Hi,

I use PageStream 3.1 and I have a few questions which aren't
addressed in the manual:

1) is it possible to use graphics with transparent backgrounds in
them? i.e. if I take a logo I designed in a bitmap programme and
want to lay it over some text & graphics in a PageStream document, I
would like the background graphics & text to show through the areas
around the logo, instead of a white square surrounding the logo. Is
this possible?

2) Is it possible to fill PageStream objects with .gif or .jpg
patterns or textures.

My hunch is it's not possible to do either, but I was just wondering
if any users have found a way to do any of the above (or a work-
around).

Thanks,

Brent
woodenflutes@yahoo.ca

On 28-Feb-01 14:10:39 woodenflutes@yahoo.ca woodenflutes wrote:

>Hi,

>I use PageStream 3.1 and I have a few questions which aren't
>addressed in the manual:

>1) is it possible to use graphics with transparent backgrounds in
>them? i.e. if I take a logo I designed in a bitmap programme and
>want to lay it over some text & graphics in a PageStream document, I
>would like the background graphics & text to show through the areas
>around the logo, instead of a white square surrounding the logo. Is
>this possible?

Currently, PageStream does not support transparency directly, but you
can use "graphics masking" to accomplish this same effect. using the
hairline setting, or even a finer line (since you aren't going to print
the lines anyway), line-draw objects tracing around the areas that are
*not* to be transparent. Use "Join Objects" in the objects menu, to make
these into a compound object, then multi-select the bitmap and the (now)
compound object and select "Object->mask->create mask". The exact
wording might vary from this, but it should lead you to the needed
functions.

>2) Is it possible to fill PageStream objects with .gif or .jpg
>patterns or textures.

Graphics Masking can also handle this.

>My hunch is it's not possible to do either, but I was just wondering
>if any users have found a way to do any of the above (or a work-
>around).

Oh, ye of little faith. ;) See above.

--
William F. Maddock ICQ:14668944 http://www.icon-stl.net/~wmaddock
Time: 28-Feb-1 15:35:49 CDT Jesus Saves mailto:wmaddock@icon-stl.net
St. Louis, Missouri, USA ftp://ftp.icon-stl.net/users/wmaddock
Team AMIGA Written using THOR 2.6a Registered User Number 1621
--
Genesis 25:33 But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath
to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

Hey there, woodenflutes@yahoo.ca

On 28-Feb-01, woodenflutes@yahoo.ca wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I use PageStream 3.1 and I have a few questions which aren't
> addressed in the manual:
>
> 1) is it possible to use graphics with transparent backgrounds
> in them? i.e. if I take a logo I designed in a bitmap
> programme and want to lay it over some text & graphics in a
> PageStream document, I would like the background graphics &
> text to show through the areas around the logo, instead of a
> white square surrounding the logo. Is this possible?

Pages 165-166 and 168 in the 3.1 manual explain Composite Paths
and Masks.

> 2) Is it possible to fill PageStream objects with .gif or .jpg
> patterns or textures.

Not really. That's one of the things BME's for. I'd build the
whole thing in another app and import the resulting object into
PageStream.

> My hunch is it's not possible to do either, but I was just
> wondering if any users have found a way to do any of the above
> (or a work- around).
>
> Thanks,
>
> Brent
> woodenflutes@yahoo.ca
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
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>
>
Regards
--
DAVID L. STEVENS - dstevens@cityscape.net - Springfield, IL USA
TEAM AMIGA - Jay Miner Society - SPUG Computer Club A3000T/040
http://www.motion.net/dstevens/index.htm

***Sevareid's Rule: "The chief cause of problems is solutions."***

> > 1) is it possible to use graphics with transparent backgrounds
> > in them? i.e. if I take a logo I designed in a bitmap
> > programme and want to lay it over some text & graphics in a
> > PageStream document, I would like the background graphics &
> > text to show through the areas around the logo, instead of a
> > white square surrounding the logo. Is this possible?

No, not the way you would expect it. You need to composite the image with
the text using an image processor such as Photoshop or ImageFX.

> > 2) Is it possible to fill PageStream objects with .gif or .jpg
> > patterns or textures.

If you own the TextFX extension, you can do the following to fill any
PageStream shape (including TextFX shapes) with a bitmap graphic.

1. Import your bitmap graphic and place it on the page.

2. Draw your shape.

3. Position your shape over the graphic.

4. Select both objects.

5. From the Object menu, choose Mask > Mask Graphic.

On 28-Feb-01, Brent wrote:

> 1) is it possible to use graphics with transparent backgrounds in
> them? i.e. if I take a logo I designed in a bitmap programme and
> want to lay it over some text & graphics in a PageStream document, I
> would like the background graphics & text to show through the areas
> around the logo, instead of a white square surrounding the logo. Is
> this possible?

A fully transparent IFF-ILBM (i.e., one in which every white pixel
is transparent) can't be done within PageStream3+ (it can be done
in the old PageStream2, and some of us keep it around for just that
purpose).

However, if you have a graphic with an opaque rectangular background,
it can be cropped down to the outermost non-white pixels by using
Mask/Generate Mask from the Object menu.
>
> 2) Is it possible to fill PageStream objects with .gif or .jpg
> patterns or textures.

If you are talking about /structured/ objects such as shapes you have
created with the ellipse, rectangle or polygon tools, or text you
have set with the text tool, yes.

Position the object (shape or text) over that portion of the graphic
you want to use as fill, select the object and the graphic, and
select Mask/Create Mask from the Object menu.

However, you cannot fill a bitmap graphic with another bitmap graphic.

These things work as of PageStream 3.3 (Amiga); I hope they work in
your 3.1: if not, you'll need to do an upgrade.

--Geoff

--
ggass@teleport.com Geoffrey A. Gass Foulecourt Press

>I use PageStream 3.1 and I have a few questions which aren't
>addressed in the manual:
>
>1) is it possible to use graphics with transparent backgrounds in
>them?

No, it is not possible to change the transparency. However, you can put the
text on top of the graphic and usually get the same effect. Text frames
will need the fill to be turned off (select the text frame with the object
tool, and choose object->line fill.)

>2) Is it possible to fill PageStream objects with .gif or .jpg
>patterns or textures.

Not directly, but if you can take any shape and use it to crop an imported
bitmap (but it won't replicate the bitmap as a texture/pattern).

>My hunch is it's not possible to do either, but I was just wondering
>if any users have found a way to do any of the above (or a work-
>around).

There is almost always some kind of workaround in PageStream

>Brent
>woodenflutes@yahoo.ca

Deron Kazmaier - support@grasshopperllc.com
Grasshopper LLC Publishing -http://www.grasshopperllc.com
PageStream DTP for Amiga, Macintosh, and Windows