Recoloring Solid Curtains Into Sheer Ones? (for dummies please)

[missmoppet]

I have a solid print window scarf by someone on MTS and I love it and I want to recolor it sheer. I finally did my first recolor using the wonderful tutorial by crazytulip and the video by Franco, but now I want to go forward and make sheers. I'm barely literate with my photo program though.

So I scoured the Tutorial Boards for one on making sheer recolors and I didn't see anything (I could have missed it). I searched the Creativity Support Board and I found one but the response wasn't clear for me. What I would greatly appreciate is a step by step guide to making sheer recolors (sheers for dummies if you will). My particular photo program is called Photo Impact Pro, but I'm told it runs pretty similar to PhotoShop and I had no problems following the PhotoShop directions in the above mentioned tutorial.

Please help a noob out, BPS!

[Tinkle]

For a sheer looking curtain/scarf/etc. you place your texture on the map in the appropriate area. You need to change the "opacity" level of your texture, it's at 100 percent, you need to adjust it to a lower setting depending on how sheer you wish for it to look like.

Next you have to cut away that area on the map so that texture map has a transparent area behind it, you should be able to "see through" your texture.

The following images will give you an idea of what I mean...as plants require a transparent background:

This is the map, with my textures applied -



I have to remove the areas around the flowers, leaves and grass - (the area shown in black for this image, in my program it shows as black/white square background)



Depending on what the map has on it that you are working with, you only have to make sure the area behind the fabric is transparent.

Once you have everything set for you map and save it to the .png file you exported (saving as a .png file) you can import the image back into Simpe following the same steps as learned in the recoloring tutorial. However, you have to make one adjustment to the file.

Click on "Material Definition" located in the Resource Tree:



These are images from a plant but same concept...I select the correct file from those listed under the Resource List. In this case there are two as one belongs to the vase and one belongs to the flowers. I need to make the flowers have that transparent back...so I select the flowers:



Now go to Plug-in view in the General Rcol Editor and select the line that reads: stdMatAlphaTestEnabled: 0 (my image shows 1 - this is what you need to change, "0" to "1")



On the right in the Property box, change the 0 to 1 in the Value box. Click Commit.



Finish your package, make sure to save everything.

[Flaceur]

thank you tami, i just asked myself the same question like christina
thank you christina for asking that

[Tinkle]

You're welcome. Same thing would apply towards rugs as well, for instance if you are recoloring a square rug with a circular shape. However, there is a mini-tut somewhere in here for the rug...

[Buggybooz]

I think if you want to do an alpha with a semi- transparent/ sheer look you also have to set stdMatAlphaBlendMode:blend.

[missmoppet]

Thank you to everyone who posted responses! As it turns out, I cannot figure out how to set an item to transparent in Photo Impact Pro. I tried using the help option on there and found nothing, I tried Googling and found nothing. I looked at every option I could click on and couldn't find anything that makes things transparent or sheer or with opacity. I guess the program doesn't have this option. Until I can afford a different art program, I'm stuck with solid colors! Oh well!

This thread can now be closed!

[Tinkle]

Christina you could try paint.net or Gimp...they are free.