Loading *.png with a preloader

hey,

I tried to use the tutorial for loading external image files using XML. Everything was going peachy until I tried to load a *.png. Maybe I did something wrong but it just didn’t load anything.

So question is, can I even load a PNG from an external location?

Here’s another problem. So when I transition an image from Alpha 0% to 100% if the background is white it’s just peachy. But, if the background is dark gray when it transitions for the in between you see a lighter background on the transitioning image. Does anyone have a way around this?

Thanks in advance.