There's Got To Be An Easier Way!

Ok..I know how to make clothes now, etc. Prob is, is how do I save the alpha channel in GIMP, to where I can reload and make another article of clothing with the same style?
What I mean is, in case I'm not clear...is..for example: I made a shirt in GIMP. I save it as a targa, then upload it to use, whatever. Later on, I open up GIMP again, and want to use the same shape that I used before..the same shirt shape that I made from the template. I know that GIMP makes the alpha channel for me, I just need to know how to keep that same shape of shirt, skirt, or pants that I made before, so I can skip the creation steps and just fill the shirt, skirt or pants with a new texture...it's getting tedious to do the same thing, over and over and over again! Help!

Save the file first as .xcf. That will preserve all layers, even better than just the alpha. Then save as targa. You can go back to the xcf and recolor layers etc. without losing wrinkles/shading, alpha, buttons, whatever.

Thanks! I'll try that!

Really important point is that word 'LAYERS' Make sure you use lot's and lot's of layers to make it easier to go back and re-texture/colour.

If you simply choose "save" instead of "save as" or "save a copy" it will automatically save as xcf. I had problems finding my "save" when I first did that but found that GIMP saves it to the folder that you opened when you started your session..........that would be a folder I made and named "SL clothing templates".

If I might make a suggestion, I'd recommend PSD over XCF. That way the file will be readable by more programs, and undo history can be preserved. From what I understand, GIMP's implementation of XCF is quite unique.

I made a mistake when I said GIMP will automatically save to xcf if you choose "save" instead of "save as". It depends on how you opened your session to begin your project. If you open using "new" it will save as xcf....however if you have an image or template already saved somewhere and use "open" to begin then GIMP will save in that format. Example: Using Chip Mindnight's or Robin Sojourner's clothing templates, which are psd files GIMP will save them as psd. If you have a template you created and saved as xcf it will save as xcf. And if you orginally saved as jpeg, tga, png, etc. GIMP will save in those respective formats. I just tested it.



And, while testing that I checked for the preservation of the undo history. GIMP does not preserve the undo history no matter if you use xcf or psd. If photosshop does that then PS has an advantage, I suppose. But, to be honest, I never have gone back to the undo history for the image or texture that I've saved for later editing......though, I can see where that might be handy.

There's no option for that in GIMP? Really? Photoshop has had the ability to log history in PSD's as metadata (and/or as a separate text file) for about five years now. I didn't know whether GIMP could do that or not, only that the PSD format supports it, and the XCF format does not. If the program can't do it, then I guess the point is moot. So forget I mentioned it.

In any case, I'd still suggest PSD as advantageous since it can be read by most decent graphics applications these days (if not natively, then at least via plug-in). GIMP's implementation of XCF can only be read by GIMP itself, and to a very limited degree, certain image conversion programs like ImageMagick. I'm a big fan of compatibility. (TIFF format would be a good choice with that in mind as well.)

For anyone who doesn't feel compatibility is important, there's nothing wrong with using XCF. You'd just better be absolutely GIMP will be the only program you're ever going to use. If there's even the remotest possibility you'll ever want use Photoshop or PSP or any of the countless other programs that utilizes more standardized files, then it would behoove you to avoid using anything so uniquely isolated as XCF.