[Mapserver-users] Mapserver symbols and transparency

[Steve Lime]

To be honest with you I've never tried 24-bit symbols. MapServer takes
its transparency direction for pixmap symbols
from the image file itself. If you supply a transparent GIF then you'll
get a transparent symbol. It's been awhile but I
believe the transparent directive has no effect in this case. Can you
even create 24-bit transparent PNG images, and
does GD respect the transparency?

Steve

>>> "James Anderson" <james at danisat.net> 3/16/2004 10:30:22 AM >>>
Hiya,

I am having problems using images with transparency for symbols with
the pixmap directive.   I am using a .png file as this seems to be the
easiest.
Here is my problem:  When I use an 8bit png file with transparency, all
works fine, the symbol overlays over the map.  The problem occurs when I
use a 24bit png file.  It overlays ok, but the portions of the symbol
that are transparent become totally transparent in the image output by
mapserver.  I Am currently using png format for output.   This means
that I can see my webpage background through the image, and this totally
sux.   Why is this ?  Am I doing something wrong ?   I would have
thought that 24bit images with transparency or translucency would be
combined with whatever layers where below the symbol, but it seems not
so.  Can anyone help ??

Thanks,

James.