Preserved Topic: Fade out?

Here's another problem I can't see my way out of. . .

I am trying to do something that sound so simple but I can't figure it out. I have a square selection that I filled with a texture. I want to gradually fdade this out to the background colour going from left to right. How on earth do I do it. I know that if the square was filled with a solid colour I could just use a gradient fill but how do you go on with a textured selection?

Hope someone can explain it to me.

Make a new channel now, grab the selection of your square, and fill with a black to white gradient (white on the side you want faded, black on the side you want whole) Then, load the selection for the channel go back to your layers, and hit delete.

I think that should work, if not, I'll open photoshop and try to figure it out for you..

- Dan -

At the bottom of the layers palette, find the Layers Mask icon, and make a Layer Mask in your texture layer (refer to the manual if you are confused as to which icon I mean). In the layer mask, create a linear gradient going from white on the left to black on the right. In a layer mask, white reveals the layer contents, black obscures the layer contents, and various shades of gray , well... you get it?

This does essentially the same thing as Dan's suggestion BUT - the layer mask doesn't mess with the contents of the layer until you flatten it, so you can keep adjusting the mask until it produces exactly the effect you are looking for. Loading a channel and hitting delete works, but offers you no back door to change your mind later.

Hey, nice one guys, I'll give that a try as soon as I get home tonight.
I'll let you know how it turns out.

Aaahhh....So many people ask me...Skaarjj they ask me, how do you create those great gradient fade effects that we never see. And I tell them...Do what Dan said, that's the same way I do it.




What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine to - First Rule of a Dictatorship

Yeah.. I've never touched a layer mask ONCE, ever. So, now I'm affraid of them..

- Dan -

Nah, do what Steve said. It's a much more flexible method, can be changed later in the process, and it's faster. A Layer Mask is definitely the way to go.

[This message has been edited by mbridge (edited 27-07-2000).]

Youre right, I tried the mask method and liked what I got!
Some time in the near future I'll post a finished web site for you all to pull to pieces.
(Contstructively, of course?)

Dan;

As long as we're on the topic of irrational fears, I'll confess mine: I'm afraid the delete key will bite my finger, which is why I always use the layer mask.

Actually, I just made that up. My REAL fear is that some nitwit client is going to ask me to put back what I deleted yesterday, 'cause yesterday that's what they wanted. I'm such a believer is building ways out of corners that I'm working on a tutorial right now, covering layer masks, clipping groups and adjustment layers. I'll let you all know when it's done. Bottom line is: visually the channel/delete technique looks exactly the same as the layer mask approach. Strategically, the layer mask gives you alternatives, so that's why I try to use 'em.

Well, my little secret is simple. Always, no matter what Im doing, I make 2 of every layer, and hide one.. So, it's pretty reversable. Delete the top one, duplicate the bottom one again, and you can start over!

I guess I should of stated that before I said to delete stuff <img border=0 align=absmiddle src="http://www.ozones.com/forum/smile.gif">

- Dan -

Only problem with duplicating layers for me (I work at really high res alot) is file size. I'd rather just use the layer mask. Otherwise, it's a good idea.

Complete agreementations on the "way out of a corner" motto. (Or would that be a creed?) Anyway, clients are constantly asking me to change back what I changed for them the week before. A rule to live by: Save multiple versions, use masks and create many layers, because executives can never, and will never, make up their minds.

I don't have to many problems with file size. When I'm making a scene or something, with many different images. I make all the images in their own psd file, then import all the jpg's together. I started duplicating the layers, just because I did so much with them, then I'd decide "maybe it would look better if I did this"...

- Dan -

Sounds like it works for ya! It's just that those 100mb psd's get really annoying and slow to work with for me!

That reminds me of my school. I manage the graphics side of their website. They told me they wanted something bright and flashy, so I made them something bright and flashy. I brought the printouts of it into the webmaster's office, and he's said "Aaahh...yes, about these, we've changed our minds, we want you to make them look exactly like this" and then hands me this design. The grahpics are a piece of s**t, but it's what they wanted. If you want to see them, load up the St. Francis Xavier College Website. I hate them, but there is little I can do about them, I've petitioned the board of management for control over style issues like that, but I have yet to get a response.




What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine to - First Rule of a Dictatorship

....going crosseyed due to pics changing so fast and coming at you from two directions ...
I see what you mean Skaarjj......

Cool. I always thought SFX was shorthand for "Special Effects"! Petitioning boards may or may not be effective, cuase you are reacting to esthetics and that's not their strength. Has Admissions got any clout? Is the current design effective from their stand point? Can you recruit them as allies? Web Master/Web Designer have different backgrounds and goals, but the one common goal is effectiveness. If you can get some backing from a group with some influence and some empirical data (I keep coming back to Admissions again, but they are often in a good possition to talk with kids who have seen the site), maybe you can make your case. Good luck. Big organizations can be tough.

Yeah, especially when fighting that organization can get you into alot of trouble with your parents if they suspend or expel you.




What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine to - First Rule of a Dictatorship