Help Semi Trnsparent/See-through Objects

[benuu90]

Can someone please help me with semi transparent objects/textures ? I know that it has to do with GIMP and Nifskope, but I am a complete beginner with those. I do NOT want transparent objects ,but see-through ones....I need to modify some panties some sxtoys-you know why

Like these, for example http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/53864/?#

 

Any help will be appreciated

 

Thanks In advance

 

PS:I hope i Started the topic in the right place

[Guest]

Hello. Actually it is pretty easy to do.

Of course only if you are manipulating existing NIFs (the meshes) and existing textures (the DDS files.)

 

Open the NIF in NifSkope, make sure in its settings the path where to look for textures is correctly specified (so your preview of the mesh has the textures on it.)

 

Then if it is missing, you need to add a property node to the main node you want to make semi-transparent.

 

If a node below called NiAlphaProperty is missing, then do a right click on the main TriShape node (Skirt in my example) and select Node->Attach Property. And select as type of the property NiAlphaProperty.

Now edit this node, and set: Flags to 4845 9other values are possible but those always do the trick.) Threshold to 16.

 

 

Now open the DDS of the texture with GIMP (if you don't know what it is, just expand the node BSShaderTexturesSet and then expand Textures. The first one is the one.

 

Go in the layer and remove all mip maps, keep only the very top one (max res.)

 

Then enable the editing of the layers, disable editing on R, G, and B. Keep editing on Alpha.

 

 

Make it semi-transparent by using the tools of GIMP (the Eraser, when it is well configured does a good job, but you can use any GIMP tool to do what you want.)

If you want about 50% transparency, keep the alpha at about 40% (I don't know why but it is not 1 to 1.)

 

Export the DDS (you can compress it or not, up to you), and maybe generate mipmaps.

 

NifSkope should show in real time the change.

Continue editing the DDS until you are satisfied.

 

[benuu90]

Thank you

I'll give it a try. I will be back with my succes or faillure

[Guest]

No problem.

 

NifSkope is not hard, and you will find a huge amount of tutorials on internet.

GIMP is great and has two-huge amounts of tutorials on internet.

 

i think I wrote in my previous post more or less all the tricky parts.

 

Feel free to ask again here.

[benuu90]

I got stuck at editing the dds in GiMP. Coul you elaborate how it should be done? I installed GIMP, the dds extension ,i loaded the dds but i dont know wkat I sould be editing. Could you elaborate?

[Guest]

I got stuck at editing the dds in GiMP. Coul you elaborate how it should be done? I installed GIMP, the dds extension ,i loaded the dds but i dont know wkat I sould be editing. Could you elaborate?

 

Yep.

 

So, if you don't know what the texture file is:

 

 

Open the NIF file, search the TriShapeData for your armor/clothes, get the first BSShaderTexturesSet, open it, expand textures, and grab the file name.

 

 

Open the DDS file (you can simply drag in drop in GIMP, or use the Open/Import function)

 

Once the file is loaded, be sure in your GIMP tab list you have two tabs active:

1) Layers

2) Channels

 

Start with Layers, you may see multiple layers (these are the mipmaps), remove all the layers except the first one (the mipmaps will be re-generated later.) You can do this by simply selecting one layer and clicking on Del key on the keyboard. Or you have a right click menu option.

 

Now, be sure the layer is selected.

Go to the Channels tab, and de-select the first three items (Red, Green, and Blue), be sure only the fourth (Alpha) is selected. Keep the eye checked so you can see the color layers, this will help you.

 

Zoom to the section you want to make transparent and apply a tool to reduce the alpha.

For a quick try you can use the Eraser (be sure to double click on it to set it power to about 50%)

 

Stroke a little on the items you want to have transparent (of course this is an art... so be patient)

Then just do a right click -> Export and overwrite the DDS (make sure you have the original somewhere).

 

This should do the trick.

 

Let me know if you need further help.

[benuu90]

 

Zoom to the section you want to make transparent and apply a tool to reduce the alpha.

For a quick try you can use the Eraser (be sure to double click on it to set it power to about 50%)

 

For example if I edit some underwear textures and I want the WHOLE imported texture to be semirtansparent, what should I do ?

[Guest]

 

 

Zoom to the section you want to make transparent and apply a tool to reduce the alpha.

For a quick try you can use the Eraser (be sure to double click on it to set it power to about 50%)

 

For example if I edit some underwear textures and I want the WHOLE imported texture to be semirtansparent, what should I do ?

 

 

I suppose the WHOLE DDS has to be 50% transparent.

in this case do as I told you, open the image, go on Channels, be sure only Alpha is selected.

Then pick a color that has to be a 50% gray (R 128, G, 128, B 128, or #999999), then fill the whole image with this color.

 

That's it.

 

If you need to do this ONLY TO SPECIFIC areas of the DDS, then you have to create a selection to isolate the areas you want to make 50% transparent, and then do the same trick.

[benuu90]

Thanks. I have to reinstall skyrim  and the mods I used , because I get too many crashes....I may have some other questions but are not on topic; Should I ask here?

[Guest]

If you ask here for different topics, people probably will not read your questions and you will not get your answer.

 

Start a new topic with a meaningful title.

 

[msn02]

Can i do it in Photoshop also?

[benuu90]

Can i do it in Photoshop also?

 

Yes I heard you can....If you know to use photoshop, lucky you

If you ask here for different topics, people probably will not read your questions and you will not get your answer.

 

Start a new topic with a meaningful title.

 

I thought so.I will start a now topic.Thanks for helping me .

[msn02]

I faild in use Photoshop to make semi transparent. Therer so many item to choose in PS,

I am using PNG file to make semi transparent, save as web,(PNG-24), but finally failed.

Oh...

[Guest]

I faild in use Photoshop to make semi transparent. Therer so many item to choose in PS,

I am using PNG file to make semi transparent, save as web,(PNG-24), but finally failed.

Oh...

 

Skyrim and the NIF format understand only the DDS format.

PNG will not work.

[benuu90]

How do I have the tools in GIMP in the left side of the screen . Theimage I am supposed to edit is filling the entire work space...Very annoing

[Guest]

How do I have the tools in GIMP in the left side of the screen . Theimage I am supposed to edit is filling the entire work space...Very annoing

 

With GIMP you can organize your "work bench" as you like.

You can drag'n'drop the tools on any side of the main window, or you can also have them detached from the main window.

About the image, you can zoom it using your mouse wheel (or the zoom tool.)

[benuu90]

I have Gimp freshly installed,it is not customized. All the menus are at the top, ( file,edit select view image layer colors tools filters windows help ) Which one should I use for addin semitransparency ? Gimp does not look like it does in your posted image(the last one in your first answer) I have gimp 2.8.14.  If I hit CTRL+L It shows me all layers/mipmaps, i delete all but the first one, and i move the opacity slider to about 50% but notthing happens after I eported it back.No semitranparency I mean

[Guest]

You should not change the opacity slider. This is the whole layer opacity.

You should activate another Tab that is called Channels.

Inside you get 4 channels: Red, Green, Blue, Alpha.

 

Here you can deactivate the RGB channels and work only on the alpha.

 

Be sure you installed the DDS plugin (probably you did.)

 

[benuu90]

I finaly got the channels window  to show up ,I selected the main layer/mipmap ,deselected rgb , selected only alphan selected the eraser from tools and I fooled around on the image, and expored it. I got a zebra-lile object in game( color and transparency)..... Now what should I select to make the image see-through? I feel I am close, but I am stuck here..

EDIT I think I got it .I selected the eraser, and I got tools window up, where I also have an opacity slider....Bu let see how I can make the eraser BIGGER...

[benuu90]

Yep, I got it.... It was Like hard math till here, but I feel like will be like arts from now on.. Thanks for helping me !

[Guest]

You welcome. The quickest way to have the opacity to 50%, is to pick a color that is 50% gray. Then use the Fill tool with this color on the alpha channel. Click, keep it clicked and move the mouse to the right (a lot), this will fill everything with the gray color, that means that the opacity will be 50%.

 

[Vioxsis]

I faild in use Photoshop to make semi transparent. Therer so many item to choose in PS,

I am using PNG file to make semi transparent, save as web,(PNG-24), but finally failed.

Oh...

 

Heress how you do it in PS.

 

First you will need to install the .dds plugin https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop

 

Once done open the diffuse texture (the colour one) in PS

It should look something like this (and not blue or B&W)

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you already have an alpha channel skip this step.

 

If not then in the channels (bottom right) pick the blue one and right click and click duplicate channel

Name the newly duplicated channel 'Alpha 1'

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once done you should now have an alpha channel to work in.

Make sure to have it selected (and the RGB unselected)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The alpha is in B&W so and that is what will represent the transparency

White is completely visible

Black is completely transparent

And anything between is opaque

 

The darker the grey the more opaque, the lighter the less.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once your done save the texture as a .dds and set it to DXT 5 with interpolated alpha

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rest should be ok as default.

 

 

Then all you need to do is add a NiAlphaProperty to the TriShape and set the flag and thresh hold.

[msn02]

 

I faild in use Photoshop to make semi transparent. Therer so many item to choose in PS,

I am using PNG file to make semi transparent, save as web,(PNG-24), but finally failed.

Oh...

 

Heress how you do it in PS.

 

First you will need to install the .dds plugin https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop

 

Once done open the diffuse texture (the colour one) in PS

It should look something like this (and not blue or B&W)

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you already have an alpha channel skip this step.

 

If not then in the channels (bottom right) pick the blue one and right click and click duplicate channel

Name the newly duplicated channel 'Alpha 1'

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once done you should now have an alpha channel to work in.

Make sure to have it selected (and the RGB unselected)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The alpha is in B&W so and that is what will represent the transparency

White is completely visible

Black is completely transparent

And anything between is opaque

 

The darker the grey the more opaque, the lighter the less.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once your done save the texture as a .dds and set it to DXT 5 with interpolated alpha

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rest should be ok as default.

 

 

Then all you need to do is add a NiAlphaProperty to the TriShape and set the flag and thresh hold.

 

 

Thanks for your attention. The explanation is very clear and  with photos, its helpful.

but if the game is using PNG format for texture, What should i do to change it in semi transparent?

 

[Vioxsis]

Thanks for your attention. The explanation is very clear and  with photos, its helpful.

but if the game is using PNG format for texture, What should i do to change it in semi transparent?

What game is using .png for its textures?

 

Well .png can store opacity/transparency in its colour channels (RGB)

 

Just select the eraser and lower the opacity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[msn02]

 

Thanks for your attention. The explanation is very clear and  with photos, its helpful.

but if the game is using PNG format for texture, What should i do to change it in semi transparent?

What game is using .png for its textures?

 

Well .png can store opacity/transparency in its colour channels (RGB)

 

Just select the eraser and lower the opacity.

 

 

For example, i want to make a shoes in a game like this.

so i need a method to make the texture "semi transparent".

 

Firstly, I only found how to make it transparent by using Alpha Channel in PS.

Later, I heard form the web, is using PS and save it to PNG-24, and the texture will become semi transparent.

Finally, I failed in using PNG-24 to make the texture semi transparent.