Are you saving as .xcf? Or are you saving in an image format that doesn't do layers, such as basically anything except xcf or psd?

Matt

----- Original Message ----- From: Ryan Coyner
Date: Friday, January 14, 2005 10:45 pm Subject: [Gimp-user] Layers merging on exit

Hey guys. I'm having some problems with layers, and if any of you can help me find a solution, I'd appreciate it.

When I quit (after saving) the gimp while working a project with multiple layers, all the layers seem to merge into one called "Background" when I open it up again. Is there a way to preserve the multiple layers so tha when I come back to the project I can edit the individual layers? Thanks in advance.

Ryan Coyner wrote:

Hey guys. I'm having some problems with layers, and if any of you can help me find a solution, I'd appreciate it.

When I quit (after saving) the gimp while working a project with multiple layers, all the layers seem to merge into one called "Background" when I open it up again. Is there a way to preserve the multiple layers so tha when I come back to the project I can edit the individual layers? Thanks in advance.

Try saving in .xcf format, it should save most Gimp relevant items along with your image data.

Barton

On Fri, 14 Jan 2005, Ryan Coyner wrote:

Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 22:45:13 -0500 From: Ryan Coyner
To: Gimp-user@lists.xcf.berkeley.edu Subject: [Gimp-user] Layers merging on exit

Hey guys. I'm having some problems with layers, and if any of you can help me find a solution, I'd appreciate it.

Something similar happened to me while using Indexed mode. Only the XCF files allow multilayer Indexed colour files, PSD does not.

Generally speaking most file formats do not allow multiple layers at all. Those that do include XCF and PSD (and possibly MNG if you have it installed) but XCF is the only format you can be sure will save the maximum amount of information possible.

- Alan H.

Hi,

Alan Horkan writes:

Generally speaking most file formats do not allow multiple layers at all. Those that do include XCF and PSD (and possibly MNG if you have it installed) but XCF is the only format you can be sure will save the maximum amount of information possible.

MNG supports layers but GIMP can't read MNG files, so that's not a good advice.

Sven

On Fri, Jan 14, 2005 at 10:45:13PM -0500, Ryan Coyner wrote:

When I quit (after saving) the gimp while working a project with multiple layers, all the layers seem to merge into one called "Background" when I open it up again. Is there a way to preserve the multiple layers so tha when I come back to the project I can edit the individual layers? Thanks in advance.

can you provide additional information?

an example file is helpful whenever reporting a problem or asking for help.

they make me explain the methods i used to create the file.

right now in this thread, everyone is just guessing -- people who would be better working on actual gimp problems are even getting in on the discussion.

the best way to share your file on this list is to put the file online and provide a url. to report the method you used to save the file, you might mention whether or not you saw the "Export Dialog". the gimp does not make changes to a file without telling you it is going to do this. perhaps this warning seems cryptic, however, you probably agreed to the layers merging.

also, confirmation that you are reading the help mentioned here is just good procedure no matter who you are asking help from.

right now, i am guessing that gimp did exactly what you told it to and you are not reading the help being offered via this list. feel free to correct this guess with a few facts.

carol

On Sat, 15 Jan 2005, Sven Neumann wrote:

Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2005 15:32:43 +0100 From: Sven Neumann
To: Alan Horkan
Cc: Gimp-user@lists.xcf.berkeley.edu Subject: Re: [Gimp-user] Layers merging on exit

Hi,

Alan Horkan writes:

Generally speaking most file formats do not allow multiple layers at all. Those that do include XCF and PSD (and possibly MNG if you have it installed) but XCF is the only format you can be sure will save the maximum amount of information possible.

MNG supports layers but GIMP can't read MNG files, so that's not a good advice.

I knew it wasn't included by default (which is why I said if you have it) but I thought there was a plug-in available but if you say there isn't ...

- Alan

Hi,

Alan Horkan writes:

MNG supports layers but GIMP can't read MNG files, so that's not a good advice.

I knew it wasn't included by default (which is why I said if you have it) but I thought there was a plug-in available but if you say there isn't ...

The plug-in is included by default but it can only save MNG and doesn't have any code to load the files again. If you are creating MNG animations with GIMP, you always need to keep a copy in XCF format.

Sven

Sven Neumann gimp.org> writes:

The plug-in is included by default but it can only save MNG and doesn't have any code to load the files again. If you are creating MNG animations with GIMP, you always need to keep a copy in XCF format.

Sven

If there is a write plug-in then how hard is it to make a read plug-in? Is it a copyright conflict?

The source should be available if the plug-in is included with distribution and all that; logic says all that needs to be done is change outputs to inputs (of course that would assume that logic applies here)

On Monday 24 January 2005 04:17, Ben Christy wrote:

Sven Neumann gimp.org> writes:

The plug-in is included by default but it can only save MNG and doesn't have any code to load the files again. If you are creating MNG animations with GIMP, you always need to keep a copy in XCF format.

Sven

If there is a write plug-in then how hard is it to make a read plug-in? Is it a copyright conflict?

The source should be available if the plug-in is included with distribution and all that; logic says all that needs to be done is change outputs to inputs (of course that would assume that logic applies here)

Uhhh...actually it is a bit more complicated than that. MNG is a complex standard. Inside a MNG file there may lie PNG or JPEG image data, the differences from one frame to another may be 'differential' -i.e. only the data of the parts that had changed is stored, or a replacement of the previous image for a new image.

The writing plug-in actually performs a rather naive MNG save, saving just a frame sequence (like an anim. GIF). The result is a valid MNG, but the plug-in only deals with a subset of the standard, and reading mng's recorded by other programs would require full suport for the specification.

That of course is desirable, and a 'non naive' mng saving would be great. But AFAIK there is no one working oin that in the moment.

Regards, JS
->

Hi,

"Joao S. O. Bueno Calligaris" writes:

The writing plug-in actually performs a rather naive MNG save, saving just a frame sequence (like an anim. GIF). The result is a valid MNG, but the plug-in only deals with a subset of the standard, and reading mng's recorded by other programs would require full suport for the specification.

Well, it probably wouldn't be too difficult to read the set of MNG features that the MNG plug-in can save. Read support in libmng is actually a lot better than support for creating MNG files.

That of course is desirable, and a 'non naive' mng saving would be great. But AFAIK there is no one working oin that in the moment.

That's right, I am not aware of anyone working on it.

Sven