Adjusting the A channel on Color Picker

there seems to be a bug on being able to adjust the A channel on the color picker on the user side IF you've previously adjusted it within the editor side.

i just submitted a filter, "Sunsets V" in which i used 3 color controls on a 5 color gradient component. i set the last 2 to completely off (transparent) on the A channel. when i return to the user side i cannot adjust the A channel at all on the 3 color controls. it's ghosted out on all 3 color controls in the color picker.

i dont really know if this is a bug or a feature, but it seems odd that i cant now adjust the A channel within those 3 color components on the user side.

i can go back in the editor and adjust the A channel on any of them, but always when i return to the user side i cannot.

so, if i'm misunderstanding how these work, please inform me and how they are supposed to work. and, if it's a bug, then please correct.

the filter was just submitted so you may have to manually pull it out of the queue to see it.

Craig

onyx, ok, i dont understand why this would be disabled. i can only guess this is another of vlad's 'user friendly' considerations? if we're bright enough to set this in the editor, why arent we bright enough to set it in browser side?

i'm sorry, vlad, i really dont mean to pick on you or anything, but there seems to be a consistent theme going on here. on the one hand you want the power in the editor but on the other hand you take it away again in the browser side. if the same folks that are using the browser are also using the editor, then i would think the assumption shld be to allow the editor functions into the browser.

if the assumption is that all users will NOT be using the editor and ONLY the browser side, then please, make TWO versions of filter forge, a USER ONLY that only allows access to the browser and already created filters(at a reduced price) and a FULL VERSION with full editor capabilities (at the full price). because currently, you are driving those of us that want the FULL power of FF on BOTH sides, crazy

and trust me, i really do understand that not everyone that wants FF is going to be making filters. some are just going to want the pre-made filters. so, i do understand the desire to keep the browser side simple for those folks. but at the same time, those of us playing in the editor see the potential but cant tap it. it's like having a 55 mile per hour engine governor on a porsche

craig

Quote
Kraellin wrote: i can only guess this is another of vlad's 'user friendly' considerations? ... i'm sorry, vlad, i really dont mean to pick on you or anything, but there seems to be a consistent theme going on here.

Exactly. Simplicity is one of the key priorities. We plan to keep Filter Forge as friendly to novice users as possible.

Filter Forge is a business, and in order to be successful it must be friendly for newcomers, not only for enthusiasts and early adopters. If a feature makes Filter Forge harder to use for a non-professional user, we put it on hold and refine it until it can be understood by anyone.

By the way, this strategy is the reason why so many people understand Filter Forge's editor so quickly.

Quote
Kraellin wrote: see the potential but cant tap it.

You can -- you can explicitly control Alpha with a slider.

I don't get how disabling controls make something "easy to understand". Also, the "90% estimate" was already proved to be completely wrong, at least among the active community members, which, in my point of view, are the driving force for initial adoption.

Quote
I added the Alpha issue to our plan. Probably this can be implemented using a checkbox 'Enable Alpha' in the Color Control which will be turned off by default. I'll discuss this with the programmers.

I realize this is an ancient post but Is this checkbox going to happen? I'm fairly new to FF but I thought I was able to control the alpha in the settings tab before but now I cant. Even if I launch the color picker on a "Color" control component within the editor, I still can't change the alpha. I can only change the alpha if I launch the color picker from a color selector within another component. If I can change the alpha in one color picker - I should be able to change it in all color pickers. The grayed out slider is killing me. I would have to add what, 2 components to implement something that's already coded?

Kraellin
Does that help u??