Simple Tutorials using GIMP for textures

I can't tell from your description what you are doing, so I'll just describe what I did in GIMP. I've since moved to Photoshop, so I never made anything complex in GIMP, but here's what I did do and had no trouble with it.

Put the UV template on the first (background) layer. Add a layer, selecting "transparency" as the fill type. This is the layer you will paint on, over top of the template. You will see the template right through the new layer. Make sure the new layer is selected in the layers dialog (Dialogs > Layers) before you paint or you will destroy your template. Anything you paint on the transparent layer will cover the template.

To temporarily see the template through what you are painting, adjust the opacity of the top layer using the opacity slider in the Layers dialog. You could even leave the top layer partially transparent as you paint.

Save your work as a PSD (photoshop) file to maintain the layers. Save a second copy as TGA (targa) for use in the clothing previewer and to load into SL. Before saving that TGA file, adjust the opacity of the top layer back to 100%, and click the eye icon on the template layer to turn it off.

When you've done this, what you see in the document is your garment with checkerboard cutouts where you haven't painted. If you still see the UV template you have not turned that layer off. If you don't see the checkerboard then your top layer isn't transparent, or you haven't left any skin showing.

Accepting the default options when saving a TGA file in GIMP should result in a working garment.

To go back to editing the garment, turn your UV template layer back on (click to see the eye icon) and make sure you select the top layer before painting. Again, make sure you save both a PSD version and a TGA version.

Once you get this down, you can then add additional layers for more complex garments. Each layer is transparent. When saving to TGA, show all the layers that should show (turn on their eye icons) and hide the template layer (turn off its eye icon).

Instead of using transparent layers you could instead use white, background or foreground layers, and then you would erase (make transparent) the parts you want to show skin.

GIMP is ugly in a lot of ways, but its handling of transparency is simple and results in working TGA files with no fussing.

Additional note on GIMP layers:

There are two distinct statuses you need to know for your layers.

1) They eye icon indicates that the layer is visible.
2) The layer that is highlighted is the one you affect by painting, filters, etc.

The second point is important. Just clicking the eye icon on or off does not select a layer for painting. The layer that receives the paint or filter is the one that is highlighted, even if it is currently hidden (no eye icon).

Another note: you don't have to merge layers before saving. You get a dialog asking if you want to do that when you save as TGA, but the document in memory maintains its layers. Just make sure you save as PSD (photoshop) before you exit or you'll lose your layers.

Part of problem is I don't get all the dialogue statements and some of the pop ups that go with trying to save the items that I experienced or even being able to explain in coherent way what is happening.
I saved this link to post and going to try again when I am suffering less brain lag.
Though it would be nice to see this stickied.

I wonder if it is better to, with GIMP, save as xcf or psd? xcf is GIMP's native format (I believe), which supports all the layers, etc. Though I imagine it works well enough with psd as well.

There is, indeed, a bug in GIMP with loading PSD files with layers. The mode for non-normal layers isn't always as you saved it. I'll try XCF some time.

Before I forget how to use GIMP I should write a clothing and hair tutorial. I used it successfully for both.

I'm too lazy to go back and look if I posted this link before. It's a free onling book that is quite a bit easier to read than the GIMP manual you download with the program.

http://gimp-savvy.com/BOOK/

What I've found with the GIMP is that it's not necessarily intuitive but it's not as difficult to use as you might think. The xcf format is GIMP's native format and it does support layers. I've used it a few times for intermediate saves..........it worked for me every time.

A small question for Anna. I've never opened a transparent layer to place over my template when making textures unless I'm painting or drawing, though I certainly can see that as an extra protection for a mistake while making your textures. If you mess up and paint on something on the background the undo function is rather deep and you can go back and correct it pretty easily.....and worse case delete it intirely and reopen it from the open menu and put it on the bottom again. I do, however, use transparent layers to paint or draw...........is that what you meant? I'm open to suggestions and if your way is better or easier then I'll use it.

I'm completely self taught on using the GIMP so I would be very interested in any tutorial you might make. I would like to offer any help I might be able to give too..........if nothing else except to be the "dummy" to bounce your lessons off on. If I can understand and do it, then anyone can................LOL.

Yes, Peggy, I think we are talking about the same thing. Open a transparent layer over the template and paint on the transparent layer.

GIMP does have a very cool undo history thingy. You can even undo things out of sequence. There's no real danger in destroying your template, as you can just undo it or re-load the template, but it's annoying to have spent time drawing only to find you've done so on the template on not on a transparency layer. The real danger isn't destroying the template, it's having to discard some of your work. It'd be nice if you could lock the template layer.

I think the template layer is locked. I haven't tried but I'm pretty sure you cannot raise the template from the bottom layer. I always leave the template where it loads and since my first step in making any texture is "open as template" on the main dialog that is where it is.......on bottom. I often make it not shown to get away from the distracting UV lines and stuff but never move it up in the layers.

And the offer still stands for me being a guinea pig for your tutorials

By locked I mean not being able to paint on it. I don't think you can do that in GIMP.

Where is this "open as template" feature you mention? I see an "open as layer" option, but that's on the document's file menu, so you have to have already created a document and therefore it opens the layer as the second layer and not the first. There's also a "template" pull-down on the main window's new file dialog, but to GIMP a "template" is just a page size.

If I just open an SL template file (or any standard unlayered image file), it gets put on the "background" layer, which can't be moved. Is that what you mean?

Yes.

I installed it last night..

I am trying to create a graphic to be used as a texture. It's just three dots (it's a game piece). I would like to attach it to an object. how can I give everything in the graphic except the black dots a transparent background, using GIMP as an image editor?

Many thanks in advance.

H.

From scratch:

File > New

Select your height and width. Open the advanced options by clicking the plus sign next to "Advanced Options". Select "Transparency" on the "Fill with" drop-down. In the future you're going to have to remember to change this back to "Background color", but for now you're creating a transparent first layer. Click OK.

You should see your document with a checkered background. Paint on this, then File > Save As, navigate to where you want to save, and type your file name with a .tga extension (or choose TARGA from the file type selector).

If you've already got your image on, say, a white background:

Layer > Transparency > Color to Alpha

You'll get to choose one color and it'll turn it transparent. By default it will choose your background color (probably white), so you should just be able to click OK. There's a preview, so just make sure your background is checkered.

You should now have your dots on a checkered background.

When you upload to SL you will get a preview of your file. Make sure it has a checkered background before paying for the upload.

Thanks, Anna! You make it sound easy!

Bumping this because I searched high and low for a Gimp tut and didn't even find this other than by sheer luck

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread- highly informative.