Question

I have this layout:

<FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
             android:background="@android:color/black"
             android:gravity="center_horizontal"
             android:layout_width="fill_parent"
             android:layout_height="fill_parent">

    <com.digitaliridium.tides.NVLibrary.NVGlobeView
            android:id="@+id/globeView"
            android:src="@drawable/icon"
            android:background="@color/nvglobebackground"
            android:scaleType="matrix"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"/>

    <LinearLayout
            android:background="@color/paneltransparenciesbackground"
            android:orientation="vertical"
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content">

        <TextView
                android:id="@+id/globeViewPortName"
                android:textSize="22dp"
                android:textStyle="bold"
                android:background="@android:color/transparent"
                android:layout_marginTop="5dp"
                android:layout_marginLeft="5dp"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="26dp"/>

        <TextView
                android:id="@+id/globeViewLocation"
                android:textSize="12dp"
                android:layout_marginTop="3dp"
                android:layout_marginLeft="5dp"
                android:background="@android:color/transparent"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="18dp"/>

        <TextView
                android:id="@+id/globeViewPortType"
                android:textSize="12dp"
                android:background="@android:color/transparent"
                android:layout_marginLeft="5dp"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="18dp"/>

    </LinearLayout>

    <LinearLayout
            android:background="@color/paneltransparenciesbackground"
            android:orientation="vertical"
            android:layout_gravity="bottom"
            android:layout_width="fill_parent"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content">

        <RelativeLayout
                android:background="@color/paneltransparenciesbackground"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content">

            <ImageButton
                    android:id="@+id/indicatorMode"
                    android:src="@drawable/nv_selector"
                    android:background="@android:color/transparent"
                    android:layout_marginLeft="10dp"
                    android:layout_width="50dp"
                    android:layout_height="50dp"/>

            <ImageButton
                    android:id="@+id/homePort"
                    android:src="@drawable/nv_home_port"
                    android:background="@android:color/transparent"
                    android:layout_toRightOf="@id/indicatorMode"
                    android:layout_marginLeft="20dp"
                    android:layout_width="50dp"
                    android:layout_height="50dp"/>

            <ImageButton
                    android:id="@+id/gps"
                    android:src="@drawable/nv_gpsarrow_white"
                    android:background="@android:color/transparent"
                    android:layout_centerInParent="true"
                    android:layout_width="50dp"
                    android:layout_height="50dp"/>

        </RelativeLayout>


        <RelativeLayout
                android:background="@color/paneltransparenciesbackground"
                android:orientation="horizontal"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="wrap_content">

            <TextView
                    android:id="@+id/viewPointLocation"
                    android:textSize="12dp"
                    android:background="@android:color/transparent"
                    android:gravity="center_vertical"
                    android:layout_marginLeft="5dp"
                    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                    android:layout_height="30dp"/>

            <TextView
                    android:id="@+id/scale"
                    android:textSize="12dp"
                    android:layout_marginLeft="20dp"
                    android:gravity="center_vertical"
                    android:layout_toRightOf="@id/viewPointLocation"
                    android:background="@android:color/transparent"
                    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                    android:layout_height="30dp"/>

            <TextView
                    android:id="@+id/distance"
                    android:textSize="12dp"
                    android:layout_marginRight="10dp"
                    android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
                    android:gravity="center_vertical"
                    android:background="@android:color/transparent"
                    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
                    android:layout_height="30dp"/>

        </RelativeLayout>

    </LinearLayout>

    <ImageButton
            android:id="@+id/flipView"
            android:layout_marginTop="300dp"
            android:layout_gravity="bottom"
            android:layout_marginBottom="100dp"
            android:layout_width="80dp"
            android:layout_height="80dp"
            android:scaleType="center"
            android:src="@drawable/sc_flip"
            />


</FrameLayout>

Here’s a shot of the resulting screen

You can see that the semi-transparent panels (the LinearLayouts) appear to have different levels of opaqueness, even though they have the same background colour.

The difference is much more marked on the device screen than it is in the screen cap.

Can anyone spot why?

Answer 1

In the bottom LinearLayout it consists with the RelativeLayout’s who also has the same background.
When you put two semi-transparent layers on top of each other they’ll look less transparent (it’s like they’re covering each other)

Drop the background in the RelativeLayout’s and they’ll look the same.