Alpha Channel - Photoshop tutorial
Posted: 23-12-2003 23:55
Alpha Channel.
Paint your radar as normal. Make sure you color/paint the out side area of your radar all one color.
When done painting:
1.) Select the magic wand tool [left side tool bar - 2nd down on the right] and click the outside area of your map. (dashed lines should be at the edges of the picture and around the usable part of your radar.) Use the select menu > inverse [top menu - just under the adobe photoshop name]. Now your usable radar area should be surrounded by moving dashed lines and that's it.
2.) At the bottom of the layers/channels/path/ box [lower right side] is a selection for create new channel. Hit it. In that same box click the alpha channel (this switches from the RGB to the alpha channel). The dashed lines should be on solid black background of the alpha channel.
3.) Now select your paint bucket tool [left side tool bar- 6 down on the right]. Pick a gray color from the swatches box [upper right]. I suggest 25%. Click in the middle of the dashed lines. You now have an alpha channel. The black part won't be visible and the gray will be translucent to the degree of the gray color.
4.) One more thing to clean up the edges. (this is for what you'll see ingame.) You want your alpha channel gray one unit short of the edge of your border [see bottom picture]. Use the magic wand tool to select the outside black portion of your radar. (dashed line should be at the edges of the picture and around the gray/black change).
5.) Select the paint bucket tool. Select the color black off the swatches. Click on the black portions of your radar. Keep clicking until the black has spread one unit in from the dashed lines and is solid black. (each click should darken the black/gray edge just inside the dashed line.
6.) When you can use the magic wand tool to select the only the gray part your done.
7.) Import into unrealed (deselect midmaps and select alpha channel) and use that texture for the radar as is.
Paint your radar as normal. Make sure you color/paint the out side area of your radar all one color.
When done painting:
1.) Select the magic wand tool [left side tool bar - 2nd down on the right] and click the outside area of your map. (dashed lines should be at the edges of the picture and around the usable part of your radar.) Use the select menu > inverse [top menu - just under the adobe photoshop name]. Now your usable radar area should be surrounded by moving dashed lines and that's it.
2.) At the bottom of the layers/channels/path/ box [lower right side] is a selection for create new channel. Hit it. In that same box click the alpha channel (this switches from the RGB to the alpha channel). The dashed lines should be on solid black background of the alpha channel.
3.) Now select your paint bucket tool [left side tool bar- 6 down on the right]. Pick a gray color from the swatches box [upper right]. I suggest 25%. Click in the middle of the dashed lines. You now have an alpha channel. The black part won't be visible and the gray will be translucent to the degree of the gray color.
4.) One more thing to clean up the edges. (this is for what you'll see ingame.) You want your alpha channel gray one unit short of the edge of your border [see bottom picture]. Use the magic wand tool to select the outside black portion of your radar. (dashed line should be at the edges of the picture and around the gray/black change).
5.) Select the paint bucket tool. Select the color black off the swatches. Click on the black portions of your radar. Keep clicking until the black has spread one unit in from the dashed lines and is solid black. (each click should darken the black/gray edge just inside the dashed line.
6.) When you can use the magic wand tool to select the only the gray part your done.
7.) Import into unrealed (deselect midmaps and select alpha channel) and use that texture for the radar as is.