How to export a drawing with a transparent background

[FrancoB]

Hi all
I spent almost a day to figure out how to export an AutoSketch drawing into a JPEG or GIF with a transparent background - but unfortunately with no success.
The GIF with the transparent background shall be imported into a visualization tool for automation.

I deeply appreciate your help.
Kind regards
Franco

[crag_dolomite]

I believe one would use a paint program to set the TP BG of the BMP image, exported from AS at a high resolution, and save it as a PNG or TIF which supports TP BG's, then import it into your other one.

(I use PhotoPaint X3, but also have PSElements4), GIMP is free

[FrancoB]

Hi crag_dolomite,
Thank you for your hint. I installed GIMP, but unfortunately the result was not as expected - I still do not have a transparent background.
Do I need to pay attention on something special at AS before saving?
Kind regards
Franco

[crag_dolomite]

As long as the background is one color (usually white) from AS, then one needs to assign transparency to it in the paint program.

Often this is done in the save as PNG dialog, or the export options one where the option to apply transparency is, either by color choice or selection.

One may have to take tutorials of the paint program if they are not familar these things

[fredt]

I'm not sure whether I know less than or more than you folks in this particular area, but I don't think that a standard .jpg or .gif can have transparency.

And that transparency only exists in fancier graphic file types and related programs (e.g. Photoshop) This includes giving this property to images inside of them which came from .jpg and .gif files, at which point those images are no longer files

[FrancoB]

Hi all,
thank you for the hint with the GIMP. I finally figured out how to handle it:
- save file from AS into a PNG format
- open the PNG file with GIMP
- take the "color picker" and change the "foreground & background colour" white/white
- on the "colors" pull down menu chose "color to alpha"
- click OK
- save the file
- done

kind regards
Franco

[fredt]

This ends up with a png file, right?
And those CAN have transparency.

[FrancoB]

Yes, its a PNG file AND transparent.

[crag_dolomite]

glad it worked for you Franco
TIF will also work with transparency on hi res line drawings
although GIF has transparency, it is low res, and i mostly use it for posting screen grabs on web forums

[talespin.sg]

Franco, great tip. It works.

[michalmr87]

i also found same problem. please give me a solution how i can fix it.

[pendean]

@michalmr87 Read this https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autosketch/how-to-export-a-drawing-with-a-transparent-background/m-p/...