I have two rendered images from Poser both saved in PSD. I want to merge them into a single image with a single combined Alpha channel. I thought I had it once but then saw some errors in the combined image and just redid my merging but now only one of the Alpha cannels appears; no longer am I getting the combination of the two....?

I may be way off base here, but couldn't you separate the Alphas from the images, then just merge the two "Alphas", the same as you merged the two images? You could then put the merged Alpha back with the merged image? Just a thought, I haven't tried it, so I don't know if it will work or not? . . . . . Mark.

Here's what I was suggesting = I cut the Sphere & Sphere shadow out of the one image, merged it on top of the second cube image to give me the combined image. The alphas I converted to RGB, then combined the two using the screen mode, to come up with one alpha that matches the combined image perfectly. I hope I'm understanding your question correctly? . . . . . Mark.

Once you have both alphas in one image, you could load a selection from alpha one (Select - Load Selection), switch to alpha 2, and fill with white.

kruzr: Yes, I think what you have is exactly what I am trying to get. But what is 'Screen Mode'? don't belive I have ever used that before and don't see it?

Cinema1954: Getting the two alpha into one image is what can't seem to reproduce.

Both images where rendered in Poser and saved in both TIF and PSD (wasn't sure which would work best. The first time I merged the two the alpha's seem to simply merge but when I try to do it again only the first alpha remains and the second is only bringing in the RBG?

I now have the merged RBG but ontop of just one alpha and can't seem to get the second alpha to join it.....???
When I try to copy the second Alpha on top of the first, for some strange reason they just seem to 'Swap'....?

(sorry, can't post the whole image as I'm using it in a current contest but got other things I want to do with it first that could greatly use the merged alphas..)

I might also add that to get the combined RBG on the one Alpha that I currently have took some carful cut-n-paste working off just the RBG layer....at least for now it's working but making the rest I want to do difficult as I have a couple more layers to add as well, but not with thier alpha's

Try this: Say you have three images, one of which is going to be your background and two of which are foreground elements with alpha channels. We'll call these Background, Foreground1, and Foreground2. In the Foreground1 image, duplicate the one existing layer then select the lower of the two layers. In the Background image, Select - All and Edit - Copy. Back to Foreground1: Edit - Paste. Foreground1 should now have three layers; from the top: A copy of the Foreground1 image, a copy of the Background image, and the original Foreground1 image. Go to the Foreground2 image, Select - All and Edit - Copy. Go back to Foreground1. Click on the top layer, then Edit - Paste. You now have both Foreground images on top of the Background image on top of the original Foreground1 image. Go back to Foreground2. Click the Channels tab, then click the Alpha 1 channel. Select - All and Edit - Copy. Go to the Foreground1 image. Click on the Channels tab. Click on the Create New Channel icon. Edit - Paste. Your Foreground1 image now has 4 layers: Foreground2, Foreground1, Background, and the original Foreground1. It also has 6 channels: RGB, Reg, Green, Blue, Alpha1, and Alpha2. You can close the Background and Foreground2 images; everything is in the Foreground1 image, all registered. You can do whatever you want now. I would suggest rather than blending layers together, you simply cut each of them out by Select - Load Selection - Alpha X, Select - Invert, and Clear. It's also easier to just Select - Load Selection - Alpha1, then Edit - Copy from each image and paste onto your background. The only problem with this is that the pasted images may not be in registration with each other.

Cinema1954: That makes sense (at work now so it'll have to wait till tonight) The registration should not be an issue here since the origonal Poser is the two background images separated into 2 scense for rendering. I do this since I tend to create scense too big for my system to render so I'll render it as two or more, simply removing charaters untill it renders and then re-opening the originals and remove the other charater and then re-combine in PhotoShop. This is the first time however that I chose to try reasembling the Alpha as well....gonna figure this sucka out yet!

Hi Igohigh, This is to try to explain how to use the "Screen Blend" layer method, that I described in my earlier post. Once you have both of your Alphas converted to RGB, & placed in the same image, on different layers, first activate the top layer, then you would choose the "Screen" blend method, by clicking on the little pull down arrow at the right of the normal display. There are several methods of blending each active layer. By choosing the "Screen" blend, your top & bottom Alpha with both show as one image, now you can flatten the layers. You may have to do a little moving of both Alpha layer images, to get them lined up correctly, before you convert to "Screen" mode. Bring the original colored image back into PhotoShop, make sure that both the color image & the Alpha image are the same pixel size, 640 by 480 or what ever. Activate the Alpha image, select the white area with the "Magic Wand" tool, and save the selection, to the other image. When you ask to save the selection, you'll get a window asking "destination & document", click the little arrow & the name of your color image will come up, choose that image & select OK. Now if you select the original colored image, go into the "Channels" tab, you'll see the new Alpha channel at the bottom of the list. With the new Alpha channel active, down at the bottom you'll see an icon for "Load channel as selection". Now when you select the RGB channel & go back into the "Layers" tab, you'll see your new Alpha channel selection visible, over the image. I hope this all makes sense to you, it works fine for me. Cinema1954 has described another great method for doing what you want to do. I don't know why I picked up my procedure, but it has always worked for me, & I'm comfortable with it I guess, so that's why I use it on some of my Alpha work. Which ever method you choose, I hope it works out well for you, & you have a good one . . . Mark.

Attached Link: http://www.planetphotoshop.com/tutorials_effects.html

I found the answer! The key is Linking! Found it in a tutorial here: CREATING A MASK OVER MULTIPLE LAYERS http://www.planetphotoshop.com/tutorials_effects.html

Well, now you have gone and done it! You know how long it will take me to read ALL those great tutorials!!! Man! Now I gotta make a pot of coffee, get my slippers on, fluff my chairs pillow, (still mumbling, walking towards coffee pot) :P Thanks for the great link!