Technical support for Media Lab Xtras is provided by e-mail.
Please read the FAQ below to find answers to your AlphaMania related questions. If your problems persist, send us e-mail at help@medialab.com
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does PhotoCaster work under Mac OS X?
Yes.
- What's the difference between AlphaMania and PhotoCaster?
PhotoCaster conveniently imports Photoshop layers, one by one, into Director as normal bitmap castmembers. These new castmembers are essentially no different from castmembers you would create in the paint window. AlphaMania, on the other hand, imports graphics that contain transparency (alpha-channel) information and creates a new custom castmember type that will be dynamically transparent allowing for a host of effects like dynamic anti-aliasing, live drop-shadows , etc. AlphaMania cast members are required for applying effects with Effector Sets 1&2. To import Photoshop layers as AlphaMania castmembers you must own both AlphaMania and PhotoCaster. Otherwise AlphaMania is limited to PICT and TGA (Targa) files.
- Where do I enter my unlock code?
In the about box for the Xtra. Open the Xtra from Director's Insert-Media Lab Media menu. You may have to click the "Advanced Options" button in order to make the "About" button visible.
- Why can't I get my unlock code to work?
You must remember to click the "Register" button after typing in your unlock code. Clicking the "OK" button won't register you. If your unlock code isn't working, verify that the serial number or product ID you gave us is the same one you are using the Xtra with.
- Why doesn't PhotoCaster work with more than one Director serial number?
This is PhotoCaster's form of copy protection. You can import with an unregistered copy, it will just put colored diagonal lines o ver the graphics you import.
- I imported my Photoshop file which had many layers, but only one layer came in! What happened?!?
In Photoshop it's all too easy to inadvertently click on the eyeball icon of an unselected, hidden layer in the Layers palette. When this is done, the layer will become selected and visible, and all other layers will be simultaneously hidden. If you don't realize this and you save your file in this condition, and then import it into Director via PhotoCaster with the Import Hidden Layers option turned off, only the single visible layer will be imported. To check this, go back to your Photoshop file and be sure all layers you wish to import are visible.
- Not all my layers imported, what happened ?
Are the missing layers hidden in the original Photoshop file?
If so, either change that setting in Photoshop, or turn on the 'Import Hidden Layers' and 'Anti-Alias to Hidden' check box options in the 'Advanced' PhotoCaster settings.
Are the missing layers linked to other layers in the original Photoshop file?
If so they were combined with the other linked layers to form just one cast file. Either change the links in Photoshop, or turn off the 'Merge Linked Layers' check box option in the 'Advanced' PhotoCaster settings.
- I received an out-of-memory message while using PhotoCaster. What should I do?
Try some of the following:
- Increase the amount of memory allocated to Director.
- Turn on Use System Memory in Director's Preference (File...Preferences...General).
- Use the Layer Select Dialog to import fewer layers at a time.
- Turn off the Anti-Alias option.
- Consult the Tips and Techniques for more memory discussions.
- I'm selecting only one layer for import, but PhotoCaster seems to be
reading and rendering all the layers before it gets to the one I selected. Why?
When importing castmembers with less than 32 bits of data, PhotoCaster must pre-calculate their anti-aliasing. To calculate the anti-aliasing for a layer, PhotoCaster needs to render all the layers beneath it. If you do not need anti-aliasing or other alpha channel compositing effects, you can turn off the 'Anti-Alias' check box option in the 'Advanced' settings, then PhotoCaster will simply skip the other layers. If you are importing 32 bit castmembers, then you will not be affected by this.
- What other file formats will PhotoCaster import?
PhotoCaster currently supports Photoshop 3.0 or later files. Other software packages can save in this format. Painter and Fireworks, for example, can save a file in the Photoshop format.
- Can PhotoCaster be used with other Macromedia Products?
no
- What is this jaggy stuff surrounding my castmember?
The jaggy fringe which may appear around some castmembers is the anti-aliasing rendered into the cast member when importing castmembers at less than 32 bit. You will notice that the cast member looks perfect when layered in the same location that it appeared in the Photoshop file, but may look 'jaggy' when over other layers. If this jaggy fringe is a problem (it isn't always) here are some considerations:
- Avoid wide feathering. The more feathering there is in a layer, the more background it will have to have rendered into itself, and thus the more jaggy fringe it will have. If you simply must have wide feathering, then you should use 32 bit castmembers or consider using AlphaMania.
- Turn off the 'Anti-Alias' option. This will keep the colors from the lower layers from appearing in the upper layers. However, without anti-aliasing, your castmember may look much worse.
- Use 32 bit castmembers. This is the simplest and most direct approach to this problem.
- Consider using AlphaMania. AlphaMania is a custom cast type that supports dynamic anti-aliasing and other alpha channel compositing effects. It can use PhotoCaster to grab individual Photoshop layers. It is way cool, and supports real time special effects with its companions The Effector Sets.
- Where can I get AlphaMania and The Effector Sets?
The same place you got PhotoCaster - from Media Lab! Check out www.medialab.com, or see the section on contacting Media Lab, below.
- What are the blue lines?
You are using an unregistered version of PhotoCaster. Once you purchase and register PhotoCaster, it will stop importing with blue lines.
- Why do some transparent areas of my layers import with "blotches" that don't seem
to exist in the original Photoshop document?
It is possible to create invisible "residue" as a by-product of certain processes in Photoshop, for example: using the eraser to delete part of a layer while the eraser is not set to be fully opaque, use of the Paintbrush tool set to an opacity less than 5%, or failing to delete all of a previous selection that was created using very diffuse feathering, among others. Since most monitors will not display the difference between full transparency and color opacity of less than 5%, you will not be able to see this residue on the screen, but it exists in the file nevertheless. As mentioned above in the Technical Note under the Anti-Alias option, Photoshop uses a secret "alpha channel" to track the transparency of all pixels in the layer. When PhotoCaster's Anti-Alias option is checked, it interprets any pixel in this alpha channel which includes these residual almost-transparent pixels as well as pixels legitimately requiring anti- aliasing as needing to be anti-aliased to the colors in the layer beneath them. Therefore PhotoCaster dutifully "anti-aliases" all of them by altering them based on the colors in the layers beneath them, creating odd blotches in your cast member where this almost-transparent residue had been.
You can eliminate this problem by selecting the correct outline of the graphic in the Photoshop layer you want, inverting the selection, deleting the contents of the selection, and reimporting. To avoid this problem in the first place, keep very aware of the opacity of the tools you are using in Photoshop and use the selection/inversion/deletion process on any layer you have doubts about prior to importing it into Director.
- When I register my unlock code for PhotoCaster it says registered but when I go back
to the PhotoCaster dialogue box again it says 'unregistered'. What's wrong?
Most likely you have an extra PhotoCaster preferences file lurking somewhere.
- Windows: Do a search on your system for files named 'pcast. You?re looking for files that start with 'pcast' and end in '.prf' You should find PhotoCaster preferences files name something like 'Pcast_d6.prf' or 'Pcast_d5.prf', in your Windows folder. Delete them. Then restart Director and register your unlock codes again.
- Macintosh: Make sure you have the latest version of PhotoCaster downloaded from our web site Go to your System Folder and open your Preferences Folder. View your files by name to check how many PhotoCaster preferences files you have. You should find PhotoCaster preferences files name something like 'Pcast_d6.prf' or 'Pcast_d5.prf. Delete them and then restart Director and re-register your unlock codes again.
- If I upgrade to a new version of Director will my unlock codes still work?
No. You need to request new unlock codes whenever you upgrade Director.
- Why do some layers with layer fx look different after import?
Photoshop only stores the basic graphic for a layer, not what it looks like after the fx have been applied. As a result, applications which import layers must render the fx themselves. Unfortunately this process is not exact because Adobe chooses not to document the algorithms used by their fx. If a particular effect looks incorrect, you can force Photoshop to store the rendered version by creating an empty layer under the problem layer, selecting the problem layer, and choosing Merge down from the layer palette menu.