Questions and postings pertaining to the development of ImageMagick, feature enhancements, and ImageMagick internals. ImageMagick source code and algorithms are discussed here. Usage questions which are too arcane for the normal user list should also be posted here.
Clut handling of grayscale recolor with involving clut images with alpha, broke in one recent version of IM.
Another programmer (I will not say who) ignored a WARNING I had left in the source code and recoded it incorrectly.
FYI; It is a matter of image processing order in the core library function. Alpha in the clut image has to be recoded first, as it needs to use color value for the lookup (no alpha in input image). Only after alpha is handled can the color values be modified but the CLUT.
I fixed the problem, and re-added the warning, as soon as I discovered it. You must have been unlucky to download a bad version. color values modified before they are used to modify alpha!
Upgrade and all will be well.
ASIDE; Nice way of recoloring so as to represent negative and positive results in a baised grayscale image (perfect gray being regarded as zero).