How to Edit the Alpha Channel

[NotMyFault]

1 hour ago, Christoph Werner said:

The main problem, that is described an missed here, is the missing of the possibility to work directly in an alpha channel if it was a regular image layer

Ok, i see it now.

It will become possible if you convert inherent masks to explicit mask layer.

The simplest way to achieve the desired function (as workaround) is:

• For (every) pixel layers,
  • create mask from layers alpha,
  • fill layer alpha,
  • nest mask to pixel layer
     
• You can then edit the mask layer with all edit tools and (destructive) filters
   
• If you need the layers re-combined again for final export:
  • rasterize layer (pixel with nested mask)

[Christoph Werner]

1 hour ago, NotMyFault said:

Ok, i see it now.

It will become possible if you convert inherent masks to explicit mask layer.

The simplest way to achieve the desired function (as workaround) is:

• For (every) pixel layers,
  • create mask from layers alpha,
  • fill layer alpha,
  • nest mask to pixel layer
     
• You can then edit the mask layer with all edit tools and (destructive) filters
   
• If you need the layers re-combined again for final export:
  • rasterize layer (pixel with nested mask)

I know this way. But the most important for many people: You can't paste copied image information into the active mask layer. I would like to know the reason for this missing function?

[ambersand]

On 10/21/2021 at 12:07 PM, Christoph Werner said:

I know this way. But the most important for many people: You can't paste copied image information into the active mask layer. I would like to know the reason for this missing function?

+1

Any updates when this feature might be implemented?

[iNfeRnO]

Finally thought I figured this out in this program, but when I load the spare channel back to the alpha channel it loads it into *all* the channels for some reason.  So close!  Hopefully this gets sorted one day, even GIMP can handle this at this point and it's a free program.

[NotMyFault]

34 minutes ago, iNfeRnO said:

but when I load the spare channel back to the alpha channel it loads it into *all* the channels for some reason.

This sounds strange, never happened to me. Maybe you changed without noticing the channel view settings? If this is the case, click the „reset“ symbol in channels panel to go back to normal.

[nettleflap]

This is kind of a joke that this feature doesn't exist in an image editing software. Forget about the field you use your images, image files have channel information and that's all, in fact, we are editing. The fact that you can edit all the channels but Alpha makes no sense. There are countless uses of this in many different fields.

 

I've been trying to deliver my diploma project and really needed this feature. Despite having recommended to many people over around 2-3 years I'm using AP, I started considering quitting it altogether. It has too many down sides at this point. The excuses here are always like "Hey I never said this is a car, it just looks like a car but you can't drive it. Our audience is not drivers."

[Efvee]

This really needs to be fixed!

[tbelgrave]

June 2, 2022 and just hit this painful roadblock in my work today, took me 2hrs to realize I had to do a crazy workaround to get it sort of working. This is a staple in Game Dev and I absolutely loved my switch to AP from PS up until now. I ended up using Photopea to work with alphas, wasn't even trying to channel pack.

One MAJOR issue I had was when applying the alpha is it absolutely obliterated my RGB info, so when I exported the texture (TGA) only the alpha map was present, how is this possible in 2022 with such a popular program? I had to use a free web based app to do this simple task. 

Has any dev/mod address this issue recently? Because this sincerely bums me out

Edited June 2, 2022 by tbelgrave

[keena]

Well, this topic is more over 3 years old now. I'm not surprised that people are still trying to find answers.
As far as I know, there never was any response nor reaction from official site and probably never will be.
I guess the very most of us gave up on this "already".

I'm just still following this topic, because... well, hope dies last... even though it is almost burned out

But the truth seems to be:
They don't answer, they don't care = Do not await this feature to be present at any time in any future

[Christoph Werner]

Alpha channel editing is something the most professionals do every day. And the confusing/unusable system in Affinity is something that should be chagend asap in my opinion. I also don't understand why this is not touched for such a long time. AP could be so good.

I stopped to use AP because of this and jumped back to Photoshop.

[thelebaron]

3 years later and how is this is still (not) a thing? Is this just a technical impossibility for development because I cant really think of a good reason not include real alpha editing.

[Robbin]

It would be really nice to see some development being done on this area as it feels really tacky having to use workarounds to achieve basic tasks, having all the channels independent from each other would mean that each channel cant interfere with the others. which is perfect for when you need to combine multiple greyscale images in each channel. 

[BrunoMartelli]

Still want to edit channels (in a non-complex workaround way) - when can we expect this 'feature'?

[BrunoMartelli]

Also still possible to download trial  Photoshop CS2 to do channel things

[dennisqdw]

I'd like to add my voice too. Editing alpha channels has literally been a part of every image editing application going back to the early 1990s. It's not just for gaming. This oversight is really baffling. I'm not a programmer, but I cannot believe adding this functionality would be difficult.

[ashf]

Behavior of the paint brush is a bug, the support team confirmed it.

Also in order to make the Channels usable,
- Alphas should be convertible to a Grayscale Layer/Layer Mask.
- Need basic destructive filters such as Levels.
- Need the Indicator/highlight for the selected channel, especially spare channels.
- Channels should be copy-able, not just as a selection but as whole.

I don't think this is technically big change. should be small tweak.

[tbelgrave]

Really curious if V2.0 has this implemented? Looks like a solid upgrade but I'll hold onto 1.10 if not

[MattyWS]

looks like no changes to channels 

[Christoph Werner]

The development seem to be more interested in "new cool" features instead of boring industry standards...
But I'm still hopeful while I'm back using photoshop meantime.

[ashf]

Yep, still waiting for it.

[Mike_A]

So frustrating. This application is really good in so many respects and could be in every professional studio worldwide. Except it can't because of just few silly issues like this.  I really don't get Serif. I really don't.

Affinity Photo 2.0 trial uninstalled - and back to Photoshop.

[keena]

1 minute ago, Mike_A said:

So frustrating. This application is really good in so many respects and could be in every professional studio worldwide. Except it can't because of just few silly issues like this.
I really don't get Serif. I really don't.

Affinity Photo 2.0 trial uninstalled - and back to Photoshop.

It is really sad... Personally I will wait some time for the next few patches, hoping that they will add these features after 3 years of this forum thread.
But I am tired of waiting and will finally give up on this software then.
After all, they never answered in any way, what makes me thinking they give a f..

[MattyWS]

yea from my experience the devs are very stuck in their way and don't want to change some things. Took years to get TGA support for example, despite it being an industry standard format used in multiple industries like TV and videogames. It's really strange to me why they wouldn't want to cater to such large industries but their answer is always something like "this is a photo editing software for photographers", as if photoshop isn't exactly that too. 

[Mike_A]

...and yet they support ACES colour management and 32 bit exr files... How many photographers use those?

[Christoph Werner]

5 hours ago, Mike_A said:

...and yet they support ACES colour management and 32 bit exr files... How many photographers use those?

I'm working with 32 bit EXR files, even multilayered... So it's not that unimportant. But actually this features are needed for compositing tasks mainly, where AP doesn't make much sence.