Skinning Tutorial

[Ramon van Rijn]

I started this tutorial some months ago on RaceSimCentral, but after a while the graphics were lost. At the moment even the startpost was gone.

Recovered the text and reformatted it into a PDF.

Hope it is still useful for our members.

 

[Aleksey Bogatyrev]

like the whole skin?

 

[Stuart Thomson]

Like an in-game shot of you driving your newly skinned car, my friend

 

[Aleksey Bogatyrev]

here you go

 

[Aleksey Bogatyrev]

maybe you can help me with other skins, i'm doing saleen but there is no alpha channel in SALEEN_WINDOW_INT.psd, it has alpha layer, i cant make window transparent, the same thing with all GT Pro cars
is there any way to make alpha layer as an alpha channel?

 

[Stuart Thomson]

here you go

I meant outside the car, but this is good too

 

[Nick Deeley]

I'm having some troubles modding the external windows and sunstrip/banners.

I'm on the Honda template and have followed the steps in previous posts about the alpha channels and that, but still nothing. The changes are not showing up in game.

Is there anything I've missed out? (And yes I have added the line to the .ini file, windows_ext=HondaWindows.dds)

Is it the way I'm saving the .dds file? The same way as the body dds file, or something else?

 

[Jarrod Crossley]

Windows and helmet textures must be saved in DDS – DXT5 format with 6 mipmaps.

 

[Aleksey Bogatyrev]

And yes I have added the line to the .ini file, windows_ext=HondaWindows.dds

make it windows=HondaWindows.dds

Stuart Thomson
i knew what you meant, i just dont really wanna post it here cause i afraid i'll get banned forever for that skin):biggrin1:

 

[Stuart Thomson]

You intrigue me strangely, young, er, Werewolf.

 

[Aleksey Bogatyrev]

Stuart Thomson
you are talking like Yoda now))))
seems like you've ignored this:becky:

maybe you can help me with other skins, i'm doing saleen but there is no alpha channel in SALEEN_WINDOW_INT.psd, it has alpha layer, i cant make window transparent, the same thing with all GT Pro cars
is there any way to make alpha layer as an alpha channel?

 

[Stuart Thomson]

Ignored, no.

Totally missed, yes.

You can create a Channel the same way you create a Layer, and then it's a copy and paste from layer to channel

 

[Aleksey Bogatyrev]

Ignored, no.

Totally missed, yes.

You can create a Channel the same way you create a Layer, and then it's a copy and paste from layer to channel

i thought so to, but i just didn't find how
i'm using PS CS4

 

[Stuart Thomson]

I've got PS7 so way behind on versions, but, in the channels palette, create a new channel the same way as you create a layer in the layers palette.

 

[Stuart Thomson]

Also - search Google for Photoshop tutorials, as there are some really good ones out there.

 

[Jarrod Crossley]

Alpha folder:

hide all layers except those in the "Alpha" Folder make a new layer. Go to "Image" and then "Apply Image", this copies all the layers that are visable to the new layer.

On the new layer just created press "CTRL+A" (select all) go to "Edit" and select "Copy".

Open Channels and delete the old Alpha layer. Make a new Channel layer (as you would a new layer in layers) and go to "Edit" and select "Paste".

You have now made a new Alpha channel based on the contents of the alpha folder.

 

[Aleksey Bogatyrev]

that worked, thank you
sorry guys, but i got another problem, the sign in white color what i'm trying to put on the windshield becomes transparent in game
i've fixed that making a top gray banner in alpha ch(cause i erased that before)
so now in game it looks like a gray stripe with white sign on it, it's not exactly what i wanted

sorry again, i might look stupid, but i just learning how to skin

 

[Jarrod Crossley]

The Alpha channel explained:

when you look at the Alpha channel you'll notice its built in the grey scale and works like this:

White- Non transparant
Black - Completly transparant

So when you add a sticker or even text to a standard layer, you have to alter the Alpha channel to set how transparant or non transparant it is.

You'll mostly make text and Stickers "White via the Alpha"

 

[Aleksey Bogatyrev]

So when you add a sticker or even text to a standard layer, you have to alter the Alpha channel to set how transparant or non transparant it is.

You'll mostly make text and Stickers "White via the Alpha"

which means that i need to copy the same sticker to alpha and define how transparent it is

that works, thanks again man

 

[Jarrod Crossley]

You dont need to copy it to the alpha. the layer you have the Sticker or text "CTRL+Click" that layer. That will put a marquee (marching ants) around it. Then goto channels and as long as your "Foreground color is white" you can press "ALT+Backpsace" and this will fill (Marching ants) with your foreground color.

Photoshop quick keys:

D - Default Foreground Background color swatch
X - Inverted Default Foreground Background color swatch
ALT+Backspace - Fill Foregrounf color
CTRL+Backspace - Fill Background color
CTRL+T - Transform tool
CTRL+A - Select All
CTRL+E - Merge layers
CTRL+J - Dupliacte layer

 

[Aleksey Bogatyrev]

Stuart Thomson
You asked me for the screenshots of my skin
here's BMW that i made, my second skin man, so no laughing
that's the BF 2142 theme (I use to like that game very much)

and I also made the shot of inside view cause I've skinned nameplate


the skins is compatible with STCC, I've fixed right headlight(it was completely black, so i had to change the template by adding one more texture for headlight)