Starting skinning and Photoshop 6

[MadMaffMan]

Well I have been practicing with Photoshop 6 for a little while now, I thought I would start with a few B&B sets to get used to all the different options and tools available.

I have started with a B&B set made for all those gamers who like me are.......how shall I say it????

Mature in the age department.

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

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

As this is a questions thread my question is, do I edit the layers in a skin in the same way as making up a B&B set.
Also I have made up half of a wing for a badge (Dark Angels) but rather than draw the other half I thought that maybe I could copy the layer and then flip it over so i end up with a complete wing icon. Is this possible, I tried the stamp tool but I'm not sure it is the correct tool for the job. I have looked at the on-line help manual but frankly reading mud would be clearer than that manual.

I can't wait to get my teeth into a skin, once I have got the hang of B&B sets that is.

P.S. If any old timers like me want that B&B set, let me know and I'll send you it.

P.P.S. You were correct Mel Danes.....Steel Legion rocks big time.

[IBBoard]

Skin editing is kinda similar. Once you've extracted the WTP into the separate TGA images then each one represents a layer of colour. Paint an area black on the Primary layer, and you won't see any primary colour on that point. Paint it white and you'll see pure primary colour (or possibly white - I've had a few problems using pure colour!) if you paint it a shade of grey then the further away from black it is the closer to pure colour it is. Dirt is slightly different, but I'll leave that until later, unless you're planning on adding/removing team colourable areas already

I might have mentioned them already, but read the Dawn of War Skinning tutorials on the main site and they should cover most things if you read and work at the same time it'll be easier, and if anything still doesn't make sense then post back and I'll try to clarify and improve the tutorial

[edit] Oh, and if you want to copy things and mirror them then the best way I've found in Photoshop 6 is to paste them into a new blank image (new images automagically have the correct canvas size) and then use Image > Rotate Canvas > Flip Horizontally then copy and paste back again there is probably a way to get it to apply just to the layer (doing it without going into a new image) but I haven't found it yet.

[mel_danes]

Try making a selection mask around the wing. Then with the move tool selected hold the alt key and move it over to the side you want it on. This will copy the selection but leave the original. Once it is there go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal. Move the flipped image till it lines up. Then Ctrl+D to unselect. That should do it on one layer, you may have created another layer if so just Ctrl+E to merge layers.

I am using CS2 now, so this is from memory but it should work and keep you in one document.

[MadMaffMan]

Thanks for the tips guys, I'll let you know how it goes.

[mel_danes]

Just loaded and tested my method in Photoshop 6, damn my memory can scare me. Works great, no extra layers just the one your working on. Let us know.

[IBBoard]

Ah, so just like selecting an area and sharpening that area and nothing else, you can flip just a selection I knew there must be a way like that I must just have been too used to the old Paint Shop Pro way where I think it'd flip a single object or layer.

[MadMaffMan]

You were spot on, thanks. What a memory you have, mind if i call on your help with my next pub quiz.

I think i'm starting to get to grips with PS6 at last, I've made a few more B&B sets and i think it might be time to try a skin instead....gulp.

[IBBoard]

Can't wait to see your work - are you going to release the skins on HWT?

[MadMaffMan]

Well i'm sure they wont be up to your standards, but i will submit them of course.

[mel_danes]

Go ahead and give it a try. It only takes awhile and then you get the hang of it. Keeping all those layers and then the different layers of WTP's can sometimes get confusing but it sorts itself out in the end. I look forward to your work, it should have all the enthusiasm you seem to have, and that is not a bad thing. Do something you love and even if it won't win an award it can be satisfying.

[MadMaffMan]

HELPPPPPPPP

I'm stuck at the first jump, how do i extract the WTP file with the SGA reader?

When i try with Corsix's SGA Reader i get

Error
Source DoRawExtract(space_marine_unit_default.wtp)

and when i try using SpookyRAT i get

Run-time error '429'
Active X component cann't create object.

As far as i can see i have installed both progs exactly as the readme's instructed but i guess i'm doing something wrong.........but what?????

Any help will be much appreciated.

[IBBoard]

Just Googled the runtime error and it looks like you've not got a DLL registered correctly, so the program is trying to use it and Windows is going "huh? which file?"
One example (although the file name might be different): http://www.topdownloads.net/cgi-bin/iko ... 8&topic=10

The other alternative is to download the 1.11 Mod Tools (for DoW v1.3) and use the Mod Packager from there. I can't remember if it extracts one file or all files, but the latest tools do let you extract from SGAs (and you should even be able to extract from WA SGAs because the SGA format should still be the same)

Hope that helps

[MadMaffMan]

Thanks for the quick reply, you were spot on. The copy of spooky Rat that i have had an incomplete readme file.
Just incase anyone else is having the same prob here is a copy of the install and setup section of the readme.

Installation Notes
------------------
First and foremost you will need to download and install the Microsoft VB6 SP5 runtime files. These are available from Microsoft's site.

Then the DLL and OCX files in this archive should be copied to your windows\system32 directory. LuaDC.dll, comdlg32.ocx and mscomctl.ocx will then need registering. To do this the following technique should be used:

Start->Run...
cmd
cd c:\windows\system32
regsvr32 luadc.dll
regsvr32 comdlg32.ocx
regsvr32 mscomctl.ocx

Thats the first prob i wonder whats next.

Does this mean that i cann't skin the models from WA using Spooky RAT ????

If so hurry up with the new mod tools Relic.

[IBBoard]

No, the "you should be able to extract from the SGAs of WA" was a general comment - the file format has (as far as I know) stayed the same throughout, so any SGA extractor should still be able to extract from WA SGA files. We just can't do anything in the way of modding or (I think) map making in WA at the moment.

[MadMaffMan]

Hello Guys

Just thought i'd let you know how i'm getting on.

After sorting out the prob with extracting the WTP files (thanks IBBoard) i've been trying to get used to all the different layers...phew theres a lot of them.

Working out whats what in an image of a flattened out model isn't easy either. But after a lot of trial and error and some deep thought......oww my head, i've managed to identify all the areas that i want.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b357/ ... c00023.jpg

Next stage will be altering the colour layers so that i get the pattern that i want.....gulp.

Just incase you haven't seen it, there is a prog called The Interactive Space Marine Painter on the GW website, that saved me a lot of time in deciding what patterns looked good and what looked stupid. If you haven't seen it give it a try.

Well i'm off to do battle with the colour layers.

TTFN