Transparency Issues

[Dijenga]

I do some web sitedesign and flash work. With the latest version of Adobe Flash Player (10.2 & 10.3) swf files that have worked flawlessly for a couple of years are now not allowing transparency.

The header here: http://www.ahgweb.com is a great example.

When it first opens on the screen, you can see the clouds moving, but when the other image fades in, it covers the clouds.

The top image is a PNG image with transparency. All of the black area at the top is transparent and the clouds are supposed to be visible. In Internet Explorer 8 and 9 transparency works fine. In Safari, Firefox 4 and Chrome (the only browsers I have used so far) the player will not allow transparency. Instead, any image that is supposed to have transparency will only show the top layer.

A second example here: http://www.ahgweb.com/flash02.html.

There is a green circle on the left of the screen in Firefox. It should give the appearance of a rotating transparent globe, but the globe is all that is visible because it is the top layer of the swf.

I have 4 computers at home. The two using the older versions of flash player display these swf files correctly in Firefox. The two with the current version do not. At work, none of the windows 7 computers will display the swf files correctly in firefox, chrome or safari (We sell Toshiba and Lenovo computers, so I have a pretty good selection to test on). Only an old Vista machine which has an earlier version of the flash player will properly display my pages in Firefox, even though it is usint firefox 4.

Is there a work around?

Is the problem being addressed? When can we expect a resolution?

[Dijenga]

Well, IE just demanded to upgrade the flash player --- refused to display flash items until I had the latest version --- and now IE is F'd up as well

You guys need to get this stuff fixed.

[tcbad]

Did you get this resolved?

[Dijenga]

The problem is with the Adobe updates.

I use another program to create flash, it allowed me to export PNG images in my movies with variable quality settings . . . using jpg like compression. This DRASTICALLY reduced the size of some flash banners.

So long as I don't use jpg compression on my PNG or GIF images, there is no problem.

Really miss being able to use that feature.

[Guest]

Hi Dijenga,

Thanks for letting us know this problem. I haven't reproduced your problem on my machine.

We do have one bug for black background issue that is supposed to be transparent. But it's only in IE. Seems to be different thing since your webpage works fine in IE.

Can you let me know your OS and Graphic card? I'll try reproducing it my side.

Thanks!

Yan

[tcbad]

For me, I have issues with some transparency files with newer flash player showing white outlines... this flash site http://www.drsi.ws

With newest flash player, the transparency effects show white (not transparent) and ruins the aesthetics of the site, instead of transparency - again, only on certain machines.  I am on iMac OS 10.6.8, latest Safari and Firefox with latest flash player and ATI Radeon HD 5750.  My friend sees same problem with macbook pro.  I don't think this is a graphics card issue at all. 

When viewing these swf files offline, there is no issue.  When viewing on older flash players, there is no issue.  Prior to updating, no issues with this files online.

[Dijenga]

@ Yan.Zhou

I use Sothink's SWF Quicker to build flash movies. Their software allowsthe

exporting of PNG and GIF images using the same quality settings as a JPG

image while maintaining transparency.

Prior to the release of Adobe's flash player 10.2 (or maybe 10.3) this

always worked and allowed for the creation of much smaller finished flash

movies. As most understand, PNG images can be much larger especially when

transparency is used.

When the aforementioned version of flash player was released and installed

on one of my customers' machines, she called me about one of the flash

movies on her site.. There were large black blocks where there had been PNG

transparency.

The solution was simple: To no longer use the JPG compression offered by

Sothink's program.

It will not reproduce on any of my sites as I have done the conversions on

all of my movies to fix the problem.

I do think that the change was a problem for me, as it took time away to

alter all of the movies I had created for each of my customers.

Thanks for the concern.

Colbert

[TheSeen]

Hi Adobe ...

I am getting this too and it is looking deadful across my clients website:

http://www.draysonracing.com/video/player/2011/

There should be no white background at all ... it should be transparent and show the black background and green symbol details.

I have been running the videos on my clients site without any transparency swf issues at all for years now. It does appear this is a flash player update issue.

It's looking wrong on Mac: Safari, Chrome (I cheated it in Fireworks as at the time it wouldn't show transparency effects on swfs).

Haven't tried on PC browsers yet.

[Dijenga]

In Firefox and IE, on PC, looks perfect.

Chrome and Safari show the big white blocks.

BTW, I absolutely love the site!

I'm a big time sim racing fanatic and have spent quite a bit of time in the ILMS series of rFactor, and like most of us, try to keep up with the "real world" racing series.

[TheSeen]

Thanks for the test and positive comments.

Anyone have any ideas what is causing the transparency issue?

[Dijenga]

You're welcome.

Looks to me like a browser compatibility issue or a problem with the version of flash player these browsers are using.

Question:

Are you using any type of compression for you png images?

What bit depth are your images? (This could make a difference)