Transparancy problems in outlook addin with latest version (adxvcl-v900-b1650-pre)

Add-in Express™ Support Service
That's what is more important than anything else

Transparancy problems in outlook addin with latest version (adxvcl-v900-b1650-pre)
 
Tim Smet




Posts: 37
Joined: 2015-10-06
Hi,

I just quickly installed adxvcl-v900-b1650-pre and rebuilded our excel, word and outlook addins, all rebuilded fine. But during usuage we are seeing a problem with Images displayed in the ribbon in the outlook addin. There seems to be a transparancy issue that was not present in previous version:

you can see it here
User added an image

I did not change anything to our project only opened it rebuilded with new version and used in outlook.

The imageList used is a TImageList with masked flag set to true colordepth set to deviceidenpendant, but i can't remember if the original images are png / bitmap / ico

If i build using old version (Version 8.1 Release (build 1432) i think) without changing the project this problem does not happen.
Posted 21 Jun, 2018 05:20:58 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18719
Joined: 2006-05-11
Hello Tim,

Could you please copy that ImageList to any new project and send the project to us?


Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 21 Jun, 2018 06:58:52 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18719
Joined: 2006-05-11
What Delphi version are you using?


Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 21 Jun, 2018 06:59:28 Top
Tim Smet




Posts: 37
Joined: 2015-10-06
Hi Andrei,

It's seems to be a simple imagelist where Cyan is used as mask, previously it would make all cyan parts transparant when used in the outlook addin. Not sure.

Also not sure if compiling on diffrent windows has an effect, but i tested on outlook 2016 on windows 7 & windows 10 it had same result.

Our project files did not change compared to svn version as far as i can tell and the our outlook addin dll compiled this morning before updating add-in express did not exhibit this problem

vcl project with image list copied is here
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jwaB-70BFLhb6_DZLUpGlaYdZrr7QP-h

We are using Delphi XE Berlin 10.1 update 2
Posted 21 Jun, 2018 08:18:22 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18719
Joined: 2006-05-11
Hello Tim,

The code of Add-in Express was changed to support icons with alpha-channel. This is why you see this issue.

Please download http://temp.add-in-express.com/support/MyAddin5-ForTimSmet.zip.

We've modified the Imagelist. Also, we suggest that you use PNG or ICO. If you use BMP, use BMP with a transparent color.


Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 22 Jun, 2018 07:34:52 Top
Tim Smet




Posts: 37
Joined: 2015-10-06
Hi Andrei,

Thanks, but it's unclear what you changed in the imagelist the only thing i see is the change to 32bit colordepth, i'm guessing the images itselve inside the image list are changed / modified / replaced.

Also as far as i'm aware the bmp file format does not support transparancy.

But i just tested by replacing the images in the imagelist with a png version that has a transparant background and that, although weirdly displayed inside the TImageList, seems to work inside the addin in runtime.

edit:

just figured out my problem, i was using png images with fushia background but that does not seem to work, if i use bmp images with fushia background it works like before. So no more problems.

I also noticed our wordaddin now displays our (masked) icon's with a transparant background and that's a good thing, in a previous version it still showed an opaque background. This is probably due to the transparancy support that got added in. Thanks for this
Posted 25 Jun, 2018 03:28:05 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18719
Joined: 2006-05-11
Hello Tim,

We've changed the ImageList as follows: we extracted your icons and replaced fuchsia with the transparent color 0x00000000.

Tim Smet writes:
Also as far as i'm aware the bmp file format does not support transparancy.


BMP and PNG support alpha channel if they are 32-bit colordepth. In formats not-supporting alpha channel, the transparent color (all zeroes) is used to specify transparent areas of the image.

Earlier, fuchsia was used to specify the transparent color. Don't know details, unfortunately. That is, it's great that it works but we recommend using 32bit colordepth icons.


Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 25 Jun, 2018 05:40:31 Top