is the .tga format. I have an earlier version of Photoshop, and I could never figure out how to mess with the alpha layer in .tga''s. Maybe because I have the limited version. So what I did is downloaded the trial version of JASC Pain Shop Pro. It''s got the .tga format, and it lets ya mess with the alpha as well, relatively easy.

--Vic--

so lemme get this straight... all of these tutorials I have been reading involving loading 32 bit bitmaps arent talking about BMPs? and why are the 8, 4, 1 bit options greyed out?

because 8,4 and 1 are palette colors, not true colors.

1,4 and 8 bits are palettised modes. This means that among all the possible colours you have to pick a limited number.
1 bit will give you two colours (black and white)
2 bits would be the CGA style graphics (4 colours)
4 bits is for EGA style graphics : 16 colours
8 bits is for VGA : 256 colours
Above that, it''s true colour mode : 3x8 bits in general.
If you want to have alpha, you need to create an alpha channel.

Dont make the mistake I did, transparency of a layer in Photoshop has NOTHING to do with the alpha value of the final picture. Transparency of layers is just to help you mess with layers. Whereas if you want to have an alpha channel, you need to create a mask with shades of grey that will be stored in the channel panel.
I hope that helps ? If you were using Director, I could explain you so you can see what I am talking about. But short from writing a tutorial ...


Sancte Isidore ora pro nobis !

sorry, guess i wasnt clear. I know about paletized modes and all that. The images are not greyed out, the option to save as 8 and 4 bit in photoshop are greyed, ie unavailable. that is what is weirding me out. It used to be that I could save as 8 bit, no prob ( in photo shp 5 )

Don''t worry about paletized anyway. We work with a lot of colors nowadays . Anyway, just get Jasc Paint Shop Pro. It''s free for the sample download.

--Vic--

quote: Original post by lucinpub
sorry, guess i wasnt clear. I know about paletized modes and all that. The images are not greyed out, the option to save as 8 and 4 bit in photoshop are greyed, ie unavailable. that is what is weirding me out. It used to be that I could save as 8 bit, no prob ( in photo shp 5 )

in PS6, use the image->mode menu to set which mode you''ll work in.



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