Knowledge Fountain

[yankeefan05]

Thanks guys and Lana.

Ill just stick with 30secs FRAPS then.

[Redneck-Alcatraz]

I use SUPER ((free converter)) for converter movies and audio files.

oohh i need!!
where can i go to down load it?

Also im taking a college class that uses Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illistrator (extremely high Resolution, ive never seen anything like it before)
if you compare Illistrator to Photoshop it is like comparing Photoshop to Microsoft Paint!
so if you have Qs about either one, post it, and i will try to answer it (if Penguin doesn't beat me to it)!

[Penguin]

SUPER (c) http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html

[FragMe!]

A good free graphic program I use is called paint.net (also use Gimp as well) I just find it is very easy for working with layers.
It will load and save as TGA so it can be used for modding BF2.

[Caleb1117]

Just downloaded GIMP, you can see the resulting skins in the glamor skins topic.
The Problem is when I tryed to load an Alliance skin with gimp ig to this:

how do I go about getting the image that all my other image editing software shows me?
I managed to get it to show it, sort of, everything was B/W...

One more question, Does GIMP save TGAs in the proper format for SWBF2 to use?
Because with my old program I had to save my changes, Open the tga in Microsoft Digital Image Editor 2006 and Re-save. Needless to say that was a pain.

[Darth_Z13]

Uncheck RLE compression when saving in GIMP I believe.

[Penguin]

Some textures load transparent because of the alpha channels.

If you want to edit the texture and keep the alpha channels you will need to use photoshop, if you just need to edit the texture you will need to open the texture in another program that can view it and resave the texture or copy and paste it from the program into the GIMP

[Hebes24]

Three GIMP questions:

1.) When coloring an Image like a skin for BF2, how do you put color on it without destroying the details under it?

2.) If you are using less than 100% opacity, how do you have it not increase the opacity when you overlap your brush strokes?

3.) Any advice on how to keep your mouse steady when painting/drawing? (I have the most unsteady hands. It's one of the main reasons why I suck at Art.)

[Alpha]

Just adding to your thread, Penguin, at: http://www.windowsmoviemakers.net/Forums/Default.aspx there are TONS on plugins for your WMM that allow it to do a lot more than the plain 2.0 does. I can even save in DivX AVI format with my movie maker as well as apply basic "photoshop" effects to it. VirtualDub is also a grea program for modifying individual shots with Filters (like in Photoshop) and it is completely free! http://www.virtualdub.org/ I would still freely admit that Mac Video Editing is far superior, but this might make it a tad easier for everyone.

-Alpha

[Droideka88]

Ok relating to Windows Movie Maker, is there a way to crop the movie or add "black blocks" on parts you don't want shown?

[Alpha]

Yes. I can create a plug-in for you tomorrow that will add wide screen bars to cover up the fraps or game cam water marks. I'll see what I can do.

EDIT: Here you go. Save the following as an .xml file titled widescreen.xml and put it in your ../Movie Maker/Shared/AddonTFX folder

Code: Select all

<TransitionsAndEffects Version="1.0"> 
<Titles> 
<TitleDLL guid="{353359C1-39E1-491b-9951-464FD8AB071C}"> 
<Title name="WIDESCREEN" iconid="13" 
comment="Border image for medium size center PIP"> 
<Param name="InternalName" value="TitleStandard"/> 
<Param name="Description" value="Overlay generic image"/> 
<Param name="EntranceEffect" value="EffectFade"/> 
<Param name="EntranceDuration" value="1.0"/> 
<Param name="ExitEffect" value="EffectFade"/> 
<Param name="ExitDuration" value="1.0"/> 
<Param name="MainEffect" value="Effectnone"/> 
<Param name="IsOneLine" value="true"/> 
<Param name="LogoBitmapFilename" value="widescreen.png"/> 
<Param name="LogoRect" value="0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0"/> 
<Paragraph> 
<Param name="EntranceEffect" value="EffectNone"/> 
<Param name="Text" value=" "/> 
<Param name="BoundingRect" value="0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0"/> 
</Paragraph> 
</Title> 
</TitleDLL> 
</Titles> 
</TransitionsAndEffects> 

and place this image in your ../Movie Maker/Shared folder:

Make sure it is saved as "widescreen.png"

Tell me if it works.

[VF501]

Editing Skins in GIMP2- To modify skins with an Alpha Channel go to top menu and select the following

Tools>Color Tools>Level

Click that and look for a drop down labeled Channel at the top that has VRGBA> Values,Red,Green,Blue,Alpha. Select Alpha. Then go to the bar labeled output and move the black arrow all the way to the right.

Once you're done editing the skin- go back to the Color tools, choose alpha again and hit the reset button to put the alpha channel back.

When coloring skins, to do so with out destroying detail in GIMP, use Airbrush, the appropriate sized brush for the area, then use a mix of Grain Merge, Color, Value, Hard Light, Soft Light and Staturation settings to achieve the look you want. Undo is your best friend here if you mess up.

To not have overlap problems, use the airbrush and do not use the normal setting for the brush. The regular brush acts like areal life one in that if you go over again and again in normal mode it darkens.

The airbrush in normal and color settings should not be held over one area for too long.

The regular brush, in the color setting is good for consistant colors- just don't let go of the mouse button, hold it the entire time you color.

[Caleb1117]

Long time no post.

I would like someone to teach me how to add a transparency layer to an image for making avatars, smilies etc.

In my attempts with Photofiltre (only program I know how to do it in) I usually get this kind of thing:

Loose pixels.

So if someone could teach me how to add a transparency layer in GIMP and or Paint.net to an image like this for example:


Or how I could make the background behind kirk transparent.

So it's just him

That would be loverly

[Karnage]

Well the way I always develop renders in Gimp is by using paths. Or if the background is a single color, I just use "Color to Alpha..."

And...voila!

[Hebes24]

How do you use paths? I don't know how they work.

[Karnage]

Here's a good tutorial on how to use paths: Cutting Out Renders Using the Paths Tool

[Nova Hawk]

I just used the path thing but I dunno how to match it with this background, the background just turns white. I'm using my current pic right now.

Can someone take my pic and just make it so it matches the GT background or tell me how to finish the thing? Thanks.

[Caleb1117]

I just used the path thing but I dunno how to match it with this background, the background just turns white. I'm using my current pic right now.

Can someone take my pic and just make it so it matches the GT background or tell me how to finish the thing? Thanks.

Well once the background is white, you need to select it, add an alpha channel, and erase the white. Don't forget to save as a PNG.

[Nova Hawk]

How do I add the alpha channel? I go to layer/transperency/ then add alpha channel. But then what?

[Caleb1117]

Select the white background with the magic wand tool. (Presuming you removed the original background with paths again.)
Then choose a big brush and erase. The white should be replaced with a gray/dark gray checkerboard, that's the transparency