Photoshop question -- replace colour

[Kelly Mo 0]

I've hit a stumbling block in Photoshop that none of the online tutorials seem to solve.

 

I'm having serious issues with the "replace colour" feature. My problem is that all the tutorials simply show how to change a selected colour to a different, yet ambiguous colour. I'm trying to change a Nieup 11's tail to just one colour - the standard khaki tone. I can get the red/blue/white to change to various other hues (like magenta! Yay! ) with no problem. But that khaki colour? Not a chance... since there's only Hue, Saturation, and Lightness. And the problem just lies in the fact that I want the ribs to show through, but I want to lose all of the colour scheme.

 

 

So my question is this: is there a way to truly replace one colour with another? If so, where's the blasted command? This is driving me looney... haha

 

Thanks in advance!

[Olham 164]

Hi, Kelly Mo

Widowmaker put my nose to this - hadn't been here since the contest.

 

You could do this: take up the khaki with the pipette tool from an area where khaki is;

then choose the area you want to change colour, then use the brush tool to overpaint it.

The problem is, you will overpaint all structure and grain - it will be flat khaki in one shade.

 

But if you want to change a certain skin, and can find that khaki tail in another, you could copy

that tail out there and place it in your file.

 

A third method may be, to choose and copy an area with that desired khaki plus grain, copy it,

and insert it into the area you want.

 

Hope I could help. Olham

[sandbagger 1]

The problem is that the DDS file you're probably using as a base file was created from a merged BMP texture file. That means all of the originators seperate layers become one. Therefore if you overpaint an area that contains detail, everything becomes recoloured and you lose detail.

 

I use Paint Shop Pro 7, but PSD is similar. One way around this is possibly:

 

1. Highlight the area, copy it and paste as a new layer.

2. Repeat this to create a second duplicated layer.

3. Highlight the lower layer and paint it the colour you want.

4. On the upper layer, use the erase tool to remove everything except the detail structure.

5. Use the adjust menu option (Hue/saturation) to adjust the detail to the correct colour.

6. Fade this layer to an appropriate amount.

7. Check it out in-game and if OK, merge the 2 layers (or leave them seperate).

[OvS 8]

The problem is that the DDS file you're probably using as a base file was created from a merged BMP texture file. That means all of the originators seperate layers become one. Therefore if you overpaint an area that contains detail, everything becomes recoloured and you lose detail.

 

I use Paint Shop Pro 7, but PSD is similar. One way around this is possibly:

 

1. Highlight the area, copy it and paste as a new layer.

2. Repeat this to create a second duplicated layer.

3. Highlight the lower layer and paint it the colour you want.

4. On the upper layer, use the erase tool to remove everything except the detail structure.

5. Use the adjust menu option (Hue/saturation) to adjust the detail to the correct colour.

6. Fade this layer to an appropriate amount.

7. Check it out in-game and if OK, merge the 2 layers (or leave them seperate).

 

 

Here's how I approach this...with PS CS12

 

1. Highlight the area with the polygon lasso (the one you can click and draw straight lines with)

2. Copy that section

3. Create a new box and color it to the desired color. The box will automatically be the correct size for you based on what you just selected to copy.

4. Paste the new section in there.

5. Desaturate it of all color so that it gray.

6. Now adjust the level of contrast and brightness of the part

7. Select it as Hard light, then try soft light, then overlay.. or color burn... experiment with it.

8. Adjust the opacity of the part until it looks like details and the proper color. You may have to adjust the color you chose as well.

9. Once you are happy with the effect, merge the layers and use the part.

 

OvS

4.

[Kelly Mo 0]

Thanks everyone for the advice! I'll try to fiddle with it out tonight and see if I get anything to work.

[Kelly Mo 0]

Well, due to the excellent advice (to everyone... none of the specifics mentioned worked, but I was able to actually combine all three of your suggestions and get it to work), I have my tails somewhat realistic looking.

 

Sandbagger's method almost worked, but it still retained a funky off-colour (especially when I didn't level the blue/white/red to one shade. That fucia, white and St. Patty green was quite an eye-opener). OvS actually confused me. I don't know what hard/soft light is (couldn't find it), but searching for it led me to discover something new. (By the way, I'm using PS 5.0... so maybe those commands hadn't been invented yet?)

 

For those interested in what I did:

I copied the tails to a new layer, desaturated, and then stamped/cut-n-pasted the red-and-blue-turned-grey to cover the white area so it was all one basic level of grey. Then I cut and pasted the darker ribs as Olham suggested to cover most of the missing rib areas. Then, completely by accident, I found a new command while trying to figure what OvS meant... image -> adjust -> variations. From there, since I had a tail that was all one shade (with ribs, albeit grey), I mucked around with that until it was almost the colour of the fuselage.

 

Now, one last question: How do I go about uploading the skin so others can download it from here?

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?autoc...amp;showcat=351

 

Go here Kelly... and click 'add file'

(make sure you include a screenshot)

[OvS 8]

Well, due to the excellent advice (to everyone... none of the specifics mentioned worked, but I was able to actually combine all three of your suggestions and get it to work), I have my tails somewhat realistic looking.

 

Sandbagger's method almost worked, but it still retained a funky off-colour (especially when I didn't level the blue/white/red to one shade. That fucia, white and St. Patty green was quite an eye-opener). OvS actually confused me. I don't know what hard/soft light is (couldn't find it), but searching for it led me to discover something new. (By the way, I'm using PS 5.0... so maybe those commands hadn't been invented yet?)

 

For those interested in what I did:

I copied the tails to a new layer, desaturated, and then stamped/cut-n-pasted the red-and-blue-turned-grey to cover the white area so it was all one basic level of grey. Then I cut and pasted the darker ribs as Olham suggested to cover most of the missing rib areas. Then, completely by accident, I found a new command while trying to figure what OvS meant... image -> adjust -> variations. From there, since I had a tail that was all one shade (with ribs, albeit grey), I mucked around with that until it was almost the colour of the fuselage.

 

Now, one last question: How do I go about uploading the skin so others can download it from here?

 

Sorry I confused you Kelly... All I have mentioned is accessed in the Layer properties. Make sure you have the 'Layer' window enabled. In it you will see a box says 'Normal'. From there you can click the pull-down menu and there will be a ton of other options to use.

 

All of these are used regularly by many skinners to create different effects. Color Dodge and Color Burn are very good tools.

 

Try them.

 

Here's what I mean...

[Kelly Mo 0]

Sorry I confused you Kelly... All I have mentioned is accessed in the Layer properties. Make sure you have the 'Layer' window enabled. In it you will see a box says 'Normal'. From there you can click the pull-down menu and there will be a ton of other options to use.

 

All of these are used regularly by many skinners to create different effects. Color Dodge and Color Burn are very good tools.

 

Try them.

 

Here's what I mean...

Ohhh, there they are!

 

I'm going to try those out on my next round. I've finished up the Bebe (both with and without khaki tail) and will probably move on to the E.III.

For reference: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?autoc...p;showfile=9278 (khaki tail)

And: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?autoc...p;showfile=9279 (standard tail)

 

I'll probably have to wait a few weeks to get back in to skinning. The Mister comes home on Wednesday and about a week after we're flying back to the States for about a month. If he's particularly intolerable before then though, I'm sure I'll be back in PS trying to get another plane done.

[Olham 164]

Thanks for your Tipps, Ovs - so many ways possible.

But you don't need to copy a choice into a new box always. Often it is enough to:

 

1. make a choice (by polygon lasso, or by "magic wand" or how you call it)

2. press "copy", and then "insert" - now the part is a new layer, but exactly in the right position.

To change it, you only have to highlight the layer it's in (by clicking into the layer field of the layer-box;

it should be blue now). Now your actions should only change this particular part.

That's very useful, as you can see the comparison to the whole surrounding.

 

You don't even have to smash it all down to one layer later; just save the PSD work, THEN reduce to one

layer and save as BMP. This way, your layer-work is still open for changes or new skins.

 

For making a choice with magic wand:

This tool is extremely useful to collect all wooden fuselage. Try with an adjustment of 50 % first.

When it collects too much, adjust to 30 %, if neccessary, reduce more.

You will never get the whole choice you want in one touch - hold "shift", and touch the missing areas;

until you have got all you wanted. If it should choose too much in, maybe the third touch, press the

command for "back" (in Germany Ctrl.+Z, but yours may be different). Now only the last step is undone;

adjust percentage lower in that box above, and continue.

 

Hope this will help you all; I always found it very useful. Enjoy! Olham

Edited July 5, 2009 by Olham

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Can we sticky this please??