10 replies to this topic

[PLATINUM]

Hey guys, Haven't had much luck producing the clear border on my plastics ,I know it involves alpha channels and have loaded some of popottes plastics into photoshop to see how hes done them but I'm really stuck!!!!!. Could someone PLEASE!! tell me the steps to go through using photoshop cs4. Thanx guys - Platinum

[Steve Paradis]

Hey guys, Haven't had much luck producing the clear border on my plastics ,I know it involves alpha channels and have loaded some of popottes plastics into photoshop to see how hes done them but I'm really stuck!!!!!. Could someone PLEASE!! tell me the steps to go through using photoshop cs4. Thanx guys - Platinum

Can you please, upload your test here with a printscreen of what it does wrong so I can walk you trough the process.

Thx

Steve

[Popotte]

First, draw your plastic.
Second, new layer, select all, fill in black,
Third, new layer and fill with white the area wich couldn't be transparent.
These two layers are the mask for alpha channels.

Now: uncheck these two layers, select all, copy merged, create a new file then paste.
Then: check the two layers (aand unchech the others). You must have only black and white. Select all, copy merged. Go on your new file. On your infos window (F7), select "channels", create a new channel, select it then paste.
Now, you have to save your file as targa file.

It seems difficult but it's easy, more easy to do than explain or read...

[Popotte]

Some pics in order to explain visually the thing...

You draw your plastic

You create your black and white mask

You cut paste in a new file your plastic

You cut your mask and create a new channel in your new file

You paste your mask

You save the file as targa

[PLATINUM]

Hey thanks a lot popotte, I really appreciate the time you've taken to explain it ,and to also show the step by step pics. I'm sure they will help a lot of other people too. I've been going crazy trying to work it out.Once again cheers - Platinum

[PLATINUM]

Thanks Popotte - just had a go , your instructions were spot on, came out great. p.s can't wait for ten spot its looking awesome.

[Greywolf]

Hey, Popotte, looks like you decided my method of one colour per layer was actually worth the while!



[I'm sure you figured that out by yourself, I'm just giving you a hard time.]

[Popotte]

Hey thanks a lot popotte, I really appreciate the time you've taken to explain it ,and to also show the step by step pics. I'm sure they will help a lot of other people too. I've been going crazy trying to work it out.Once again cheers - Platinum

Just a suggestion: maybe Steve could arrange my poor presentation for a nicer one and put more comments in order to build a tuto or a new sticked post.

Hey, Popotte, looks like you decided my method of one colour per layer was actually worth the while!



[I'm sure you figured that out by yourself, I'm just giving you a hard time.]

You just can put one color for a vector shape... For complex (for me) PF or BG, I don't create just a shape by color but shapes by area in order to have the ability to distort, scale or rotate all the area.

[Steve Paradis]

Very Explicit, I like it. Topic Pinned.

[destruk]

Warning, Explicit Content - Parental Guidance is Advised.

[joeduf]

If anyone cares, I use Inkscape to do my table art. For those unfamiliar with Inkscape it is a vector based / scaleable graphics creation tool but it CAN import bitmaps, for pictures, scans, etc.

 

When my artwork is finished I save the Inkscape document to the normal .SVG format that Inkscape supports so I have a copy of "the original" source file.

 

I then export my selected objects (or entire document) as a PNG file which supports Alpha channels. I typically keep all of the PNGs in a few directorys by category, button lights, switch textures, etc.

 

Lastly, I run a little .NET tool that I wrote which batch converts .PNG files to Targa (.TGA) preserving the alpha channel (transparency) data.

 

I'd be happy to share the .NET PNG to TGA batch converter utility with anyone who wants it. Inkscape is free.

 

NOTE: The .NET tool ONLY supports true color 32-bit RGBA PNG and TGA images...I didn't spend a ton of time trying to handle every TGA sub-format since 99% of the populous will always use true color these days (jeeze, now i sound OLD !!!) :-P

 

My 2 cents -- Hope it helps someone.