Cazzie
August 23rd, 2009, 08:27
When we left off at Part one, we had a propspin in the size of 512 X 512 against a transparent background, what say we reopened it.
Click File > New, size it 512 X 512 pixels, and name it propdisk. Whether the image is transparent or white, click the color box and choose a total black, RBG 0,0,0. Using either the Brush Tool or Bucket Tool, paint the area black. Make two centered grid lines at 256 pixels.
Click Layer, new Layer and name it disk. Using the Brush Tool sized at 510 (not 512) pixels, center the brush and paint the disk. Highlight the disk Layer and click the Opacity and lower it to around 10%. Many people prefer to leave this at 100%, but for me, this presents a disk that is too dark, so experiment here to your liking.
Go to the propspin texture, click Select All, Edit > Copy and Paste it as a new Layer on the newly named Propdisk texture and center it using the Grid lines. There you have my prop disk. I save this as Propdisk_???? (this being the aircraft) in a layered Photoshop format. I like to work with 512 pixels, but most propwashes are only 256 pixels. this is fine, because it is simple to click Image > resize and size your Photoshop image at 256 X 256. This is used to Paste on a DXTBitmap norm.bmp transferred over to Photoshop. Remember to click Select All > Copy Merged then Paste that on the norm.bmt and remember to Flatten the image and clcik yes when closing the image to bring back into DXTBitmap to save.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/Propwash%20tutorial/propdisk.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/Propwash%20tutorial/propdisk_2.jpg
Lastly, the Alpha Channel. Still have that propdisk Layer at 512 X 512 open? If not, reopen it. Uncheck the disk Layer leaving only the background and spinning prop Layers open. Choose the spin Layer and not the black background.
Click Image > Adjustments > Desaturate. Next click Image > Adjsutments > Inverts. Hey, how do you like that?
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/Propwash%20tutorial/desaturate.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/Propwash%20tutorial/invert.jpg
Lastly, I like to lessen the brightness of the inverted prop spin by using Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast and set each at 50%. Again, this is an experimental thing and all to one's liking. As with the prop disk, this can easily be resized to 256 X 256 to paste from a trans.bmp Alpha transferred over from DXTBitmap.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/Propwash%20tutorial/adjustbright_contrast.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/Propwash%20tutorial/final_alpha.jpg
Caz Dalton
Click File > New, size it 512 X 512 pixels, and name it propdisk. Whether the image is transparent or white, click the color box and choose a total black, RBG 0,0,0. Using either the Brush Tool or Bucket Tool, paint the area black. Make two centered grid lines at 256 pixels.
Click Layer, new Layer and name it disk. Using the Brush Tool sized at 510 (not 512) pixels, center the brush and paint the disk. Highlight the disk Layer and click the Opacity and lower it to around 10%. Many people prefer to leave this at 100%, but for me, this presents a disk that is too dark, so experiment here to your liking.
Go to the propspin texture, click Select All, Edit > Copy and Paste it as a new Layer on the newly named Propdisk texture and center it using the Grid lines. There you have my prop disk. I save this as Propdisk_???? (this being the aircraft) in a layered Photoshop format. I like to work with 512 pixels, but most propwashes are only 256 pixels. this is fine, because it is simple to click Image > resize and size your Photoshop image at 256 X 256. This is used to Paste on a DXTBitmap norm.bmp transferred over to Photoshop. Remember to click Select All > Copy Merged then Paste that on the norm.bmt and remember to Flatten the image and clcik yes when closing the image to bring back into DXTBitmap to save.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/Propwash%20tutorial/propdisk.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/Propwash%20tutorial/propdisk_2.jpg
Lastly, the Alpha Channel. Still have that propdisk Layer at 512 X 512 open? If not, reopen it. Uncheck the disk Layer leaving only the background and spinning prop Layers open. Choose the spin Layer and not the black background.
Click Image > Adjustments > Desaturate. Next click Image > Adjsutments > Inverts. Hey, how do you like that?
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/Propwash%20tutorial/desaturate.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/Propwash%20tutorial/invert.jpg
Lastly, I like to lessen the brightness of the inverted prop spin by using Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast and set each at 50%. Again, this is an experimental thing and all to one's liking. As with the prop disk, this can easily be resized to 256 X 256 to paste from a trans.bmp Alpha transferred over from DXTBitmap.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/Propwash%20tutorial/adjustbright_contrast.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/cazmodel/Propwash%20tutorial/final_alpha.jpg
Caz Dalton