Making Decal Problem

[Geary]

Does anyone know from looking at the attached photo what I'm doing wrong in trying to create this Decal?

 

I've followed Wrench's and Column5's tutorials on making decals, and this or pure black squares are what I get.

 

It's saved as a TGA per the tutorials' instructions.  The background isn't transparent when on the plane, but it is in Photoshop. ????

 

 

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

 

Geary

 

 

[+Wrench]

looks like the alpha channel is messed up

[Geary]

Any idea how to un-mess it?

 

When I add an Alpha Channel to it, it saves as a black square and nothing shows up on the plane.

[+Wrench]

yes.

you forgot the "hold out" section of the alpha.

 

think of the alpha channels of a decal as a 'hold out matte', as used to be used in motion picutres until the advent of green screen and computer graphics.

 

the region of the patch should be semi-transparent (opacity approx. 90%), with the rest of the surrounding pure black.

 

it's also recommend to work in the standard base 8 that most images are (8, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, etc). keeps things easier.

 

give me 5 more minutes, and I'll have the new decal for ya

try this one!

Edited November 10, 2013 by Wrench
stupid double post edit!!!

[Geary]

Thanks,

 

   I've got to learn to do decals.  This is becoming a small holy grail to me.

[+Wrench]

I"d recommend using photoshop 6 -- 7 handles them (32bit tgas) a bit "oddly" for my taste, and I completely dislike the way PS7 do (or don't do) spacing on the paint brushes -- which is essential for panel and rivet lines.

[logan4]

An other option if you already created the base file, then open the psd either with gimp or paintNET. Only make those layers visible that you want on the decal, then export as (in gimp) or save as (paintNet) xxxx.tga. These 2 program will automatically create the alpha channels for your .tga file. Only keep in mind that in gimp while exporting, uncheck the RLE compression option in the export process.

[Spinners]

Give my GIMP decal making tutorial a try.

[Geary]

An other option if you already created the base file, then open the psd either with gimp or paintNET. Only make those layers visible that you want on the decal, then export as (in gimp) or save as (paintNet) xxxx.tga. These 2 program will automatically create the alpha channels for your .tga file. Only keep in mind that in gimp while exporting, uncheck the RLE compression option in the export process.

 

logan4,

 

   I'm trying to avoid using other paint programs.  I have and am more used to Photoshop CS4.  But, if it comes down to using another program to create decals, so be it.  Thanks,

 

Give my GIMP decal making tutorial a try.

 

Spinners,

 

Where is it?

 

 

EDIT:  Found it.

 

 

OK, Spinners,

 

   Tried your decal tutorial.  Must have a slightly different version of GIMP as all the screens didn't look the same, but muddled through somehow.  But the end result came out the same as in the photo I posted at the beginning of this thread.  Got the decal, but the background isn't transparent.

   Will give it another try and see if I can figure out what I've been doing wrong.  Reminds me of the first time I had sex.  Glad I sorted that out.

[+russouk2004]

easy in ps....4 steps really..

 

[Geary]

Eureka!

 

And the Winner of the 'Getting Through The Dense Skull' Award is Russouk2004!!

 

You should bottle those '4 steps' and place them in the Knowledge Base.

 

This easy method works in Photoshop CS4.

 

One try was all it took.

 

Do you teach Kindergarten by any chance?

 

MANY thanks.

 

 

Geary

[+RAVEN]

Glad you found something that works, Mine says the same thing ,just more confusing (I never could explane things)

Edited November 12, 2013 by RAVEN

[Geary]

Raven,

 

  Training pictures with stick figures performing actions.  That's the best method for training slow thinkers.  That and an electric cattle prod.

[+RAVEN]

Cattel prod won't help my spelling. :)

[logan4]

Glad you find a way. I mainly use PSE7 & 10 and the way I like to work with my files are not supported in them, or I was just dumb enough to not figure it out.

 

Back on the result of your test in gimp, that could be 2 thing based on my experience. 1 - background layer was still visible or 2 the layer which contained the shield was not a transparent layer/had some fill out.

[Geary]

logan4,

 

   I think I kept messing up the step where I should 'invert' the decal with the background.  Spinners' and Raven's instructions both had those steps but apparently I misunderstood or missed it.

 

   When I get time, I may try their tutorials again and pay special attention to that step to see if that was where I went off course.

[Spinners]

What I like about GIMP for making decals is that I simply don't need to worry about 24-bit, 32-bit, alpha channels and magic wands - it's an absolute doddle, especially in slightly older versions and if you keep your default image as a transparency.

[Geary]

Spinners,

 

   I like GIMP from what little I've used it, but I'm more used to Photoshop CS4.  I followed your instructions using my version of GIMP and also tried it with CS4.  Didn't work.

 

   If I understand this decal making procedure, I have to somehow separate the decal from the background, then somehow turn the background transparent.  Yes?

 

   Somewhere in the instruction steps from your tutorial and also from Raven's instructions for Photoshop, something didn't happen correctly in CS4.

 

   I still don't understand Alpha channels and what they do, (although I have an inkling of the 'masking' theory) but if they're willing to work with me, I'll work with them.

 

   Hey man, don't knock magic wands.  If I had one that worked, I wouldn't worry about alpha channels either, or skinning for that matter.

[Sheriff001]

Paint.net does decals well.

[logan4]

Geary,

The simplest way is to forget "background". Make everything on a new transparent layer.

I normally use multiple layers for my source, each is transparent, see attached pic. I use "background" for the source pic I fix or use as sample to the final  decal.

 

 

 

[Geary]

Sheriff001,

 

   I like Pain.net.  Seems to be somewhere between Gimp and Photoshop in its layout.  I put it on clients computers if they don't have a pay ware paint program.  Many clients love it.  Guess I should spend a bit of time with it to see what it can do.

 

logan4,

 

  I think maybe those transparent layers have been eluding me.  I need to see how CS4 applies and handles them.  If Gimp or Paint.net handle them easier as you and Spinners suggest, I may just stick with Gimp for decals.  Just need to figure out what I did wrong when I tried Gimp.