please help... I'm lost...
Posted: 10 May 2017, 12:06
This is a repost from the tail end of an older post. I figured it would get more exposure as a new post.
Hi. I'm trying myself to take on the daunting task of repainting my newly purchased 182. I am familiar with how layers work and have painted my plane in the "Paint Here" layer that I have renamed to match the tail number ie., "Livery_N7635M"
I have added a couple stickers and my own tail number in their own layers and saving the file as a psd while working on it. When I am ready to save it as a dds file, I merge them down to the single "livery" layer.
Now the fun begins...
Did I mention I am using GIMP? It can save as a dds so I don't need the NV plugin.
Do I leave what is not visible and what is visible as they were when I opened the psd. Do I leave my new layer visible? Do I merge visible layers, thus deleting invisible layers, or do I flatten the image, or both in that order?
And what about the specular file? What do I do with that so that is matches my scheme? I understand what it does I just don't understand how to make it unique to my needs.
Now the unavailing...
I have attempted 4 times now, each experimenting a little with how to get different results. The first two times I ended up with a TOTALLY BLACK model, including wheel chocks and tie downs. The third time I thought I was getting closer with a skin wrap that looked like the entire thing as it appears when the psd file is opened. The fourth was back in black.... REALLY???
Is there a specific order the layers are stacked in, a certain layer selected as active, visible or not?? I'm getting a little overwhelmed but refuse to give up though my wife is getting a little p'd. Says I'm obsessed lol. (nah) With the time it has taken me to paint it I haven't flown the damn thing in over two weeks.
Is there somebody out there that can walk me through this? I'd be forever in your debt lol and I could get back to the real reason I got in this sport in the first place lol!
Blue skies,
Roger
PS... I edit on my laptop, windows 10 and transfer the dds files to my FS machine, Windows 7 with NV graphics card if that matters.
Hi. I'm trying myself to take on the daunting task of repainting my newly purchased 182. I am familiar with how layers work and have painted my plane in the "Paint Here" layer that I have renamed to match the tail number ie., "Livery_N7635M"
I have added a couple stickers and my own tail number in their own layers and saving the file as a psd while working on it. When I am ready to save it as a dds file, I merge them down to the single "livery" layer.
Now the fun begins...
Did I mention I am using GIMP? It can save as a dds so I don't need the NV plugin.
Do I leave what is not visible and what is visible as they were when I opened the psd. Do I leave my new layer visible? Do I merge visible layers, thus deleting invisible layers, or do I flatten the image, or both in that order?
And what about the specular file? What do I do with that so that is matches my scheme? I understand what it does I just don't understand how to make it unique to my needs.
Now the unavailing...
I have attempted 4 times now, each experimenting a little with how to get different results. The first two times I ended up with a TOTALLY BLACK model, including wheel chocks and tie downs. The third time I thought I was getting closer with a skin wrap that looked like the entire thing as it appears when the psd file is opened. The fourth was back in black.... REALLY???
Is there a specific order the layers are stacked in, a certain layer selected as active, visible or not?? I'm getting a little overwhelmed but refuse to give up though my wife is getting a little p'd. Says I'm obsessed lol. (nah) With the time it has taken me to paint it I haven't flown the damn thing in over two weeks.
Is there somebody out there that can walk me through this? I'd be forever in your debt lol and I could get back to the real reason I got in this sport in the first place lol!
Blue skies,
Roger
PS... I edit on my laptop, windows 10 and transfer the dds files to my FS machine, Windows 7 with NV graphics card if that matters.