Starting skinning and Photoshop 6

[MadMaffMan]

I was just checking my Eldar skin and i noticed that when i have yellow on the Primary and Trim 1 layers the model developes green and red pixels.

Now, i beleive this is caused by a clash between layers but how do i fix it? Please tell me i dont have to chase down each pixel.....the model is covered in them around the trim areas.

But the best bit is, this isn't caused by me, i removed my wtp file and put the Relic file back and guess what...........the same problem.
So this is a graphic bug that my skin has inherited from Relic.....thanks guys for checking before releasing the game.

[mel_danes]

It sounds like layer overlap, causes a weird greeen yellow effect where the pixels overlap. A few of the Relic models do this. No surprise really, I know they don't care now.

Yeah pixel by pixel is the way to go, remember that smashing head into wall comment from so long ago, welcome aboard.

[IBBoard]

If it's random pixels that are well away from everything else then you could just block-select them from whichever layer they're not supposed to be on. Alternatively, depending on how dark they are and how much of a fade to the background colour you have on other areas, you could use the colour wand with a bit of tolerance set for it. The only problem with that is that it'll remove some of the subtle edges of areas you want to keep, if you have the tolerance too high.

One error I noticed with the Space Marines, but originally thought was my fault being sloppy, was the small amount of corrupted colour on the Bolter - overlap of the eagle and the bolter casing. I've fixed that in some of my later skins. But if you want to see more lack of attention to detail, check out the difference in the guns on my Waagh! Grimjaw and later Ork skins - I can't believe that Relic left it as a "dangling" clip for the pistols!

With the WA models, yeah, I need screenies. Either package them in the Zip and give me permission to repackage the zip without, or email them to me. With the bigger files, send them to this address (I've mangled the domain name, but I'm sure you can work it out it's the easiest spider protection, cos I'm sure they'll learn "_at_" and other things)

skins at hivewoooorldterra dot coo dot uuk

[MadMaffMan]

I guess that before i started skinning i never looked to close at the models, as the default view is zoomed out quite a way i would not have spotted these things.

I just spotted a similar problem on the Farseer and the Bonesinger (think thats what their called as i never play Eldar ). So it would seem that its the Eldar with the most skin problems ?

It seems to always be a clash between primary and trim layers. I have tried using the magic wand to select the trim layer and then paste it to the primary layer and then deleting trim 1.
Thats got rid of all the pixel clash but as you said, its lost some of the subtle fade on the trim layer which has left a very very faint area between the old primary and trim areas that show up as the default layers grey. This actually doesn't look to bad, it's a similar look to worn armour But this means you no longer have the ability to have a separate trim colour, again this isn't a problem if you want a Codex pattern which is what i was after in the first place.

I have already submitted the IG skin with a screenie in the zip, please feel free to use the screenie and re-zip the file without it.

Once i have had a few coffees and managed to work out that coded email address , i'll send you the LR. I may also submit the Eldar Guardian with the new primary layer, i'm just trying to decide how much time i should spend fixing Relics borked quality controlled skins.

I hate not finishing a job properly.

[MadMaffMan]

Well i have managed to combined all three layers that make up the Imperial Guardsmans pattern (primary, secondary and eyes) onto just the primary layer.

http://www.spaces.msn.com/members/3mbunker

This means that i can now break up the layer into any camo pattern that i want and spread it over a total of three layers, thus i can have my tri-colour camo scheme now.......WOOT.

Mind you the helmet is a prob because of the strange way the helmet skin is broken into 2 pieces.....still i'm not giving up using it yet.

I have discovered the joy of the smudge tool, i managed to remove ALL traces of the gaps from combining the 3 layers into 1. I may try it on those borked Eldar skins????

I'm trying out hosting the WIP pics on my MSN space, i think the pics should show up larger than the ones on Photobucket. See what you think?

TTFN

[IBBoard]

Don't know if you saw, but your skins are up - I added them about three hours ago, just before I headed out.

Combining things into one layer can be quite useful. The other one that I did with some of my halved/quartered images was made them as one single PSD with each colour as a different layer. Put a mainly transparent colour overlay on each layer and delete all of the black for each layer and you've got quite a good example of what it'll look like then all you need to do is copy each layer into a new image in the correct position and the job's a good 'un!

As for your WIP pics, they're showing up as 600x450 instead of 576x432 (for the blue and red Guardsmen) so it's a minor improvement I don't like MSNs use of the "go to last" button for a "next" button, but then I guess when did Microsoft ever believe in following conventions!

[MadMaffMan]

Just a quickie, it is rather late 2.45 AM to be exact.

Here are some WIP pics of my tri-colour camo scheme. It's now actually got 4 layers of camo as you can see from the pics.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b357/ ... c00048.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b357/ ... c00047.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b357/ ... c00046.jpg

It's in a jagged edge pattern before anyone says 'it's not very rounded is it', i plan to do a rounded edged, blotch, jungle and ambush schemes when i get the time.
I got the patterns from WD286, which has a good guide to what colours to use.

Well i need sleep.

TTFN

[IBBoard]

Very nice - and it's amazing the amount of camo types there are. I think I know the article you mean, and I've used a rounded and a pointed camo on my Ork Kommandos

I can only see tri-colour camo though - or do you mean that the armour is a fourth colour?

[MadMaffMan]

Yes there is three layers on the clothing and the fourth colour is the body armour.

I think i will try a version where there is four layers of camo over the whole body. The only thing is, i wondered if having to many colours or to tight a pattern just make the model look a mess?

I do know one thing though, if you pick the right colours for the right map then its damn hard to spot the Guradsmen on screen.....guess thats the point of camo.

IBBoard: I sent you a PM, hope you got it ok.

[IBBoard]

Yup, got the PM, and seeing four colours on the camo would be rather crazy! I think most 'real' camo uses three (one background and two 'detail' colours), but four would be interesting, especially with some of the existing colour schemes - I'm sure that at least one wouldn't work too well with four-tone camo

Not being able to spot your troops has good and bad sides - your enemy will have more trouble spotting them as well, but then you'll have problems because you'll lose your guys! I know I've done it, and other TT gamers have done it, where they deploy something in the trees and it's green/camo and they forget about it for a turn or two because they don't notice it when they look over the battlefield to see what needs to be moved

[MadMaffMan]

I've finished the tri-colour camo scheme now, that includes fixing the colour of the eagles of the sergeant as well as he is a separate wtp file.

I'll give it a shake down over the weekend so that when your back i can submit it.

Now whats next..........

[IBBoard]

I'm back now and I can't remember if there was anything I was supposed to be uploading/adding I'll have to check tomorrow or Tuesday (possibly a little checking tonight) and see what I can find

Strange that the Guard Sergeant is a separate skin, though - the Marine Sergeants aren't.

[edit] Not too bad - no new submissions to the site and just a skin-pack from SgtBurns to add (something he contributed after a mix-up where he thought I was making an Ultramarines mod but was actually checking up on the "Space Hulk Mod" texture that I was sent!). I'll be testing them now and adding them ASAP

[MadMaffMan]

Welcome home IBBoard.

The IG sergeant wtp just contains his head and some odd's and sod's that only he uses. Other wise he uses the standard guardsman bodies.

I gotta say that i am impressed with the new Imperial Guardsman wtp file, you get 4 different heads and chest plates, a couple of shoulder and knee pads, all of which get mixed up to make for some rather clever random squads of models. Even the height of individual Guardsmen look different, but i'm not 100% sure about that.

It's just a shame that they didn't up-date the other races troops with new wtp's, imagine a mixed squad of Space Marines.

Maybe in the next patch.

[IBBoard]

Maybe in the next patch, although that could end up with another huge patch! Now that we've got the WHM extractor available on the Relic Forums, it should be possible for some of the mod teams to do something like that themselves, but I think most of them are busy on other things and I don't have the 3DSMax skills (or license!) I think heights are meant to be variable in the IG, but one screenie I showed of it had it going a little too excessive!

I just got your textures as well I thought Thunderbird had already checked my accounts once this morning, but manually making it to check seems to make it properly check the 'skins' account for large files. I'll get them up when I can

[IBBoard]

Sorry for the delay - I did have the files all uploaded by about 2pm today, but I thought I should probably work on my final year project in the afternoon and leave the skins until the evening

Both of your packs are now up, and the Tri-Colour Camo was downloaded by the first person within a few minutes! Your Whirlwind has also been added - I like the message on the back!

If you want to check downloads and comments on your textures, you can go to /Downloads/author.html?name=MadMaffMan on the site and just see a filtered view of your work