ok, so i'm editing a gamorrean guard skin, and i read somewhere how to get rid of the Alpha Channel--the one that makes the skin look like a faded-out checkerboard

so my skin looks fine, the only problem is that on the soldier menu, the gamorrean looks very shiny...there's no other word for it, shiny. I want to restore the alpha channel since i'm done editing the skin, but clicking "Reset" doesn't do anything.

thanks to everyone in advance

The Shiny'ness is a shader, Don't think its possible to remove it but you could try changing the alpha channel to opaque(sp).

Actually, the shininess can be removed (-ish. He's really just making it like it originally was.).

What he needs to do is go into GIMP, decompose his image into RGB layers (uncheck "decompose to layers"), then decompose the original Gamorrean skin into RGBA layers (also unchecked "decompose to layers").

Then he needs to compose a RGBA image, using the R, G, and B layers from his skin and the alpha layer from the original skin. Then save as the name of your skin.

Gee,

Gimp: 5 minutes just trying to find the buttons
Photoshop: 1 minute of work

Penguin wrote:Gee,

Gimp: 5 minutes just trying to find the buttons
Photoshop: 1 minute of work

It only takes 5 minutes if you don't know how to do it. It takes all of about half a minute to do it once you know how to do it. XSI takes a long time to do anything if you don't know it, too. Same with ZE or anything else.

Know thy tools.

also, GIMP is free while photoshop costs...what...$250?


@ Mav:

Maveritchell wrote: What he needs to do is go into GIMP, decompose his image into RGB layers (uncheck "decompose to layers"), then decompose the original Gamorrean skin into RGBA layers (also unchecked "decompose to layers").

Then he needs to compose a RGBA image, using the R, G, and B layers from his skin and the alpha layer from the original skin. Then save as the name of your skin.

sorry...i'm a relative newbie with GIMP, i didn't really understand that

could you try and be a bit clearer?

Heres what i do.

Tools > Color Tools > Levels
At top right theres something that says "Channel" (click it). Select "Alpha". Change the Output levels to change the amount of Alpha.

yeah, i know, that's how you get rid of the alpha channel...

unfortunately changing it back doesn't seem to be so easy...i've tried screwing with the output levels, and just pressing "reset" doesn't do anything

I'm assuming you've already created your texture by taking the original Gamorrean texture, removing the alpha layer, and then editing it to your liking. Going from there:

1) Open up GIMP. Open your texture (let's call it your_texture) and the Gamorrean texture.

2) Go to the window with the Gamorrean texture in it.

3) Go to the top bar, click "Image," then "Mode," then "Decompose."

4) Select (under "Extract Channels") "RGBA."

5) Uncheck the box that says "Decompose to layers" and press "Ok."

-At this point you should now have 6 windows open: your_texture, the Gamorrean texture, a texture called red (something), green (something), blue (something) and alpha (something). You're now going to extract the different layers from your_texture.

6) Go to the window for your_texture.

7) Click "Image," "Mode," "Decompose."

8) Select "RGB" and uncheck "Decompose to layers." Press "Ok."

-Now you have 9 windows open; the 6 from before and a red, green, and blue layer corresponding to the texture you just decomposed. What you're going to do now is put them all back together.

9) Go to any one of the decomposed windows (R,G,B,A windows). It should be one of the windows you created by decomposing, and it will be in grayscale.

10) In that window, click "Image," "Mode," and then "Compose."

11) Under "Compose Channels," select "RGBA."

12) In each of the dropdown boxes on the right, select the appropriate texture. For the "Red" box, take the red decomposed texture from your_texture, for the "Blue," the blue from your_texture, for the "Green," the green from your_texture, and for the "Alpha," the alpha from the original texture (in this case, from the decomposed Gamorrean texture).

13) You should now have created a 10th window; it'll probably be titled something like "rgba-compose." Save that texture as your_texture.

-Now your_texture has the original alpha texture from the Gamorrean. This same technique should be applied whenever you have to strip a skin of its alpha texture to edit it.

BountyHunterV wrote:also, GIMP is free while photoshop costs...what...$250?

Dude, Photoshop is dirt cheap as far as Multimedia tools go. You need to get used to the idea that you have to pay for quality.

yeah, the problem is i don't have $250 + to spend on my modding =P but gimp works for me

@ mav: thank you so much! that was about the most clear, concise, easy to understand tutorials i've seen on GT...the skin works fine now, no more shiny