6./ZG26_5tuka Posted March 15, 2015 Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) Ok, here you go. 1. Select the "Channels" tab at the righthand toolbar 2. Select "Alpha 1", Strg+c 3. Switch back to "Layers" tab (the one on the left) and create a new layer (Shit + Strg + N). Than Strg+V. It should look like this: 4. Edit it to your liking (grey tones as explained in my previous post) 5. Select your layer, Strg+C. Than switch back to your "Channels" tab, select "Alpha 1" and press Strg+V. 6. Done. Merge your layers and apply your custom Alpha channel. Hope this is more clear. The steps 5 and 6 are just like 1 - 3 but reversed. Ah sry forgot to mention Ctrl is equal to Strg (german keyboard). My bad, was tired and didn't realize it in time. Not nessecary to make it more complicate. Using Gimp you have a "Channel" tab in the upper right hand toolbar. Select it and oyu'll see Blue, Red, Green, Occupacity and below Alpha1. Select Alpha1, copy it, go back to your layer view (first tab) and paste it in a different layer. Now you can edit it. In general greyscales apply "glow" and "reflection" to your skin. A 50% whitw level grey has the same ammount of both while anything below that feautures more "glow" than reflection and vise versa. Mind you that white parts appear to be totally matt while black parts will be transparent ingame. For a more mattish look I'd go for a ~30-35% white grey tone. After your editing is done copy the alpha layer, go back to your channels window, select Alpha1, paste and you're done. Now you can safely go back, unite your layers and safe it with your customized alpha applied. Appreciate your time to post these instructions! Once I have the new posted layer of the Alpha1 in the Layer window (your image 2), I adjust the opacity. It's at this point I ctl-c this layer. I open the Channel window. I select the Alpha1. When I try to ctl-v this to the Alpha1 channel it pastes a new floating layer back in the Layer window. I am using v2.8.4. Any thoughts? 1. You don't change the Alpha channels occupacity. It is a greyscale map that will make your final skin look transparent, although itself is not. 2. That sholdn't be the case. Make sure Alpha 1 lights up, not the other channels (Red,Green,Blu, Alpha). Should work fine than. Before merging your skin deselect Alpha 1 and select all other channels again. Thanks again 5tuka. Let me lay out step by step what happens at my end. 1. Selecting the Aplha1 channel and copying (ctl-c). . 2. Creating the Custom Alpha Layer. . 3. After creating the Custom Alpha Layer I try to paste (ctl-v) the Alpha1 channel to the that layer. Instead of it placing the info into that layer, it creates a new Floating Selection layer (Pasted Layer). . 4. In order to do anything at this point, it I have to use the To New Layer command to create it as a layer. . 5. I end up with a new layer (Pasted Layer) that resembles your number 2 image in your instructions. So I end up with two new layers instead of the one. If I do not create the new layer before I ctl-v the Apha1 channel, it will create the same Floating Selection but it will not let me use the To New Layer command. All this and I still haven't got to the grayscale work, which unfortunately I have no idea where to find, although I have Googled about it and looked through the manual. Thanks for any additional thoughts. I see what you mean now. If you want to settle your pasted Alpha channel you got 2 options: 1. Basicly left click outside the image border will automaticly make your pasted object (in this case alpha channel) settle on the selected layer. 2. Right click selection layer as you did but use "Anchor Layer" instead of "New Layer". Result is the same as for 1. Of course this accounts the same way for step 5-6, means copy your custom alpha, go into Channels tab with paste it in "Alpha1". Than let the pasted image settle by left clicking outside the image's boarder. 1. You don't change the Alpha channels occupacity. It is a greyscale map that will make your final skin look transparent, although itself is not. 2. That sholdn't be the case. Make sure Alpha 1 lights up, not the other channels (Red,Green,Blu, Alpha). Should work fine than. Before merging your skin deselect Alpha 1 and select all other channels again. Thank you very much . Thanks again. That works. Still cannot get it to paste directly into the layer even using the Edit - Paste Into command but the Anchor Layer merges the two. Now onto this: ...snip... Now you can edit it. In general greyscales apply "glow" and "reflection" to your skin. A 50% whitw level grey has the same ammount of both while anything below that feautures more "glow" than reflection and vise versa. ...snip... Is this simply a matter of selecting the Custom Alpha Channel layer and opening a menu item and adjusting a slider, etc. or is it made up of different multiple steps? Menu choices of Colors-Threshold, Colors-Levels, or Colors-Curves look like potential prospects. Ok, here you go. 1. Select the "Channels" tab at the righthand toolbar 2. Select "Alpha 1", Strg+c 3. Switch back to "Layers" tab (the one on the left) and create a new layer (Shit + Strg + N). Than Strg+V. It should look like this: 4. Edit it to your liking (grey tones as explained in my previous post) 5. Select your layer, Strg+C. Than switch back to your "Channels" tab, select "Alpha 1" and press Strg+V. 6. Done. Merge your layers and apply your custom Alpha channel. Hope this is more clear. The steps 5 and 6 are just like 1 - 3 but reversed. Thank you . The selection will always be on the "floating" layer once pasted but should settle onto your previously selected layer (i.e. Custom Alpha Layer) if using one of both methods. You can work with the alpha texture in multiple ways. If you want to make the whoel thing more shiny/matt you can adjust colour brightness or level. If you want specific parts to be more matt or shiny on the other hand I advise to create some sub layers and colour only the desired part in dark/light grey. I'll give you an example (be warned though, mods wont like it! ) I'll take my "silver" Red 2 skin for the IL-2 as example of how to odify the alpha texture. Here's the skin to get oyu a picture of what effects I want to acchieve ingame and here is the default ingame Alpha texture First of all I noticed this grey creates too much shine for my taste so I darkened all parts of the airframe I want to be more matt. In this case it's wooden parts of the aircraft for example. Now I want to make metallic parts more siny and reflective. This is done by lighting up metallic parts with a lighter grey (you don't have to use any gradient pattern as I did, simple lighter grey areas are fair enought). Mind you 50% grey feautures the bets combination of "glow" and reflection. Going above that and you'll have more reflection than shine and vise versa. It all depends on the effects you desire to acchieve. Continue workign with this pattern to adjust details by either highlighting or darken them. This for example is my final Alpha channel feauturing several added details like weathering, decals ect. You can either use the "lasso" tool to select and adjust certain parts of the skin or create duplicate layers of details like decals, weathering ect and colour them in dark grey, than merge them with your alpha texture. There's a bunch of options to chose from. And to avoid confusion this image shows what I mean with "white level" when talking about grey tones. Each colour has destinctive values. The marked value is the white level of the grey tone I analysed, in this example it's a mix of 35% white and 75% black. You can also use the numbers below called RGB values, though I found white level to be the more convinient refference to work with. You can see some pics of the final skin using this Alpha here: http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/13717-il-2-am-38-skins/?do=findComment&comment=231136 I hope I managed to sum the major steps of modifying Alpha tetxures up. Thanks for taking the time to post all that. It's going to take some time for me to absorb it all. If I understand correctly, once you are finished in the above example, you would copy the Alpha layer and paste it back to the Alpha1 channel. The final part is this, it seems no matter what is done to the layers, in order to get to a dds file you must flatten and export the image, at which time it loses all and it is entirely flat unless an Alpha channel is added and applied after flattening at which time it is all gloss. What is your export process to retains the finishes you want? Thanks again. Thx! I enjoy helping Before talkign about export settings you should note merging the layers by using "flatten image" isn't a proper method. Reason being that most of the provided default layers feauture various resolutions and sizes and thus the "flatten image" option will mess up your final skin's resolution resulting in ugly texture misplacement ingame. I strongly advise to use the followign method: First you need to find the bottom layer of your skin. Usually it's named "Background", in this case I had to create my own though. Make sure the resolution of this layer is 2048 x 2048 px . After pressing "Merge Visible Layers" this window will appear. Make sure to select "Clipped to bottom Layer" and press "Merge". This way Gimp will adjust all sublayers accordingly so the final skin will keep it's native resolution of 2048 x 2048 px . Than you can continue as you said by applying the alpha channel. To export your skin as dds you need to use the following format: "Generate mipmaps" is no requirement but in theory should help improving FPS and long range visibility of your skin (yet unconfirmed). DXT5 is improtant to make your skin wont work though. After that you're good to go Thanks again 5tuka. I made note of the merge layers steps. If I can get just one Alpha layer to work I think I'll get the hang it this. I am however still having trouble. I made the Alpha layer as discussed. I used the rectangle tool to select all in the Alpha layer. I used Colors - Brightness/Contrast to darken the layer (I assume more matte). All good so far. You listed the next steps as follows: 5. Select your layer, Strg+C. Than switch back to your "Channels" tab, select "Alpha 1" and press Strg+V.6. Done. Merge your layers and apply your custom Alpha channel. I deselected the selection on the image (marching ants). I choose the Alpha layer and ctl-c. I went to the Channels tab, selected Alpha1 (highlighted) and did a ctl-v. What happens at this point is it places a new Floating Selection layer back in the Layers tab. Step by step... Are you sure you let the pasted Alpha Channel settle? Try pasting your custom Alpha into Alpha 1 and left clicking outside the image's boarder. I tried to record a tutorial but unfortunately gimp doesn't like screen recording at all, so I have to stick with writing Let me show the sequence I used, maybe you'll see something on the screens. I have done it a number of times and get the same thing whether using ctl-v or Paste To. 1. Changing the grayscale to darken it using the Colors - Brightness-Contrast command. . 2. Highlighting and copying (ctl-c) the Custom Alpha Channel layer. . 3. Changing to the Channels tab. Highlighting the Alpha1 channel and pasting using ctl-v. . 4. After the paste to the Alpha1 channel, changing back to the Layers tab. The paste creates a new Floating Selection layer. . 5. Left clicking off the Layers window I receive this Adjust Brightness and Contrast popup. At this point, I continue to receive this popup even after I Anchor this new Floating Layer into the Custom Alpha Channel layer. . . Hopefully you can spot something. Again, thanks for taking the time with this. 5tuka, well I thought I might have something but it didn't pan out. My version of GIMP was 2.8.4. Come to find out this was several versions old. So I down loaded and installed the latest version, 2.8.14. Went through the procedure above and ended up with identical results. Oh well... I never had this issue tbh, so I can only recommend doing the exact same process as me: First steps as said, than select the rectangular tool of your lefthand toolbar (I somehow learned to select it if I'm moving layers, objects or working with different things). Than copy and paste your custom alpha into Alpha 1. Let the pasted image settle by left click outside the image's boarder, ie the grey area outside the blue-yellow boarder line. Now you should see the Alpha 1 changed in the small preview window and change bak to your layers dialog. There should not be any floating layer whatsoever if done right. I'm sry if I repeat already known stuff, but the fact I never encountered this issue and we only can share screenshots makes the reason for this issue hard to point out I tried selecting the image with the rectangle in the Custom Alpha Channel Layer and then doing the copy and paste. Same result, a new layer. I tried some other things but no dice. Well 5tuka, you tried your best. Appreciate all your effort but I don't want to waste your time. Obviously I'm not doing something right. Still have a long way to go to understand the many facets of GIMP. Thanks again. The selection will always be on the "floating" layer once pasted but should settle onto your previously selected layer (i.e. Custom Alpha Layer) if using one of both methods. You can work with the alpha texture in multiple ways. If you want to make the whoel thing more shiny/matt you can adjust colour brightness or level. If you want specific parts to be more matt or shiny on the other hand I advise to create some sub layers and colour only the desired part in dark/light grey. I'll give you an example (be warned though, mods wont like it! ) I'll take my "silver" Red 2 skin for the IL-2 as example of how to odify the alpha texture. Here's the skin to get oyu a picture of what effects I want to acchieve ingame and here is the default ingame Alpha texture First of all I noticed this grey creates too much shine for my taste so I darkened all parts of the airframe I want to be more matt. In this case it's wooden parts of the aircraft for example. Now I want to make metallic parts more siny and reflective. This is done by lighting up metallic parts with a lighter grey (you don't have to use any gradient pattern as I did, simple lighter grey areas are fair enought). Mind you 50% grey feautures the bets combination of "glow" and reflection. Going above that and you'll have more reflection than shine and vise versa. It all depends on the effects you desire to acchieve. Continue workign with this pattern to adjust details by either highlighting or darken them. This for example is my final Alpha channel feauturing several added details like weathering, decals ect. You can either use the "lasso" tool to select and adjust certain parts of the skin or create duplicate layers of details like decals, weathering ect and colour them in dark grey, than merge them with your alpha texture. There's a bunch of options to chose from. And to avoid confusion this image shows what I mean with "white level" when talking about grey tones. Each colour has destinctive values. The marked value is the white level of the grey tone I analysed, in this example it's a mix of 35% white and 75% black. You can also use the numbers below called RGB values, though I found white level to be the more convinient refference to work with. You can see some pics of the final skin using this Alpha here: http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/13717-il-2-am-38-skins/?do=findComment&comment=231136 I hope I managed to sum the major steps of modifying Alpha tetxures up. 5tuka Very excellent, thank you very much Edited March 20, 2015 by Bearcat 1
VBF-12_Stick-95 Posted March 20, 2015 Posted March 20, 2015 Bearcat, thanks for moving and summarizing these postings. You should however delete my portion, including screenies, as I was only looking for clarification and they may confuse the general instructions from 5tuka.
6./ZG26_5tuka Posted March 20, 2015 Author Posted March 20, 2015 Agree it's very confusing now that you merged posts from 3 different people into one. ALso I'd rather put this into the custom skin section and not aircraft tutiorials. Anyway thx for moving it.
6./ZG26_5tuka Posted March 22, 2015 Author Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) New topic with more detail has been opened in the custom skin section: http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/15420-custom-alpha-channel-tutorial-gimp-advanced-skinners/ If all contributors here agree I'd kindly ask you Bearcat to pls delete this thread to avoid confusion. Overall it's to messed to serve any helpfull purpose and the new topic covers far more than this merged convo in here. Edited March 22, 2015 by Stab/JG26_5tuka
Pruciak Posted April 13, 2015 Posted April 13, 2015 Is there a way to use a custom skin in sp campaign?
AvengerSeawolf Posted April 14, 2015 Posted April 14, 2015 (edited) Fantastic, workshop, is there any way or in which way can we relate this process to photoshop ? Is there a way to use a custom skin in sp campaign? That would be a great idea, I was thinking about it also. parhaps we can suggest it to the developers , perhaps it won't be so hard to change, and will give more joy doing a campaign with custom skins each one likes. Edited April 14, 2015 by AvengerSeawolf
6./ZG26_5tuka Posted April 14, 2015 Author Posted April 14, 2015 The technical procedure is the same and also applies to photoshop. The difference is the interface, which might not be labled the same as in Gimp. Pls be sure to visit my guide in the skin section (it includes better compiled/more information than this Frankenstein thread): http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/15420-custom-alpha-channel-tutorial-gimp-advanced-skinners/
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