Hi there! You are currently browsing as a guest. Why not create an account? Then you get less ads, can thank creators, post feedback, keep a list of your favourites, and more!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#1 Old 18th Jun 2016 at 2:10 AM
Default Edit ALPHA Texture File for Clothing
Hi all!

Alright so. You know how clothing has the NormalTexture, and the ALPHA texture? (and sometimes the bumpmap)
Well okay, I finished the mesh of a long dress, (just a few tweaks in terms of joints is missing)
And I've finished the normal texture.
But NOOOoow, I'm trying to make some lace-type gloves (Via the alpha file), and make them semi-transperant.
Okay, I've done that, but now, I don't know where to go for the changes to be applied! :O
For the normal texture I built the DXT5 in simPE, (Not through the projects folder''). But I don't see any alpha textures in that file (The texture file when opened in simPE)
So I then tried simply replacing the said alpha file through the projects folder.
Yet it show's no change...

The only thing I can think of is trying to reload the project in bodyshop, because usually when you edit a texture through the projects folder as BMP. files, it requires for the project to be reloaded?
So I'm going to try that :l
See if I get any luck...
Advertisement
Mad Poster
#2 Old 18th Jun 2016 at 2:20 AM
The mesh/clothing you choose...did it have an alpha mesh as well?
If you want transparent, the clothing you choose as your base, must have an alpha mesh..correct me someone.
When I make children clothing and need some transparent parts, i always choose the little pink ballerina outfit...I can't remember what outfit I use when I need an adult...but you get the picture.

Je mange des girafes et je parle aussi français !...surtout :0)

Find all my old MTS Uploads, on my SFS, And all new uploads Here . :)
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#3 Old 18th Jun 2016 at 2:27 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Rosebine
The mesh/clothing you choose...did it have an alpha mesh as well?
If you want transparent, the clothing you choose as your base, must have an alpha mesh..correct me someone.
When I make children clothing and need some transparent parts, i always choose the little pink ballerina outfit...I can't remember what outfit I use when I need an adult...but you get the picture.


Hiya, Rosebine! :D

Okay yes, it does! Well, at least it did when I exported it...
And here's what happened,
I got my edited alpha, and applied it to the project that I am working on. No change.
HOWEVER, I ALSO applied it to the ORIGNAL outfit, from the very beginning. There it had the really nice lace-transperant texture!

It's like, since I applied the texture through SimPE for my edited outfit, it only listens to it from SimPE, but nothing I do to it in projects folder makes it change. Does that make sense? :#
Thanks!!!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#4 Old 18th Jun 2016 at 5:15 PM Last edited by 98675 : 18th Jun 2016 at 5:45 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by Rosebine
The mesh/clothing you choose...did it have an alpha mesh as well?
If you want transparent, the clothing you choose as your base, must have an alpha mesh..correct me someone.
When I make children clothing and need some transparent parts, i always choose the little pink ballerina outfit...I can't remember what outfit I use when I need an adult...but you get the picture.


AHA! FINALLY! JES!
http://www.insimenator.org/index.php?topic=91949.0;wap2

Lol
Thanks!!!

EDIT: Ah, of course, as expected, doing this ruined the normal texture
Now it's all wierd!

EDIT: Aaah, I think it's because I made the underlaying layer halfway through... That must've messed it up....

EDIT: Wait, that doesn't make any sense. You can't make underlayer's for the alpha channel? But... NOOOOOOO Dx

EDIT (Yet again): Okay I got rid of the underlaying layer, yet that wasn't the problem! In one way, I'm glad because you CAN do underlayer's! Other, IT'S NOT WORKING lol.


Now I know when it's wrong because when I click on ''import alpha channel'', the alpha is not on the right position, and it makes the normal textures all wierd. You'd think it miiight be because I accidentally made them different sizes, but they're both 512-512... HMMM...
Mad Poster
#5 Old 18th Jun 2016 at 9:01 PM
I've never bothered with the alpha channel in SimPE. If my mesh has transparent parts, I just work them into the PNG file. You can make a lacy PNG texture in Photoshop by combining the alpha texture (the black-and-white BMP in your Project file) with your texture; use the alpha as a layer mask (Google how to use layer masks in Photoshop for some ideas). Then you don't have to mess around with alpha channels.

Your files should also be 1024x1024 if you're making clothing. Your resolution won't be very good if you use anything smaller; 512x512 is suitable for toddler clothing, but not anything larger than that.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#6 Old 18th Jun 2016 at 10:42 PM Last edited by 98675 : 18th Jun 2016 at 11:44 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by fakepeeps7
I've never bothered with the alpha channel in SimPE. If my mesh has transparent parts, I just work them into the PNG file. You can make a lacy PNG texture in Photoshop by combining the alpha texture (the black-and-white BMP in your Project file) with your texture; use the alpha as a layer mask (Google how to use layer masks in Photoshop for some ideas). Then you don't have to mess around with alpha channels.

Your files should also be 1024x1024 if you're making clothing. Your resolution won't be very good if you use anything smaller; 512x512 is suitable for toddler clothing, but not anything larger than that.


Oh really? So by masking it, it should be transperant anyway?
AH! No wonder I had to sharpen it so much.... Might have to pixelate it then...

Thanks oh so very much :D

EDIT: Okay, there's just one problem, witch is that when I paste onto the layer mask, it overlaps the original layer. I tried going on blending options and make the underlaying layer ''pop out'' over it, bit I guess since it is a mask and not a layer, it won't work.

EDIT: Ah well, I just ahd to go the hard way and outline it so it wouldn't intersect. Took awhile.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#7 Old 18th Jun 2016 at 11:56 PM Last edited by 98675 : 19th Jun 2016 at 12:17 AM.
Oh-Oh...
Did I have to APPLY the layer mask once I finished?
I... Didn't save it as a PS file...
I... Must go and do it again....
I....

EDIT: Okay, this time I did apply it, bu' it ain't showin' no difference
I swear a could do this so much better xD!!!
Mad Poster
#8 Old 19th Jun 2016 at 9:36 PM
Yes, you have to apply the layer mask, otherwise it won't act as a mask and you'll just have two layers overlapping each other.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#9 Old 19th Jun 2016 at 11:32 PM
Quote: Originally posted by fakepeeps7
Yes, you have to apply the layer mask, otherwise it won't act as a mask and you'll just have two layers overlapping each other.


Okay

What do you mean by overlapping?
Because even after I applied the mask, it would make some parts that weren't part of that mask almost transperant. SO must I just make it fit exactly to the layer? (Meaning the layer I applied the mask to) Or can I make said layer overlap that one somehow? There doesn't seem to be an option for that with masks. Normally you can do it through ''blending options''

But I DO think that a reason it does this, is because some of those parts in the said default layer are black and white. I tried to not make it completely black and completely white through ''Lightness'' and ''Hue-Saturation'' however, that's just the contrast. I can't seem to change the colour of black's and white's.

Thanks
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#10 Old 19th Jun 2016 at 11:50 PM
Hold on, I'm being ridiculous. This could be explained so much easier with pictures!

Okay. SO I have my default texture, and now I have pasted the used-to-be-alpha texture into another layer (To later use as layer mask)


So then I go to the bottom-right and click on ''Create new layer mask'' while already having the default layer selected.
It creates a new, blank layer mask.

I then CTRL-C the supposed ''Alpha'' texture, click on the layer mask via ALT-left mouse click, go to ''Edit-Paste-Paste In Place''
I then click on the default layer to show everything.
All looks good. I then suppose I don't need the ''Layer 2'' AKA the supposed ''alpha'' layer, so I delete that one.
And this is the result.
So I'm not sure if it's supposed to be see through... And you can see the lacey collar goes almost transperant.


And that is my first world problem :l
lol
Mad Poster
#11 Old 20th Jun 2016 at 8:05 PM
You want the dress to have lacy sleeves, right? Then you need some sort of texture for the sleeves (even if it's just a bucket fill); when you apply the layer mask and there's nothing beneath it, it disappears... which is why you're ending up with no sleeves. Put some plain sleeves in there, and then apply your lace texture as a layer mask.

I think you'll probably also want to invert your layer mask. Black is transparent... white is visible (just like the alpha texture in Body Shop). You can do this easily in Photoshop (select the layer in question and type CTRL+I). Also, for something like this, the more contrast the better. You should be able to get better contrast by playing around with the Levels box.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#12 Old 20th Jun 2016 at 11:04 PM Last edited by 98675 : 20th Jun 2016 at 11:24 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by fakepeeps7
You want the dress to have lacy sleeves, right? Then you need some sort of texture for the sleeves (even if it's just a bucket fill); when you apply the layer mask and there's nothing beneath it, it disappears... which is why you're ending up with no sleeves. Put some plain sleeves in there, and then apply your lace texture as a layer mask.

I think you'll probably also want to invert your layer mask. Black is transparent... white is visible (just like the alpha texture in Body Shop). You can do this easily in Photoshop (select the layer in question and type CTRL+I). Also, for something like this, the more contrast the better. You should be able to get better contrast by playing around with the Levels box.


Wait, the supposed ''Alpha'' texture has to be all black to be transperant? Ooh I thought it needed to be grey!
And do I make the other texture be a full on solid colour or also have the lace pattern?

I tried fixing it but the texture showed like the normal lace is in photoshop, black and white.

Hold on though I didn't read carefully enough...

Okay does the mask have to be applied to the layer OF the lace? Because now it's all just the solid blue colour I chose.
EDIT:OOOH yep that seems to be it.
Hold on let me check in-game
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#13 Old 20th Jun 2016 at 11:33 PM
It worked! One thousand cheers for fakepeeps! :D
Back to top