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Mac OSX Clipping Masks don't Use Alpha, Only Sprite Boundary

Panda_Iro

Member
Hello,

Is anyone having an issue where clipping masks in sequences do not use Alpha Channels correctly? The sprite in the MASK folder will control the clipping area of the SUBJECT, but only using the sprite's entire square boundary. It doesn't utilize the sprite's alpha, so even if there are transparent areas, they are not utilized / recognized at all. It's fully opaque rectangle or nothing. Any ideas?
 

Nocturne

Friendly Tyrant
Forum Staff
Admin
It should use alpha... I made a demo when I worked at YYG that used a multi-image animated sprite as the mask and the alpha worked fine. That test was done using a mask with only two alpha values though, 0 and 255... didn't test with other alpha values, but (afaik) it should work. So, test first with 0/255 alpha, and let us know if that works?
 

Panda_Iro

Member
It appears it is some sort of glitch. I deleted my sequence from the room and re-added it, and now the clipping mask is correctly reading the alpha of the sprite in the MASK layer, but only when I RUN the game. In the sequence editor, it never shows correctly. I'm glad it's working in game at least but it still feels like something funky is happening.

It should use alpha... I made a demo when I worked at YYG that used a multi-image animated sprite as the mask and the alpha worked fine. That test was done using a mask with only two alpha values though, 0 and 255... didn't test with other alpha values, but (afaik) it should work. So, test first with 0/255 alpha, and let us know if that works?
 

Nocturne

Friendly Tyrant
Forum Staff
Admin
I would recommend filing a bug report about it. I'm pretty sure that in the editor it should be displayed correctly too (but at least it works when compiled, which is good news!).
 
It appears it is some sort of glitch. I deleted my sequence from the room and re-added it, and now the clipping mask is correctly reading the alpha of the sprite in the MASK layer, but only when I RUN the game. In the sequence editor, it never shows correctly. I'm glad it's working in game at least but it still feels like something funky is happening.
I have just discovered that I'm having the same issue. Did you end up filing a big report?

Sometimes I like to duplicate a sprite and then darken it using a top layer set to multiply. It's a really handy trick, but it's impossible to design the levels properly now because - as you mentioned - all these sprites are dark right around the sprite's entire square boundary (while viewing the sprite in the sprite editor or in the room).
 

Panda_Iro

Member
I have just discovered that I'm having the same issue. Did you end up filing a big report?

Sometimes I like to duplicate a sprite and then darken it using a top layer set to multiply. It's a really handy trick, but it's impossible to design the levels properly now because - as you mentioned - all these sprites are dark right around the sprite's entire square boundary (while viewing the sprite in the sprite editor or in the room).
I just submitted a bug report. I guess it's not just my project.

I also noticed the image_speed parameter in the sequence editor is a bit funky. Sometimes it will play a sprite in reverse when I use -100 as the image speed, but other times it will just play forward. I noticed this when a sprite in a sequence WAS running in reverse, then after an update, it only ran forward. Oddly, a different sprite that wasn't running in reverse (with image_speed at -100) is now running in reverse (as it should). I'm not sweating it too much at the moment, but I'll keep an eye on this as well.
 

Panda_Iro

Member
I've reported issues with clipping masks (when there's more than one in sequence they are merged) few months ago, but it's yet not fixed...
I just updated to 2.3.6.595 and clipping masks now seem to appear correctly (release notes mention it as well). Sadly, none of my hotkey commands are working now o_O
 

gnysek

Member
Yeah, they fixed regression with clipping masks.

As for hotkey commads - did you checked preferences? Maybe something broke there, but there's "Restore defaults" button there, that might help.
 
Yeah I saw that, and in semi-related news there are the new filters too which accomplish a lot of what I was doing with masks in the sprite editor in the first place. I don't mind paying for the subscription to try these out, but it's not what I signed up for when I purchased a version 2.X licence. I also wish it wasn't just filters, but also apply modes that could be set on a layer by layer basis, similar to Photoshop. That would be really handy.
 

Panda_Iro

Member
Yeah, they fixed regression with clipping masks.

As for hotkey commads - did you checked preferences? Maybe something broke there, but there's "Restore defaults" button there, that might help.
I hadn't remapped any keys but "Restore Defaults" seems to have worked. Thanks!
 

rIKmAN

Member
Yeah I saw that, and in semi-related news there are the new filters too which accomplish a lot of what I was doing with masks in the sprite editor in the first place. I don't mind paying for the subscription to try these out, but it's not what I signed up for when I purchased a version 2.X licence. I also wish it wasn't just filters, but also apply modes that could be set on a layer by layer basis, similar to Photoshop. That would be really handy.
Applying them to individual layers is coming in the future - as per the announcement thread.

If you bought a 2.x permanent licence you can get 12mths Indie licence for free for every permanent licence you own, so no need to pay to try out the features.
Just login to your account on the YYG website and take a look at the subscriptions section which will show you free conversion options available to you.
 
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