Photoshop

[Bulldog 0]

I've finally given up on making decals in PSP, and am looking on Ebay to getting a used copy of Photoshop. My question is, how old of a version can I get away with using, keeping in mind I'll just be using it for decals and the odd repaint.

Edited June 7, 2007 by Bulldog

[eraser_tr 29]

The only real difference is they tend to screw around with the interface between versions and jack up the price. I have 7 and I've yet to encounter a game where that couldn't meet its needs. Even photoshop 5 is probably good enough.

[+Major Lee 18]

I use Photoshop 5.5 for the TGA alpha layer capability for decals... Works very well. I use PhotoImpact 6 and 10 for my (so-called alleged) "painting"...

[gerald14 0]

Yes, Photoshop 5.0 is the best for skinning.

[Wrench 9,846]

I have 5, 6, 7. I don't use 7 for decals, as there seems tobe a problem with it NOT creating a working alpha channel.

 

So, I just use 6 for everything. Not happy with the menus and interfaces in 7...just feels strange to me, and I don't like how it selects brushes.

 

6 is cool

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[Guest Saganuay82]

I have 7 and no problem with alpha channels.

[Guest Sony Tuckson]

Same here, 7.0

 

it does create and save the alpha channel, but doesn't show it....

[+Deuces 0]

Same here, 7.0

 

it does create and save the alpha channel, but doesn't show it....

 

This is a known issue and easily resolved. You can copy the Targa.8BI from your Photoshop XXX\Plug-Ins\File Formats and paste it into you Photoshop 7.0\Plug-Ins\File Formats. It'll work fine then.

or go here

http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=1544

[Wrench 9,846]

Excellent! thanks for the fixes!! I'll do that when I get home tonight!!! I'd like to start using 7, getting used to the interface, etc, it seems like it has some nicer features than 6

 

Appriciate it!!

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[+LloydNB 212]

Bulldog

 

I presume you have PSP 8 or later. Don't give up! I'm using PSP 9 and a little application that I found to make decals.

You simply make the decals as usual and save them as tga files with alpha channels then open the application on your desktop and drag the saved files onto the application. The ghastly reversed decals with bright yellow details turnout just as you originally wanted them.

 

Sorry the link didn't work. Still looking.

 

 

Cheers

 

LloydNB

Edited June 7, 2007 by LloydNB

[Bulldog 0]

Actually it's PSP 7.01, I've tried a lot of the suggestions here and in other forums but it just doesn't seem to work. I have to admit I'm more used to Photoshop, I had 4.0 when I was using Macs and like it a lot, and had I not lost my copy of PS I'd fire up my old G4 and just do it with that (I made the mistake of replacing it on my G4 with 5.0 LE, which will not create alpha channels) . But I will check out that link Lloyd. If I can save some $$ I'm all ears...

[+LloydNB 212]

Found it!

 

http://www.aqua-soft.org/board/archive/ind...hp?t-25433.html

 

LloydNB

[Bulldog 0]

Just found the right link myself. I'll give it a go.

[+LloydNB 212]

If it helps Bulldog? Here’s what I do.

 

Select the background of the image (which I want to be transparent) and invert the selection (so the decal is selected).

Save the selection (the decal) to alpha channel.

Save the file as a tga file. (You may have to "select nothing" and "merge all layers" first.

Open the desktop application and set it to convert to tga files

Go into Explorer and find the file/s (I usually do a set of decals at the same time).

Select the files and drag them onto the application. (You will notice that the file size changes).

And you should be set.

 

I haven't tried it with any other paint program that can do tga files, such as Gimp, but it theory it should work. If I read the notes from the developer correctly, it wasn't designed for PSP in particular.

 

 

LloydNB

[Bulldog 0]

Lloyd you are the man! The way you describe how to do it is way different then how I've read previously, and a LOT easier. I now have decals! Thank you, thank you, and thank you...did I forget to say thank you?

 

Now I can finally finish the MiG-21F-13 skin I've been wanting to do, of an Algerian MiG around the time of the 6-Day War, from a profile I found at acig.org. It was the number decals that was holding me back.

 

[+LloydNB 212]

Bulldog

 

Glad to be of service. I didn't realise that you were working on the 6-Day War. I've been hanging around FE for the last couple of months.

 

I've done a few skins for the Suez Crisis (EAF Vampire, H-5 helicopter, Il-28, Fury, C-47, Mig-15bis, IDF Mosquito). Has anyone done a RJAF Vampire skin for 1967? The decals from my 1956 RJAF Vampire (with the addition of a squadron flash and the checkerboard markings) would probably work.

 

Let me know if you would like me to do one.

 

LloydNB

[+Major Lee 18]

I also do the selection, select inverse... But, I do set a small amount of feathering, perhaps two to five pixels, for a nice smoothed edge...

 

Edited June 8, 2007 by Major Lee

[Bulldog 0]

Bulldog

 

Glad to be of service. I didn't realise that you were working on the 6-Day War. I've been hanging around FE for the last couple of months.

 

I've done a few skins for the Suez Crisis (EAF Vampire, H-5 helicopter, Il-28, Fury, C-47, Mig-15bis, IDF Mosquito). Has anyone done a RJAF Vampire skin for 1967? The decals from my 1956 RJAF Vampire (with the addition of a squadron flash and the checkerboard markings) would probably work.

 

Let me know if you would like me to do one.

 

LloydNB

 

I've been toying with the idea of making skins for that period for awhile after seeing the article at acig.org, just for the fun of doing single missions over the Israel map, but as far as doing campaigns I was thinking of the doing a War of Attrition 67-70 campaign because no one has done it yet.

 

I have a "first draft" skin now, but was wondering if there is a font that was a bit narrower then the USAF Stencil I used.

img00013.bmp

[+LloydNB 212]

Bulldog

 

Try extracting the SOVIETNUM files from the Object.cat and replacing the colour with the one you want. It should be a pretty good match for want you want.

 

LloydNB

[Bulldog 0]

I didn't think of that, thanks!

 

Anything special I need to do to the file so it keeps its alpha channels?

 

EDIT: Never mind, I see all I had to do is change the color.

Edited June 10, 2007 by Bulldog

[Bulldog 0]

Yeah that was more what I was looking for.....

 

Edited June 10, 2007 by Bulldog

[+Bongodriver 20]

Maybe a bit late to bring this in but has anyone tried a free paint programme called paint.net, its fairly usefull and handles layers etc.. but as I mentioned it is FREEEEEE!!!