GIFs, PNGs, and RipFX
For those of you who are SSP slide show users and have been wishing for support for transparent GIF and alpha-channeled PNG files, well, I’m glad to say that work for those features was essentially completed this last week. This change also requires significant other changes to the effects-processing features of SSP. Presently SSP uses two-different types of image effects technologies. The newest one was introduced with SSP V7 and is found in the video effects tabs for display properties. This is a technology we call RIP Effects (or RipFX). The old technology, still being used, it what everything else uses for effects.
The old technology, however, needs to be converted to the new technology before we can complete the transition to the new graphics handling technologies. Most of this work is also already completed. The RipFX technology is going to be quite cool – I will later discuss the future this technology brings to us.
Now, given the significant internal changes necessary to complete this transition and the internal testing needed -- not to mention the holidays and a couple of new babies that are expected any day now, these new features are not likely to be available for beta testing before January (this is not a commitment that they will be available then – only a goal). But when they arrive, I think you’ll be pleased with them!
(BE83)