Test and open discussion about transparency (comparison between 1.2020.10 and 1.2020.11)

Question

Hello PlantUML team,

With new version 1.2020.11, we made some test about transparency (and Backgroundcolor transparent parameter) corresponding to the 2 questions/defects:

• Group components can't be set transparent
• Backgroundcolor transparent doesn't work for empty group

Here is an example, to compare with the two versions (2020.10 and 2020.11) and to open discussion with this:

[Click to see on PlantUML online server]

Hope you see the difference (between v10 and v11),
Regards,
Th.

Answer 1

Situation begins to be complex here :-)

First, the "pale line on the bottom of node" is due to shadowing. I agree that it's an issue, but I won't talk about it here (because it's already complex enough :-). You may create a new question about this specific point if you wish.

Let's talk about your first case :

You say:

Group node should not be transparent
(as in **v1.2020.10**, where Group node is white)

Well, I think v1.2020.10 is defect : there is no reason why Group node should be white. Here, it is transparent, because somehow it inherits the general "backgroundColor" setting. Does it make sense ?

Comments

Hello,

Thank for your prompt answer.

In fact, that is not so easy to solve, because that is a mix between inheritance and heritage, transparency, common sense and best practice in order to cover all the common usage.
Moreover, I notice that when I wrote my first question! And I wanted to propose an open discussion on that!

To expose my propos, here is a usecase, with this example:

[Click to see code on PlantUML online server]

When you put color (like ‘palegreen’) on ‘backgroundColor’, I understand the heritage on all the other groups of superior level:

If we do not want that, we must precise in each group the requested color (for example 'pink'):

Or pink on all the n_level_1, as:

⇒ Why n_level_2 stay in palegreen? Is it a defect? and also 'nn'?

But when we put no color and especially with ‘transparent’, with only this line:

skinparam Backgroundcolor transparent

For me point of view (and I think that is the common usage), if you put ‘transparent’, it is only to remove the background (the background of level 0) And We doesn’t want heritage in this case.

Expect if we precise explicitly in each group of superior level, the use of transparency:

Or even force explicitly ‘transparent’ for all:

Or my question is:

• How to make simply transparent the background of level 0?
  without searching all the group of level 1 or define for the default group (node, file,...), and putting them default color as:

But in this case: How to propage a pink color, on only the n_level_1, as:

Open to discussion, hopefully I am clear about me point of view about the transparency of only the background of level 0.

Regards,
Th.

---

Thanks for your tests, it really helps!

In last release v1.2020.12 we have fixed some issue regarding transparent and beta-style.

So now you can have :

It's probably better to use "beta-style" rather than legacy skinparams for complex stuff like this.

Since there might be some other bugs, we are very interested in your tests :-)

Regards,

---

Hello PlantUML team,

Thank for yours answers;
Then with beta-style and usage of 'document' parameter, we can modify and make transparent only the background of level 0.

We now test with beta-style,
Thanks a lot,
Regards,
Th.