TGA alpha channels in Photoshop ( .Tga Transparent BackGround Tutorial )
By Unknown, Under Adobe Photoshop
Start by creating a new image. Go to "File->New..." or click Ctrl+N, you'll see this dialog:
Name the image whatever you like, it's not important. Set the width and height to 128 for our example. Make sure the units are in pixels, and resolution is 72 pixels/inch. Before you click OK, make sure "Transparent" in the "Contents" area is selected. This will make our image transparent as default and is important when making the alpha channel.
Click "OK".
You'll see your empty workspace. Note the checkered appearance, this indicates the background is transparent.
Now, select a brush that is nice and fuzzy, I used 17px sized fuzzy brush.
Draw a nice smiley face. I made mine happy :-) I like happy... Happy is good my brother said.
Now, let's have a look at our layers. This will be the window at our bottom right (as default). If you cannot see this window, you may need to go to "Window->Show Layers" or "Alt+W" then "L".
See the small representation of our smiley? Right click the image and select "Select Layer Transparency".
NB! You must click on the actual icon. If you click the text in the blue area (where it says "Layer 1" in the image) you will get a different menu with other options.
NB! NB! Here is why we chose a transparent background. This point had me illuded for quite some time because I thought Photoshop would use this as the alpha channel, which apparently was not the case.
Tip: If you have multiple layers here and want a general alpha channel, select the entire image ("Select->Select All" or Ctrl+A), and copy merged ("Edit->Copy Merged" or "Shift+Ctrl+C"), create a new image and paste it in. Now continue with the following steps.
Click the "Channels" tab (it's next to the "Layers" tab in the same window).
Down at the bottom there's an icon to the left of the trashcan that looks like a notepad with a page flipping over. I've marked it in read so it's easier to spot. Click this, it will add an alpha channel. Now, select the bright white color and use the "Fill" feature ("Edit->Fill" or "Alt+E" then "L"). This will fill the selected area with white. Since we had selected the layer transparency, this will create a perfect alpha channel for our image :-)
You should now be seeing this black and white representation of our image and we can save our image with an alpha channel.
Edit:
I forgot to mention that the transparent background in Photoshop will be saved as white, and this will show through. To prevent this, there's a nice feature called "Flatten Image". Go to "Layer->Flatten Image" ("Alt+L" then "f"). Notice how the checkered background becomes white and the area where you have drawn something expands a little. Now things should look alright :-)
Go to "File->Save As...", choose "Targa (*.TGA;(...)" as our Format. Notice the "Alpha Channels" under "Save Options" is now checked. Click "Save" and make sure "32 bits/pixel" is selected in the "Targa Options" dialog that appears next.
Save as > Save
Click "OK".
The image should now be saved with an alpha channel. No more ugly edges, yay! :-)
How to become a leader who coaches effectively.
By Unknown, Under Articles
An effective leader is, by definition, adept at guiding those he/she leads. In business or in any group, a leader is wise to rely on those he leads to help him accomplish the goals of the organization. To do this he must coach those under him to do their part of the job to his specifications. Here are some ways to effectively coach others:
1. Determine the specific talents of those you are coaching in terms of the job that must be done.
2. Assign those you are coaching specific parts of the job based on their talents.
3. If there is no one who has the skill needed for a certain part of the job, train someone to do it, or train a group of two or more employees together how to accomplish the task or tasks. A good coach is always ready to help those he is coaching improve their skills and broaden their talents.
4. Create a non-threatening environment for accomplishing tasks, so staff members feel comfortable expressing concerns and asking for help.
5. Set clear parameters for completion of the job. The good coach makes it clear what is expected, so staff members are not surprised when their work is rejected. It is difficult to accomplish a task if no specifications are given.
6. Set specific deadlines to ensure the job is finished on time. Be sure to set deadlines before the job is due, so parts can be tweaked if necessary.
7. Periodically the leader should check the quality and progress of staff in meeting the goals so assignments can be adjusted.
8. Check to ensure that questions have not arisen that may be holding the team back.
The main attributes of an effective coach are good listening and communication skills. A coach must communicate what needs to be done, how to do it, and how to handle barricades to the progress of the project. Most leaders become leaders because they have good communication skills.
To increase the effectiveness of your communication during coaching remember to keep the assignments you make easy to understand. State instructions in concrete terms that are measurable. Leaders make sure that they don’t talk down to staff during coaching, but treat the staff with respect. By doing so, staff will feel more at ease about asking questions or asking for clarification if they don’t understand part of the assignment.
Writing content for your blog
By Unknown, Under Articles
Writing content for your blog is much different than writing fiction or non-fiction for any other reason.
You must write succinctly and design the page to ensure the content is easy to read.
A page filled with long paragraphs will deter readers. Don't make the reading look like work. Rather use plenty of white space to ensure readers that it'll be a quick read.
When reading on the web, people do not read long pieces word for word. They scan the content of your blog to see if there is anything earth-shattering that they must read.
Suggestions for web content that will catch the attention of readers:
1. Make every word count. Leave out as many adjectives as possible and all of the adverbs. Keep to the words that convey the message.2. Choose keywords for the article with care and use them frequently to ensure the search engines will find the topic within your blog content.3. Blog content should consist of short paragraphs or, better yet, lists that are easy to read.4. Use headings to draw attention to your content. Pay close attention to headings and sub-headings. They might be the only thing that catches the eye of readers and convinces them to read.5. Use white space to your advantage. Make the piece easier for the reader by breaking up the reading with blank space.6. Use lists and graphics to get your point across in a short-handed fashion while keeping the reader interested in your content.7. Talk to the readers through your blog content. Use a conversational tone and always ask for comments.
How to build your business networking skills
By Unknown, Under Articles
Networking is a broad term. Generally it means that we exchange business and contact information with colleagues or potential business contacts. Many people today say they use networking skills to build up their businesses, but do they really know how to go about building their business networking skills in an organized manner. Here’s a way to go about it:
1. Analyze what you want to gain from networking. Do you want to meet like-minded colleagues with whom you can exchange information? Do you want to find potential customers? Do you want to do both?
2. Determine who, based on what you want to gain from networking, you want in your network.
3. Devise a plan for building your networking skills. List the steps and the possibilities for getting in touch with those you want in your network.
4. Make it easy for people to get in touch with you. Distribute your business cards to everyone you meet. Make sure your business card identifies your business, your website, your email address, your phone number, etc. Literally give a business card to everyone you meet. You never know when that card might be passed to someone who will be important to your business.
5. Create a web presence and communicate with others. Establish a website and make it easy for people to find you. Be active on the Internet, so your business will come up when someone searches for it.
6. Create a mailing list of those you know are important to your business. Communicate with them on a consistent basis and encourage them to help you increase the number in the group. You could do this through establishing a newsletter that you send out about the business. Make the information in it helpful to those who receive it. When you send it out, ask those receiving it to pass it along to others they think might be interested. Your newsletter could be on paper or sent out electronically on the Internet.
7. Attend conferences, meetings, seminars, etc., on topics related to your business. This is a great way to meet people in your field and to establish face-to-face relationships with them. Before you go, pull together some ideas about how you can help each other, so you’ll have some networking ideas to offer to others.
Networking can be very helpful to you and your business. The key to building your business network is to be consistent and to respond to others when they communicate with you. Networking works best if it is for the betterment of all, so don’t make it only about you and your business.
What is customer service?
By Unknown, Under Articles
Customer service starts with management and the values they instill in their employees. Unfortunately, customer service has moved away from the concept of “The customer is always right.” This is in part due to the litigious world we live in. We are afraid to admit that a customer might have a valid point when they make a complaint.
Whether you run or work for a large organization or a small outfit, the principles of customer service are the same. Here are some of them.
- Keep the customer happy. This doesn’t mean that you have to put everything on sale or that you need to go to extraordinary lengths to make the customer happy. Most people would be satisfied with a little honest attention when they are shopping or looking for someone to provide service in the home.
- Listen to the complaints without becoming defensive. Too often when you ask a sales clerk or service person a question, they tell you why your question is out of line instead of answering the question. If I ask how long something will last, I don’t want to hear, “Forever.” I know that’s not true. Tell me the truth and I’ll be grateful and more likely to buy from you in the future.
- Show that you value the customer’s time. So often brick and mortar stores and phone and online service businesses don’t hire enough people to give good customer service. When I go out for lunch, I don’t want to hear how many tables the waitress has, or I don’t want to stand in line forever to find a clerk. In too many cases, stores and restaurants are maintaining minimum staffing levels. This is especially true of phone services for all businesses. How many times have you heard a recording say, “Your call is important to us. The next available person will be right with you.”? It is not customer service to make a customer wait on the phone for half an hour for a “real” person to come on the line.
- Stand behind the value of your product. Assist a customer rather than trying to sell him something more expensive than he needs. Too often when we ask for a particular product, the sales clerk will offer a suggestion of a more expensive product. Now, I would appreciate this if what I am proposing to buy is not worth the price. However, I don’t want to have to fight with a sales clerk to obtain information about a product I want, just because he/she wants to make a bigger commission.
- Meet the customer’s needs, rather than your own. The customer is always right. Businesses would find their businesses booming if some of them returned to this old tenet and to the one about having pride in their product.
