Is there a flaw in the Bristol alpha channel?

[migmadmarine 300]

Finally have my machine back up and running, and I'm trying to get back in the groove for skin making, but each time I export the Bristol's skin (I am a gimp user) it comes out super shiny. Is there something wrong with the Alpha channel, or is this template simply very glossy by default?

[migmadmarine 300]

Can someone please confirm, is this template super glossy by design, or is something messing up when I open it in Gimp? I've had anomolies with Gimp before, like the exhaust stain layer in the Bf-109G-6 template appearing red. 

[the_dudeWG 348]

I use Photoshop, but I would like to help if at all possible. Could you post a screenshot of your “shiny” skin, and a similar official Flying Circus skin in the same position and lighting? You could even post your .dds file and I could look at the alpha channel in PSD. Hopefully I can help figure it out. Cheers!

[migmadmarine 300]

On 8/13/2020 at 5:49 PM, the_dudeWG said:

I use Photoshop, but I would like to help if at all possible. Could you post a screenshot of your “shiny” skin, and a similar official Flying Circus skin in the same position and lighting? You could even post your .dds file and I could look at the alpha channel in PSD. Hopefully I can help figure it out. Cheers!

Many thanks. First images is what happens when I export, and the second pair is from the default skin. Linked is the same skin, which is a simple export of the the template with no additions or alterations:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qA1ZPDgNkvmq9xnfimJiFW7p8MebkPEk/view?usp=sharing 

 

I wonder if something might be going wrong in the conversion process from a PSD to Gimp's format? I'm still pretty new at this, and so I'm never quite sure what is my own mistake, or an error since I am using gimp rather than photoshop. I've had similar unexpected shininess from the Yak 1 template, so I know I can correct it, but if there is some resolvable issue I am encountering, better to nip that in the bud. 

[the_dudeWG 348]

Hmmm. I do see what ur talking about. I’ll take a look at the skin in PSD and see what the alpha channel looks like. S!

[the_dudeWG 348]

Hi, @migmadmarine. The good news is you're not crazy, the alpha channel is both brighter and substantially washed-out. The bad news is I have no idea how or why this happens. I suspect there must be a conversion setting or something not quite right with Gimp. Sorry, but I don't really know anything about Gimp.

 

Here is a screenshot of the alpha channel of your download:

 

Here is the default alpha channel:

 

To adjust it (using Photoshop tools) I couldn't simply brighten the alpha channel as there is a lot of missing contrast, so I needed to make two adjustments to get it close. First I needed to adjust the contrast alone by 100%.

 

Then, I adjusted the contrast again by 50% and the brightness by -95% to get it close to the default contrast/brightness.

 

 

I realize that these adjustments may be different or not applicable to the alpha channel using Gimp, but I wanted you to see where you would need to be to have a default alpha channel. For what it's worth, alpha channels (in Photoshop) are easily copy and pasted like any other element. I've taken "clean" alpha channels from other skins and pasted them into my work files before. I don't suppose that's possible in your case? Anyway, hopefully we could hear from a Gimp expert to get to a cause, and a solution if make ideas are useless ... S!

Edited August 17, 2020 by the_dudeWG

[migmadmarine 300]

Thanks for looking into it, I'll have to do a bit of digging to see if there is something avoidable going wrong with the conversion process. @6./ZG26_5tuka and @vonPilsner, you both have done tutorial threads on skinning in Gimp, any thoughts?