why cant I import an alpha via lightbox? when I try to import an alpha via lightbox it just imports it as a texture image every time, it opens up the paint wheel and puts them in there!
so I have to go to the Alpha pallet and import them direct, but sadly that uses a windows extention to view, so I cant see content of .psd files!!!
its really frustrating. so am I doing something wrong or is it just a bit ****eyed.
Hold down “shift” and left double click on the alpha. It should load up as an alpha (at least it does on a pc.)
Sorry, that was an incomplete answer.
In order for your alpha to move to the alpha palette from Lightbox it must be a 16 bit .psd greyscale image. Otherwise Zbrush considers it a texture.
One easy solution is to use the “make alpha” feature in the texture palette to send your alpha/texture to the alpha palette and then easilly resave your alpha by exporting it from the alpha palette in the psd 16 bit format. In the future you’ll have a version that you can select properly from Lightbox…
ok thanks for your help, much appreciated… I have over 600 alphas in my library, there is no way Im changing them all to 16 bit… so it looks like its the long way round for me 
what a shame its so limited
I wonder if there isn’t a batch utility for converting your files…like in Adobe Bridge or Irfan.
In any event if you just do the conversion as you need each alpha it won’t be such a chore. Just set up a folder in the zalphas folder to seperate out the originals from the converted alphas. It really little time to make the conversion as you go since it can all be done via Zbrush on a “case by case” basis.
I don’t have any trouble loading 8bit grayscale PSDs into the Alpha palette from Lightbox. I just hold Shift and double-click. They must be 1 channel grayscale though, not desaturated RGB.
Wellll, now that I retested, I’m not having any problems with loading 8bit greyscale psd images either. 
Thanks for pointing that out, Marcus!
when I try to import from light box holding shift and double click, it imports as texture direct to the texture pallet
still its relatively easy form the texture pallet to create the alpha.
still a shame the extra step is added.