"Green-ish" reflections while creating a skin (noob question)

[MasserME262]

Hello people,

 

I decided to get myself started in the skinning world. The problem is that Im still a big noob.

 

Here's my problem:

 

 

 

In both pictures (the first one is the default skin for the Mig, the second picture is what Im doing), you can see a "green reflection" (maybe its not totally clear in this picture, but in some angles you can see it better). I guess that's just fine in the first one (the plane has green paint). But in the second one, it shouldn't (the plane is all black in the upper side). 

 

In another skin (user-made by "Wolfram-Harms"), where the plane is all black and dark grey, I dont see any reflections like that:

 

 

What I did:

1) Opened the .PSD template with Photoshop.

2) Hide all the layers in the layers selector.

3) Selected the "Topside Green Solid" layer in the layer selector and made it visible.

4) Painted everything of the green with dark gray.

5) Deleted the Red stars, except for the ones under the wings. Like this:

 

6) Made all the layers visible again. The results so far were like following:

 

7) Saved with "Save as..." to .DDS format (with an Nvdia Plug-In) and put the file in the Mig skins folder.

 

7bis) Checked the results with the skin viewer. Im "proud" enough of myself for at least achieving this (lol):

 

But the problem is the said "green reflections".

 

Im not sure the process of making that "skin" was "the right one", I think Im just messing around.

 

Any help will be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance!

[SR603-Flowbee]

I suspect that the problem is arising from the alpha channel which controls reflections.

 

You will need to find the channels layers and locate the one called Alpha. In CS5 the tab is right next to layers. The 5 alpha channel layers are listed as rgb, r, g, b, alpha. The alpha channel is grey scale. Find the location you want to lower reflectivity and choose the burn tool and set it to 25% and set target as 'highlights' now darken the area with a soft brush. Don't create black spots as pure black creates holes in the skin. Alternatively select an area and use brightness/contrast control to darken it from light grey to dark grey.

 

The grey scale determines reflection. Pure black is transparent, dark grey is Matt, mid grey are metallic, light greys are varnish, pure white is total Matt.

 

There are good tutorials available in this forum and on YouTube with regards to this if my explanation doesn't make sense.

 

Good Luck! 

[Raptorattacker]

Have you tried reproducing the 'reflection' actually in-game? The Viewer isn't necessarily the best representation of the ACTUAL end result. After a while you kinda get used to it but I would definitely try reproducing the problem with your skin actually in-game, as I say. Just to see of it's not just a problem with the Viewer's colour dynamics.

Rap

[MasserME262]

2 minutes ago, Raptorattacker said:

Have you tried reproducing the 'reflection' actually in-game? The Viewer isn't necessarily the best representation of the ACTUAL end result. After a while you kinda get used to it but I would definitely try reproducing the problem with your skin actually in-game, as I say. Just to see of it's not just a problem with the Viewer's colour dynamics.

Rap

Yesterday at night I tried it and didn't noticed, I realize now that you mention it. But maybe I didn't checked properly. After playing with the alpha channel after what Flowbee_603 said, I managed to make it look less metallic and also "killed" those reflections, but well, its because the "material" is different. 

 

Didn't know skinning was this difficult 

[Raptorattacker]

8 hours ago, ME-BFMasserME262 said:

Didn't know skinning was this difficult 

It's not necessarily 'difficult'. It's more a case of the more you do it then the more you become accustomed to it's quirks! Practice makes perfect, as they say (don't ask me who 'they' is!!). There's also a huge misconception that it happens quickly and nothing could be further from the truth!! Some schemes that I've done have been on planes that I've done loads of other skins for and still it can take just as long. 

Anyway, good luck with it and do me a favour and post up your end result in here and I can give you some pointers (or NOT as the case may be!!)

Rap

[MasserME262]

4 hours ago, Raptorattacker said:

It's not necessarily 'difficult'. It's more a case of the more you do it then the more you become accustomed to it's quirks! Practice makes perfect, as they say (don't ask me who 'they' is!!). There's also a huge misconception that it happens quickly and nothing could be further from the truth!! Some schemes that I've done have been on planes that I've done loads of other skins for and still it can take just as long. 

Anyway, good luck with it and do me a favour and post up your end result in here and I can give you some pointers (or NOT as the case may be!!)

Rap

Thanks!

 

I have been playing around with photoshop all day and, I abandoned the idea of a black Mig (black is difficult to work with ?).

 

It has some nice brushes and things like that so I guess I gonna keep playing with them until I manage to do something I like.

 

I actually just finished this, and I like it to be honest. IDK if I like it genuinely or just like it because I made it myself haha. Gotta try it over the Volga near Moscow already, its beautiful to fly Migs ther.

 

 

Edit: Here's a second one:

 

Which I think I like more. The "below" part of the plane is in all cases just like the standard camo (light blue with the red stars).

 

 

Ok Im done for today. Following would be to make a yellow "tulip" in the nose (like hartmanns's and others "skins", but maybe smaller). I have no idea on how to do it tho, but Im happy enough so far 

Edited February 2, 2020 by ME-BFMasserME262

[Raptorattacker]

Looking interesting so far!... The top one of the two is probably my fave but you'd have to spend an AWFUL lot of time getting the patterns to match up (oh yeah, that's another story)!!

If you're doing anything black then it's worth knowing that things were never actually proper black. Each country had their own interpretation of the 'colour'. Of any 'colour' in fact.

 

HERE is a complete set of Photoshop colour swatches that you may find useful... I don't know how au-fait you are with things such as these but, if you're not, just google 'installing swatches' and BINGO!!

Also,HERE'S a pretty simple and straightforward skin I did for the MiG ages ago, in 'black'. You can check the colour AND the alpha channel and see how different things are affected by each (like the chipped paint/metallic bits). It may help, it may not.

 

Rap

 

[MasserME262]

26 minutes ago, Raptorattacker said:

but you'd have to spend an AWFUL lot of time getting the patterns to match up (oh yeah, that's another story)!!

I was thinking about that... oh man, the pain ?. Now I will probably let it be but in future and more advanced skins I guess I gonna try to make the patterns look well.

 

BTW I like that mig :). I will keep trying later playing with the alpha channel, its so easy to **** things up quickly with it!. As Flowbee_603 said, "Pure black is transparent". I decided to try and Voila!... I have a transparent plane! lol.

 

I just realized I have spent several hours with this yesterday without noticing it before. Skinning can be more addictive than playing the game itself!

[Raptorattacker]

7 hours ago, ME-BFMasserME262 said:

Skinning can be more addictive than playing the game itself!

Tell me about it! I DEFINITELY spend more time skinning than playing, by a country mile. The thing is with Photoshop is to make sure you're leaving yourself an escape route whenever you do anything!! Just make SURE you have 'just above pure black' on your Alphas unless you really want it NOT to be there!! Make yourself a swatch with that colour as a go-to for whenever you need it. Top Tip of The Day!!