During a recent thread, some nifty images were posted by a currently banned member with some transparency effects.
I would like to learn how to do this.
I have tried the Microsoft Office approach with no success yet:
Make part of a picture transparent
- Click the picture that you want to create transparent areas in.
- Under Picture Tools, on the Format tab, in the Adjust group, click Recolor.
- Click Set Transparent Color, and then click the color in the picture or image that you want to make transparent.
How do you all do this?
Brad Ott, post: 446386, member: 197 wrote: During a recent thread, some nifty images were posted by a currently banned member with some transparency effects.
I would like to learn how to do this.
I have tried the Microsoft Office approach with no success yet:
Make part of a picture transparent
- Click the picture that you want to create transparent areas in.
- Under Picture Tools, on the Format tab, in the Adjust group, click Recolor.
- Click Set Transparent Color, and then click the color in the picture or image that you want to make transparent.
How do you all do this?
ARCGIS has the capability.
I don't have much experience with it, but Gimp is a good tool, and does has those capabilities. https://www.gimp.org/
I've done it with cad, photoshop LE (limited edition) and also in Google earth. In all of them you can make the image semi transparent then use grips to move, rotate and scale it to common features on the underlying base photo.
Brad Ott, post: 446386, member: 197 wrote: During a recent thread, some nifty images were posted by a currently banned member with some transparency effects.
I would like to learn how to do this.
I have tried the Microsoft Office approach with no success yet:
Make part of a picture transparent
- Click the picture that you want to create transparent areas in.
- Under Picture Tools, on the Format tab, in the Adjust group, click Recolor.
- Click Set Transparent Color, and then click the color in the picture or image that you want to make transparent.
How do you all do this?
Suppose you had something simple like the US Flag waving on a white background and wanted to get rid of that background. The suggestion above is fairly broad as one whole color becomes transparent which means in addition to the background, you'd lose your Stars and also the Stripes. I haven't looked at the Microsoft Office tools for doing this as I use PaintShop Pro but ultimately (I believe) you'll want/need to use a file type that supports transparency. My preferred format for this would be PNG as this re-worked example illustrates:
https://surveyorconnect.com/community/members/brad-ott.197/&apos ;"> 
Essentially, I:
- Start with a full image,
- Select/clip out what I don't want,
- Invert/Copy/Paste the rest into a blank canvas,
- Save the result as an optimized PNG.
I'm sure there are graphic artists who are much more efficient than I but I would avoid Microsoft Office for image transparency unless they've made some stellar improvements in graphics editing in the last +8 years.
Brad,
I believe the banned fellow was using [REDACTED] software for both geo-reference and transparency.
DDSM
In Microstation, in the raster manager, we move images - aerials and quad maps to the back and then adjust the brightness and contrast to achieve back ground images
Rankin_File, post: 446422, member: 101 wrote: In Microstation, in the raster manager, we move images - aerials and quad maps to the back and then adjust the brightness and contrast to achieve back ground images
same with Autocad (10 years ago), but maybe that capability has been lost in the newer versions.
Hey Brad
For some odd reason the object you would like transparent, say your signature, has to be saved as a *.png and then converted to a transparency is almost any paint program. After that you can, in a decent PDF program, overlay it onto anything, such as your seal. I had to do all that stuff when all of our surveys were required to have digital signatures. I use IdenTrust for the digital signature part.
B 😎
I don't think the issue is with background maps. In my opinion, modern CAD programs make finding, inserting, adjusting background maps easier than ever. The issue as I see it or my issue anyway, is inserting a raster image over the background map and making it transparent so that the background can be seen underneath. This functionality is very useful for evaluating land use patterns over time. The latest aerials are inserted as your background map (preferably some good geo-referenced orthos). Then import all available info over the background (assessor maps, GLO plats, old non-geo-referenced photos, ROW maps, ..........) make them transparent and align them to the underlying base, aka rubber sheeting.
I use ArcGIS to accomplish this task because it's fast and easy. Insert a map, and with a couple of mouse clicks, it's transparent. It's also easy to adjust the percentage of transparency. With a couple more clicks, the map is aligned over the base. This last step can be move involved when dealing with poor image quality or difficulties identifying common features between the base and the map.
I wish Carlson would add these capabilities. If it already has them hidden in the program somewhere, please let me know.
My impression from the above descriptions is that altering the raster images through some photo editing software would require more work than I'm willing to do on a semi-regular basis, but I have not tried it and could be mistaken.
The TIFF image format also supports transparency.
I use Photoshop Elements.
I could give instructions, but no use if you don't have that program.
imaudigger, post: 446756, member: 7286 wrote: The TIFF image format also supports transparency.
I use Photoshop Elements.
I could give instructions, but no use if you don't have that program.
I don't have the program. I asked google and it looks reasonable priced.
I might be interested. Thanks.
I would like to let me ArcGIS subscription lapse when it ends this period because my need for it fluctuates.
ScottySantaFe, post: 446759, member: 9477 wrote: I don't have the program. I asked google and it looks reasonable priced.
I might be interested. Thanks.
I would like to let me ArcGIS subscription lapse when it ends this period because my need for it fluctuates.
Just so I'm clear - Photoshop Elements is a photo editing software program that does not work with GIS data.
It is typically used in graphic design and editing photographs.
imaudigger, post: 446772, member: 7286 wrote: Just so I'm clear - Photoshop Elements is a photo editing software program that does not work with GIS data.
It is typically used in graphic design and editing photographs.
I'm clear.
Carlson GIS handles most of my needs, but I haven't figured out an easy way to make raster images transparent besides ArcGIS. I want to explore the photo editing software method if it's easy.
ScottySantaFe, post: 446759, member: 9477 wrote: I might be interested. Thanks.
I would like to let me ArcGIS subscription lapse when it ends this period because my need for it fluctuates.
[REDACTED]!
DDSM
Dan B. Robison, post: 446785, member: 34 wrote: [REDACTED]!
DDSM
Thanks. I'll check it out.
Photoshop Elements will not handle images with large extents. Mainly logos, photos, small images.
Autocad Raster Design with Autocad Map3D also allows some extra image transparency tools beyond plain Autocad. At least it used to..Not sure now.