HaloMods "Classic" Read-only Archive

I'm editing "scenarios\skies\multi\zanzibar\bitmaps\clouds_low_mask" in halo 2's foundation. The image is a DXT5. It is used to determine where the clouds show up in the sky.
I am using PSP8. The image already has an alpha mask, but when I re-save the image, it's either fully opaque or fully transparent.

Can someone tell me what to do in order to make an alpha mask in PSP8? When ever I try to make something transparent, it does one of two things.
It either:

-says "Alpha is all zero, formats with alpha will apear black in preview." But when I make the mask, there are opaque sections of the mask, and transparent sections of the mask. So what does it mean by"Alpha is all zero." Then it saves the entire image as completely trasparent.
This only happens when I "save mask to alpha channel"

-doesn't even save an alpha mask even though there are transparent parts to the raster image. It just replaces the transparent sections with white.

PS. Sorry for the "NEW!!" in the topic title, I thought it would bring attention to the topic.

Please help me, I've searched for soooo long and haven't found anything even related to this. Thanks to anyone who tries to help.

To save regular alpha channel:

well, go to layers. then go to load/save mask & then u try & figure it out from there(save mask to alpha channel mb?)...cuz i can't remember atm. i'll check back with ya though, but i'm pretty sure it's:

layers-> load/save mask-> save mask to alpha channel(do this before saving & after editing the bitmap at all).


To make your own:

ok, go to the lil mask emblem in the right, bottom area(layers section). click it & choose a color in the colors pallette with a RGB of 0(r=0, g=0, b=0). now, paint in the places u want the bitmap to show. then, once you're done:

go to layers-> load/save mask-> save mask to alpha channel. then right click the main layer in the layers pallette(bottom right area) & click merge all(flatten). & now save the bitmap.


everything should work, if not-lemme know & i'll try to help ya

hope that helps & works,
--Scooby

It's still saving as an entirely transparent image. I've always been getting this error but I dont know why I haven't posted it before. Here it is:

Because of the limitations of the specified file format (and possibly the save options you've selected), the saved file will be limited to a merged image. Also as a result of these limitations, no alpha channels will be saved. Would you like to continue?

Is this telling me that it's not possible to save an image (in .dds format) with an alpha channel?