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September 17th, 2007

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kenposan
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transparent canopies

How are you all changing the opacity of canopies to show the interior? Can you do that in Paint or are you using a different program?

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The Universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice.

2/6/2006, 3:20 pm

Lucas P
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Re: transparent canopies

I am doing the shading in paint (VERY time consuming) and then overlaying the canopy on the interior.....in photoshop.

regards,
Lucas

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Only 2 things are infinite; The Universe, and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein

2/6/2006, 5:54 pm

Uncle Servo

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Re: transparent canopies

That's what I'm doing as well. I'm putting the canopies all together in their own layer and setting it to 50% opacity.

EDIT: Lucas has also suggested I set the canopy layer to 100% opacity and put it in 'overlay' mode. I would suggest using this technique as it's given the canopy and what's underneath it more visual 'pop.'

Last edited by Uncle Servo, 2/11/2006, 8:10 am

2/6/2006, 8:22 pm

The VOID
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Re: transparent canopies

I use Photoshop and I work in multiple layers. The canopy struts are on the top level, the rest of the ship on the background level and everything thats between and thus under the glass between those levels. Then I just adjust the middle layer to 50% visibility, or take the eraser tool at 50% strength and thin it out manually.

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"The sand people are easily startled, but they will soon be back, and in greater numbers." — Obi-Wan Kenobi

3/7/2006, 9:48 am

Uncle Servo

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Re: transparent canopies

That's the wonderful thing about PhotoShop... there is usually more than one way to achieve the same end. emoticon

3/13/2006, 8:46 am

The VOID
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Re: transparent canopies

Yes, thats true. And I have found yet another way, that I employ from now on.

My teachers always told me to use non-destructive methods whenever possible, so thats what I am doing now. Every piece of furniture now has its own layer, all stuff inside one room is grouped as a folder with the name of that room and the roomfolders are colorcoded for decks or sections of the ship. For transparency I now use layer masks, because if I change something with the furniture, I don't loose anything.

It is more work in the first run, but it saves time as soon as you start changing things and it makes it easier to recycle things.

---
"The sand people are easily startled, but they will soon be back, and in greater numbers." — Obi-Wan Kenobi

3/13/2006, 11:16 am

Lucas P
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Re: transparent canopies

Indeed Void. That is excellent advice.

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Only 2 things are infinite; The Universe, and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein

3/13/2006, 11:35 am

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