Digital Workshop

How can I achieve the effect of a transparent background on the first page (only) of a publication made in OPUS Pro 4.
I am looking for the same effect as used when OPUS Pro 4 itself starts - a splash screen with my desktop showing through for a few seconds. The rest of my programme would then run in full screen with a background.
The nearest I have managed is by setting the first chapter with one page as "Display in New Window" and turning on the transparent background for that page but when I preview the page the page flashes up for a split second and disappears!
What am I missing please?
Phil

Phil

I am sure there are other ways of doing this, but the way I have been able to achieve what I think you want is to do this:

1. Select the graphic that I want to appear on top of the desktop.

2. If necessary, I use a graphics program to convert the unwanted (i.e. the parts to become transparent) to a single solid colour that is not represented anywhere else in the rest of the graphic. I find bright green, magenta, or a bright yellow to work OK in my environment.

3. Using a graphics program, save the edited graphic in the PNG format. For this procedure, that step is essential. Other formats might work, but once I found that PNG did it for me, I haven't changed.

4. Some programs, when saving the file as PNG, ask that you select the colour to be transparent. If you use such a program, select the colour you chose on step 2, and contnue with saving the object. Your graphic now has a transparent background, and you only need to add it to the Opus page.

5. If the conversion program goes not ask you to specify the transparent colour (as in step 4) all may not be lost.

6. Add the graphic to your Opus page. If the Transparent property box can be checked, do so, and use the Colour Picker to select the colour you want to be transparent.

If the Transparent property check box is not active, it usually means, in my limited experience, one of two things:
1. The chosen image already has a transparency applied to it; or
2. The file format of the chosen image does not support transparency.

HTH

Thank you Ray for your detailed reply. At first I thought you might have been barking up the wrong tree – but, after a good night’s sleep and a clear head it did give me a clue.

Here’s what I found:
If the publication is “displayed in a window” as opposed to “displayed in full screen” then the “transparent background” feature of the publication becomes active.
On a new page placed at the top of the organizer tree (I called mine Splash) I made its background transparent and ensured it contained no objects. I made the page action to show for 4 seconds and then to go to the next page.
I went back to the publication properties and selected its Image tab and added my desired image (with a transparent colour. I use .wmf files.)

The big disadvantage of this method is that the whole publication must run in a window as opposed to full screen and for this reason alone I will not be using the process.

If you don’t display in a window, the background can be made transparent BUT the “surround colour” always shows through and there does not appear to be a way to select a transparent or no surround colour!

Thanks again for your reply Ray.

PS Please DW, if there is a secret to having a splash screen show with a transparent background without running the whole programme in a window can you let us in on it?
Thank you
Phil