is there anyone with a PSP (7) tutorial on alpha channels and transparency..please!!!

i am fairly new to designing clothes....but i catch onto things quickly...i have searched this forum and also SL Universe for a decent PSP tutorial on making items of clothing semi-transparent and have gone through step by step every tutorial i have seen that claims to be for alpha channels...but...they are all diffferent...and most even contradict each other..lol..

now...i beg someone please to just give me one step by step tutorial that actually works where i can make a skirt that is semi transparent in PSP 7 and it comes out semi transparent in SL as well when i upload...please please pretty please....lol...i will be forever grateful..i am at wit's end..


i see PS tutorials all over....and none for PSP

I feel your pain Kianna, I to love PSP 7 and have nearly a full set of plug-ins for it. I have not found anywhere with good tutorials so I am forcing myself to learn photoshop. From what I have heard you cannot make Alpha Channels like they need for PSP 7, it requires PSP 9 or something. I'm not sure if this is true but if I can be done I would sure love to know as well.

i think we are doomed siandra! lol

and i know there is a way to make sheer clothes using alpha channels in PSP 7 as one of my friends did it....BUT...she cannot figure out for the life of her how she did it ...lolol

P.S. is there a tutorial for Gimp..i have that too! please please please pretty please!!!

Once again, here's my standard tutorial on how to make them, preceded by an explanation of what they are and what they do.

Color Space & Channels
Images designed to be shown on a color screen are comprised three colors (red, green, & blue). The relative brightness of each of these primary colors in each pixel determines each pixel's actual color. For example, a pixel comprised of equal values of red and blue without any green would appear to be purple.

When taken seperately, the individual values for red, green, or blue are represented by a grayscale image called a channel. In an individual channel, white represents the maximum possible concentration of color and black represents the absense of color. Shades of gray represent amounts of color that are less than the maximum. The darker the gray, the lesser the concentration of color. The lighter the gray, the more color is present. So, to go back to the example of combining red and blue values to make a splotch of purple, the splotch would appear white in the Red Channel, white in the Blue Channel, and black in the Green Channel, the reason being that the splotch contains the maximum possible values of red and blue, but no green.

Channels & Transparency (Alpha Channels)
Images that have transparency have the same three primary color channels and also have a fourth channel, called Alpha, which represents opacity. In the alpha channel, white represents comlete opacity and black represents the absense of opacity (transparency). Shades of gray represent semi-transparency. The darker the gray, the more transparent. The lighter the gray, the more opaque.

So, for example, if you are making a bikini top for your avatar, the alpha channel would be white in the shape of the bikini top, and black everywhere else. The white part makes the bikini top 100% opaque so that you won't be able to see through it when it's on the av, and the black part makes the rest of the image invisible so that there appears to be nothing on the av's arms, stomach, etc.

Creating Your Alpha Channel
Okay, now for the how-to's. I should preface this by saying my PSP skills are pretty weak compared to my Photoshop skills, but I think I can talk you through it. Just keep in mind it's been a while since I've used PSP, so this is nowhere near as detailed as my Photoshop tutorial on the same subject. This was written for PSP 8, not 7, but I think it's the same in both. If any of this is inacurate, hopefully someone else will correct me. I think everything it's all good though.

1. In Photoshop you would be able to manipulate the alpha channel directly, but in PSP you have to use a tool called a mask to serve as a proxy for what will in the end become the alpha channel. To start, go to the Mask menu and select New Mask -> Show All. The new mask will be all white (no transparency yet).

2. Go to Masks -> Edit Mask. Now you'll have a grayscale palette window so you can paint the mask varying shades of gray.

3. As I said earlier, paint the areas you want to be invisible black, paint the areas you want semi-transparent gray, and leave the areas you want completely opaque white.

4. When you're finished, go to Mask -> Save to Alpha Channel, and then delete the mask (DELETE it, do not merge it). If you need to edit the alpha later, go Mask -> Load From Alpha Channel.

5. Save your file as a 32 bit TGA and you should be all set.

I'd recommend installing the GIMPshop plugin so that GIMP looks and behaves like Photoshop. After that, most Photoshop tutorials should be applicable.

ohhhhhh!!! thank you!! i know there are a zillion tutorials i never saw one for PSP though...and i looked!...my problem was not making the alpha channel..i got that....i can do that ...it was the level of tranaprency that i could not get ...so the mask..i get it!!!! thank you soooooooo much! and yes i have the Gimpshop plug in

Hopefully the advice above worked out for you...

If not... I wrote a step-by-step example (with screenshots) into a Notecard a short while back because I kept leaving out a step here or there and wanted an in-sim reference. It's probably not the most efficient way to go about adding an Alpha channel via Mask in PSP (I use PSP5), but it works for me.

When (if the update completes, if you want I'll drop you a copy.

Have fun!

- Tengu Yamabushi

ohhh screenshots are nice...i am actually trying CHosen's way right now..but i woudl love a notecard with yours as well thank you!

THANK YOU CHOSEN!!!! ALLELUJAH! it worked!!!!!!!



*runs over an dplants a big kiss on Chosen's cheek*

It is not at all necessary to use 'show all' and then adjust the mask. I cannot stress enough the joys of New Mask -> From Image and then selecting 'source opacity'. As long as you are dealing with a semi transparent layer (using opacity slider or what have you) and have all other layers toggled off (hidden), PSP will automatically generate the appropriate 'greyness' for your alpha channel using this source opacity selection. One thing to be aware of, however, is that sl is far less sensitive to different levels of transparency than psp. This means something that might look 50% transparent in psp will look 75% transparent in sl. So you will have to play with it to get the desired level of transparency.

Then simply save your mask as an alpha channel and you've got your semi-transparency. Hope that helps