This is redundant topic(s) but have no choice

Every since ive started on Second Life ive come to the forums to find useful infomation on building, texturing...etc Unfortunately most of my questions become unanswered.

I have read the tutorials on shading, but it seemed half answered for Photoshop.

Shading Questions
It says to put up a new layer, 50% grey overlay. done. use dodge, burn smudge. done.
Two problems,
1. what do i do after im done? ive seem some explainations for it but they were completely unclear (explain as if I have little knowledge of photoshop)

2. problems seeing the effect of the shadow on the item so I end up doing too much and peices like the nipples showing due to over use.

Clothing Question
I have come about Robins site about creating alpha channels for lacy stuff, basic copy and paste into the alpha channel, now how are you able to do that for example if I want that lace to be on the top with something showing into it, say like just some red texture. I have created layers with lace or satin on top but when it goes up on Sl the lace isnt all that noticeable

Skin and Hair Tutorial Questions
Ive seen people ask them all over the place, usually half answered or there are partial explainations like there are many ways to do it. I would like to find a skin tutorial for the whole body not just basics skin, or head. If there is one with nice photoshop detail much appreciated.(I have started a basic head, seen the videos on photo merging to make a head also) Also one on shading, finding parts like good belly buttons, nipples, eyes, lips..
As for hair I went to a class on second life, but it was full, sat there learned how to do it with a loop rezzer, but have no hairloop script to use. Anybody know of anything thank you in advance.

Building Question
Looked into making shoes, but havent found anyone to explain in detail how it is done, how to set about the texture to say make it look like a shoe. Anything that can be provided would be very helpful.

I would like to thanks those that have put about stuff about photoshop like Chip and Robin. They do help somewhat, at least the beginner stuff, the intermediate is up in the air, and the advanced I dont understand at all (its like coming into a conversatons with two klingons and you dont speak the language).
Anyway Appreciate the help

When I have more time I will try to answer some of your other questions if no one has answered them yet.

As for hair, I have no idea how to use the loop rez in order to make prim hair....but here is a quick tutorial on the basics for making hair:

Prim Hair Tutorial

Best,
~Ari

Check this link out, it will give you the basics for making shoes and other items.

http://slnatalia.blogspot.com/2006/11/build.html

As for me, I found it very useful, along with several of the threads in this forum. I had very little knowledge of PhotoShop when I started coming to the forums around the first of the year, but now I am able to move about in it much better because I continued to read and ask questions. In my case, I learned piece by piece. Hope your day is a very good one.
Kat

Hi there

Far from being an expert, because I'm still fairly new to it all myself, but I've managed to create some pretty fun stuff just by experimenting.

It sounds like you need to get to grips with the way layering works, in all the various creative software packages. I use Paint Shop Pro, because I come from a creative photo editing/ 2D background and am saving up for Photoshop

Make sure that you make your texture with the bits that go on the top at the top of your layer group. If I were making a shirt with a lace collar for example, I would have the lace as one layer, the buttons as another, the shading as the third and the fabric as the bottom layer. Once I'm satisfied with the placement of all these, I delete the template layers, create a mask from the image, save it to the alpha channel, delete the mask without merging it and then save the whole thing as targa file (.tga) I always work in 512x512 or 1024x1024, which allows easy upload to SL. Before I upload, I always set the image as whatever the item of clothing is and then use the viewer to make sure that I haven't got any holes in my seams and that designs are properly lined up. Gets to being very expensive otherwise!

I'm pretty sure that the looprezzer I have in world is full perm, send me an IM and I'll drop you a copy inworld if I can. That is just about reading the instructions and again, trial and error. There's a link on the instruction card to Natalia's very very good blog (think that's her name) and there's all sorts of tutorials in there about making stuff.

Being honest, it sounds like you are trying to run before walking. Get to know your software, maybe find a short course that introduces you to how these graphics programs work and you'll find the whole process a lot less frustrating. Most tutorials assume that you know how to work your software, and aren't there for teaching the software, but rather how to acheive a technique using the software, iyswim.

Good luck and most of all, remember that it's supposed to be fun!
SunDrop x

I have a store opened actually about 60 or so clothes, outfits, and some furniture. I do understand layers. my main problem is shadow currently. the layering of lace ontop of an object i figured out after i posted this.
As for Hair im looking for the hairloopscript that can be put into the loop rezzer. I have looprezzers for the flexi dresses that ive made.
I would like to make clothing and skin that has good shadowing, wrinkles so the clothes look more realistic. Right now most of my clothes are sold purely on my ability to find good textures. Ive been understanding photoshop cs2 little by little, but my main concern is after putting a 50% grey overlay and i do some shading/lighting how to i make my outfits not look like they are grey espially if say im making a white shirt, or even a yellow shirt, it makes them look grey or gold.
Natalie has a good blog I have that link previously, although im looking for something on making boots, but her sandals do help for the shoe base at least.
Its true ive only been on the game for a month, and i have a shop with 4 vendors that have 4 servers and a rack attached and have a cottage that im renting in the country, and it may seem as if im rushing the questions but im someone that likes to ask them as they come. So anything that anyone can provide on the questions that I have asked will be much appreciated even if it seems that I may not understand it

I have to agree with Sundrop's comments 100% - relax and take a breath!
I couldn't help but notice this is only your second post ever, so this is pretty good response, as far as I can see. Chances are very good that with a thorough search of the forums you will find some of the answers you seek, so folks tend to hold back and not repeat ancient history.

There is no substitute for trial and error and paying your dues to learn from your own efforts when it comes to building. Chances are if you torture a few prims the boots will come to you by studying the composition of real life boots.

If you simply follow a guide or tutorial you will never make that "mistake" that ends up becoming something unique and fabulous somehow. The wonderful thing about SL building is there are thousands of ways to accomplish the same thing. Find your way!

You have gotten some really good helpful tips, however if you are looking for more detailed answers than you have already gotten you might consider limiting your requests to one question at a time.

Above comments are meant in the most cordial way and meant to be helpful.
Best of luck, sounds like you already have more content than people in the game for months. Enjoy your time here.

A few comments here that may help you with using a 50% grey-filled layer with an overlay blending mode:

1) When I deal with coloring garnments in Photoshop for SL, I'll choose whatever color I want using either the color picker or eye-dropper tool, but the last thing I always do before deciding on a color is I pay attention to it's Brightness value. (If you are looking at the color picker, you'll see the first cluster of radio buttons are labeled "H, S, and B", which stands for Hue, Saturation and Brightness). If you use 100% bright, you cannot have any highlights (because you cannot get lighter than 100%), adversely, do not use 0% brightness, because you cannot have any shadows.

3) If you are designing a very light-colored garnment, don't go any brighter/lighter than 85% - 90%, and try to use a color that has "cooler" hue. If you use gray, your garnment may look dingy or dull, and if you use a warm color, like yellow, your clothes will either look beige (which is fine if that is what you are going for), or worse, dirty. When I do white(ish) garments, I typically use a Cyan-based hue with 85% - 90% brightness. This will make my shadows blue/cyan and my highlights white.

4) If you find that your shadows and highlights are too extreme, you can do a few things to pull back a bit on the intensity...
4) a) first (and easiest), is to simply reduce the opacity of your overlay layer. I have sometimes gone down to around 40% opacity to get a nice subtle shading.

4) b) Additionally, if you need certain parts to have greater contrast than others, you can always decrease the contrast of certain areas by using a soft brush with a low opacity (25% or less) and paint on your overlay layer with 50% gray.

4) c) Are your shadows fine but your highlights not bright enough? Use the dodge tool, and set the range to "highlights". This will increase the brightness but not paint over the darkest parts.

4) d) Are your highlights too bright? Use the burn tool and change the range to "shadows". Your areas will get darker but your brightest spots will stay the same.

Play around and get familiar with these techniques, and I think you will become happier with your progress as a clothing designer. Or at least, that is my hope for creating such a long post!

I thank pyxel for his post on shading, its much appreciated.
as for my noobishness, i am careful about posting, I read through everything that I could find prior to posting so i wouldnt be asking questions that are already answered. If I am asking odds is cause unless it is stickied it is not found very easily or due to its age doesnt exist anymore. I waited until I looked for the questions first before answering, I apologize if this means that due to my lack of posts im not taken seriously with my questions and told to just "wing" it. That is why i combined questions.
Again appreciate all that take the time out to explain to a posting noob what to do. I hope sometime they put up stickies for boot tutorials, skin tutorials and more detail on shading/highlighting to prevent unecessary posting.
Agan thanks, I have made sandals ill figure out how to make them into boots and maybe post on here for those that would like it.

yukie

Hey Yukie,
I'd love to see how you made your boots. I'm fairly horrible at primming, that's why I stick to textures! Ha!

Anyway, If you followed Natalia's tutorial when you built your sandals, I can give you some small simple direction to turn them into boots (if you haven't already discovered this):

Boots will have to have 2 objects for each leg. One attached to the foot, and one attached to the lower leg. For example, let's say you wanted to take those sandals and make them look more "ancient Roman". you'd make linked prims to criss-cross up the lower leg, but if you linked this to the sandal, when you wear and walk, you'd look pretty silly. That's why you have to have 2 separate objects for each boot.

You'll have to adjust your shoe shape so that your feet will not spill outside your prim shoe base. Typically, there are certain areas that will always stick out, and this is why everyone uses "invisi-prims" when they make shoes/boots, especially with heels.