Help with Skinning!

[kilder]

Hello guys!

For the first time I want paint a Huracan GT3 but the template don't have a "paint here" layer for the base color like the other cars have. So when I try to change the base color from white to any other color, the brush paints everything turning the template into a solid coloured image.

How can I paint the base of the car without painting everything else?

PS: I use photoshop!

 

[Deleted member 130869]

Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) and paint on that one

 

[Jebus]

@kilder

Like Gui said, create a new layer above the AO layer, paint to it and change the mode (or what ever it's called) to multiply from the dropdown menu at the top of the layers window, next to opacity.

 

[Andy-R]

@kilder

Like Gui said, create a new layer above the AO layer, paint to it and change the mode (or what ever it's called) to multiply from the dropdown menu at the top of the layers window, next to opacity.

I'm an amateur skinner and I have always done the opposite (AO to multiply, all other layers below) is there an advantage to doing it the other way around or different strokes for different folks?

 

[Jebus]

I'm an amateur skinner and I have always done the opposite (AO to multiply, all other layers below) is there an advantage to doing it the other way around or different strokes for different folks?

You're actually right, it can be done that way too. Never tried before. I just learned it the way I told from some expert a long time ago. Don't know if there's any benefits either way though.

Edit. But in both cases the key is to change layer mode to multiply.

 

[Ryno917]

I'm an amateur skinner and I have always done the opposite (AO to multiply, all other layers below) is there an advantage to doing it the other way around or different strokes for different folks?

You're actually right, it can be done that way too. Never tried before. I just learned it the way I told from some expert a long time ago. Don't know if there's any benefits either way though.

Edit. But in both cases the key is to change layer mode to multiply.

Definitely leave the AO layer on the top of the stack. Doing it the other way around means you have to merge all of your painting layers together to set the layer to multiply, which completely ruins the entire point of using layers.

My skins can have hundreds of individual layers. Even a simple skin will have dozens of layers. I leave elements on their own layers because it makes changes/modifications very easy; and is especially helpful when it comes time to make your alpha channel and "_map" files. I also work almost exclusively in vectors; again for modification reasons (plus just general image quality). When you merge elements onto one single layer you destroy any possibility of easily modifying anything, or easily generating your alpha channel or other special files.

The only time the AO layer is not the very topmost visible layer in my skins is when I have an element that I don't want affected by the shadow or when the livery file includes some plastic/carbon fiber bits in the texture which need to be on top of the AO layer. The vast majority of the time, though, the AO should be the top layer.

 

[Andy-R]

Yeah that is what I was thinking, the other way around there would be more work. I often end up with a lot of layers as well and use vectors most of the time after a friend showed me how to do it. TBH when I do the alpha channel I just turn off AO and the base layer and then select the empty space (don't know the technical term) with the wand selection and select all layers checked to have the metal detail show through where the base paint would be.

I'm not very good at creating map files yet, I know I can use the AO as a base and can alter brightness of RGB channels to change how it looks but it is always trial and error. I normally create a layer above the AO based map for logos and stuff as well. Someone mentioned in a mod conversation what each colour does in AC but it got lost in many pages of discussion. If someone knows off the top of their head and can post that here it would be really helpful.

There really is a lot to skinning, I started out with no clue whatsoever and had to learn how to use photoshop and well pretty much everything but it is really rewarding when you have created something, even if it is not the best or is pretty basic it is still very rewarding... and addictive

 

[Ryno917]

Yeah that is what I was thinking, the other way around there would be more work. I often end up with a lot of layers as well and use vectors most of the time after a friend showed me how to do it. TBH when I do the alpha channel I just turn off AO and the base layer and then select the empty space (don't know the technical term) with the wand selection and select all layers checked to have the metal detail show through where the base paint would be.

I'm not very good at creating map files yet, I know I can use the AO as a base and can alter brightness of RGB channels to change how it looks but it is always trial and error. I normally create a layer above the AO based map for logos and stuff as well. Someone mentioned in a mod conversation what each colour does in AC but it got lost in many pages of discussion. If someone knows off the top of their head and can post that here it would be really helpful.

There really is a lot to skinning, I started out with no clue whatsoever and had to learn how to use photoshop and well pretty much everything but it is really rewarding when you have created something, even if it is not the best or is pretty basic it is still very rewarding... and addictive

Link in my sig.

[EDIT] Whoops. Guess that was my sig on the official forums...

Click me

 

[Jebus]

Yeah changed my method already yesterday after realizing that I can avoid this merging problem.

So thanks for the tip @Andy-R

 

[kilder]

Hi guys!

Thank you so much for your help! It works!

 

[kilder]

Hi guys!

Unfortunately now I have another problem, no matter what I do, the car always have a 63 number with a italian stripe at the doors.

How to fix this?

 

[Andy-R]

It is probably either a body_map.dds in which case you could delete it from the skin folder or overwrite it with one of your own. Or it is the alpha channel if you haven't changed it. Go to channels and look at the alpha channel to see if you can spot the numbers and stripes. If you can, paint them white to stop the metal_detail.dds from showing through.

 

[kilder]

Andy, The template does not have an alpha channel, I tried to create one and I painted solid white, the number and the stripes are still there. The body_map has nothing I can identify the Number and Stripe. I really do not know what's going on here. The metal_detail is just a carbon texture.

 

[kilder]

Found it! In another original skin, there was a .dds called "extra_logo", so I opened it in photoshop and painted the alpha channel in solid black, and put it in my folder, the number and the stripe disappeared!