time to ask for help

Hi Im new to desinging clothes for SL! I have made 2 successful tops howver I have now made a Boob Tube (tube top) and everytime I preview it in SL it has white all over so i scanned the forums and followed every step by step tutorial I could find on making certain parts invisble and making alpha channels and using mask's ect, and it has not worked for me, So I am wondering could someone please help me as to how i make it so i get only the tube top and the rest is skin, The rest being arms, top of chest and stomach area
Any help you can give would be very much appreciated
Thankyou
Nat

I'm afraid the answer is "not really" I can suggest you've done something wrong somewhere in your steps and not made the alpha layer properly, but because I can't see over your shoulder I don't know where you're going wrong, and no-one else will.

/109/02/12684/1.html is the tutorial I first used. This one (of many) from Chosen: /109/78/66934/1.html#post697793 is also well worth a read.

Sorry I can't be more help, but I guess you're either not making the alpha channel properly or not saving as 32 bit targa. (That means if you're doing a greyscale image to make it colourible in world you have to have a grey RGB image btw.

Sorry to send you back to what you've already used, but the answer is in there somewhere.

Hiya Eloise
Ty for your reply but I have already tryed and failed with the tutorials I used em they didnt work So I used em again go step by step and still didnt work So yea I must be doing something wrong and its prolly right under my nose and I just cant see what I'm doing wrong but I'll keep at it, I'm not one that gives up easily
Nat

Ive also seen alot of ppl mention saving as a 32 bit targa, however when ive completed my design click 'save as' typed in the name and selected .tga format it doesnt give me the option of 24 or 32 where do i find that option?
Nat

what program are you using?

Paint Shop Pro 7

ok so I'm at work and not in front of my copy of PSP 7 so this will not be one of those click here, then here type of suggestions, but hopefully will help a little.

From what you've said I also think you have the alpha layer incorrect and I have found that PSP is a little less alpha friendly than photoshop.

Here is what I do.

Add a new layer to whatever clothing template you use. Create your clothes in this new layer. When you are done, select the entire layer and then use the cut tool. You should see everything you just created disappear! lol Then paste the image back into the layer and line it up on your template as if it never moved. Be sure to leave it selected (the little visible ants round the edge). The only thing that should be selected at this point is the top you just created.

Go to selection and choose save selection to alpha channel. Call it anything you like, I usually just use alpha

With the top still selected, go to selection and choose invert. Fill the new selected area with solid black. The result should be your top surrounded by a sea of black

Save as tga (I dont recall ever changing my default tga settings but it was a while ago I set it all up).

Upload...and in theory you should see what you want. In the preview window just before you click upload, if it still shows the white - dont waste your money! You should see the top and little white/grey squares around it.

Catt

Ty Catt
Sounds reasonably easy, Will give it a go
Thanx for responding very much appreciated
Nat