Any GIMP FAQ updates?

I read the FAQ from Chosen Few about Textures using PS and read that he was working on a GIMP on as well. Have yet to find it. My problem is, I am trying to make a Iron gate for my property and want it transparent in the normal places. But since I have GIMP, I have no idea on how to make the areas other then the design transparent.

Also in the FAQ, Chosen mentioned something about a PS plug-in for GIMP to make it more like PS. Is there a complete PS plug-in out there with everything needed to make this happen? If so, is it a free plug-in?

Any help would be welcomed. I'm not a bank in the RL and can not afford PS just for SL.

One way to make transparent areas is to:
Select the parts with the wand or by colour selection or however
Right-click the layer in the layers tab and select add layer mask > selection ( click "Invert" to swap the selection)

You can send that alpha mask to the channels tab to make it work across all layers when you've got it right.
Be bold, try stuff! Experiment.

You are wanting for "GimpShop". Don't think it's a 'plugin' though, could be, never used it.
http://www.gimpshop.com/

While poking around, I found there is a new version of gimp http://www.gimp.org/


Many of us cannot afford PS and some of us do not use windows and even less of us do not want to use windows or PS.

There are many, many additions to be found like brushes, patterns, script-plugins etc hidden inside a web search.
Good gimping.

This might help you:

http://www.gimp.org/docs/userfaq.html

Also there is a manual you can download that contains all the documentation, how to's, tricks, tips, etc. Plus if you search Amazon.com for a book by Akkana Peck titled "Beginning GIMP from Novice to Professional" you'll find an excellent source for anything you want to do in GIMP. Ms Peck's writing style is very easy to understand and she includes work along tutorials to get you aquainted with GIMP's features and interface. I believe the book was written before GIMP's latest release but most will translate well to the new release. I paid about $30 USD a little over 2 years ago...best investment I've made for learning GIMP.

There some online tutorials but I find them a little hard to follow. Nothing like having a book on your desk to refer too while learning.

I believe what Kornscope was speaking of about the "wand" is the scissors tool. It works pretty well but you'll have some clean up to do afterward. One thing important for any cutting out of parts of an image.....you must add an alpha channel:

In the main editing window drop down the "layer" menu > "transparency" > click "add an alpha channel". If you don't do that then anything you cut will cut to whatever background color that is active. Also if your image is a black and white (greyscale) image, before you can add an alpha channel you must convert it to RGB. You do that by (again in the main editing window) dropping down the "image" menu > "mode" > "RGB".

Hope a little of this helps you out getting started.

Sorry, Matthew, but I never did get around to putting together any material for GIMP. At the time I wrote the other tutorials, I was under the mistaken impression that I'd be able to learn GIMP easily, just as I have almost every other graphics program I've ever encountered. Unfortuately, however, that didn't turn out to be the case. GIMP just doesn't jive with me.

The book Peggy recommended sounds pretty good. I'd give that a whirl, if I were you. Sorry I couldn't be of more direct help.