WolfoftheNyght
1st Aug 2010, 04:36 PM
Greetings everyone!
This will explain the basic way to make a color tattoo using CmarNYC's Tattooinator, Paintshop Pro, and Gimp.
Tattooinator:http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=410592
Gimp: http://www.gimp.org/
GIMP DDS plugin you'll need: http://registry.gimp.org/node/70
1) Create a new image in Paintshop Pro (just called PsP from here out) that is 512 x 512 and 100 resolution.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/NewImage.jpg
2) Create five layers, and draw the item you wish to color in on the top most layer. The layers will work as the following:
The first, top most layer is the black outline.
The second layer just below that, it for red color.
The third is for blue color.
The fourth is for green color.
The fifth is for the white (eventually black) background.
If for some reason your layer palette is not showing, you can click the button highlighted here:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/LayerPalette.jpg
An image with the layers created (Feel free to name these if it helps to keep them straight):
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/Outline.jpg
3) Go to the bottom layer, and fill that with white. This will be our background layer.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/LayerWhiteFill.jpg
4) To make the mask for this image for later use make sure that top outline layer is selected, and blur the black outline like so (Image > Blur > Blur More):
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/MaskMakingPt1.jpg
5) With the black outline blurred, and the white background showing, its time to make a separate image we will use for the mask later. Go to Edit > Copy Merged. This will make a copy of the layered image as a flat image.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/MaskMakingPt3CopyMerged.jpg
6) Paste the copied file as a new image, and your resulting image should look something like this. It looks very blurred now, but when the game automatically sizes it down, you will be thankful we blurred it so much to begin with:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/MaskMakingPt2Result.jpg
7) With the new, single layer image selected, go to Colors > Invert Image. This will make black white, and white black. Now you are all set with that black and white image for right now. Just hold onto it for later. You can save it, or just move it to the side.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/MaskMakingPt4NegativeImage.jpg
Next step is to go back to the original layered image we created, and start deciding how to fill in the color.
Remember we made a layer for each color? Well, this is where they will come in handy. At this point, you can color the layers however, using a different color on each of the layers- this will make it both easy to fix mistakes, and recolor a part of the image if you don't like it.
Ways you could color this:
8) Highlight the layer you want to paint on (in this case my blue layer),
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/ColorChannelsPt2Blue.jpg
9) Grab the Lasso tool, and set it to point to point, in the following fashion:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/ColorChannelsPt1.jpg
10) Use it to select the general area you want to color. Don't forget! The black outline layer is above these others, so feel free to go inside the line a little. As a matter of fact, you should to ensure the color is even at the black edges later:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/ColorChannelsPt2Blue.jpg
11) Once you have the area selected, grab your paint bucket, and just fill!
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/ColorChannelsPt3ColorOption1.jpg
11a) You could also do a two tone gradient:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/ColorChannelsPt3ColorOption2.jpg
11b) Or a three tone!:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/ColorChannelsPt3ColorOption4.jpg
**Intermission: If you want to know more about the gradient tool in PsP let me know. I'm going under the assumption that if you have the program, you know how to generally use it. If you don't, feel free to ask! I'll show you how you can set gradients, and change patterns, etc.**
So! I like the last one. It's got a wild and crazy look for a boring arrow. I'm going to go with that one.
12) At this point, once you get it colored just the way you want, it would be an -excellent- time to save the image. To make this easier on you later, I suggest you save the image as a .PSD (Photoshop) file. Gimp loves PSD files.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/SaveAs.jpg
So! We now have two images. The colored image with the five layers, and the black and white inverted mask with the single layer.
13) Go to the bottom most layer of your colored image, and just use the paint bucket to fill the white with black.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/FinishingPt1.jpg
14) Now we're ready to make this a single layer. Go to Layer > Merge > Merge Visible
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/FinishingPt2.jpg
14a) Your image layers palette should now look like this:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/FinishingPt3LayersMerged.jpg
Once we've done that, we can apply that black and white image as the mask.
15) Make sure your colored image is selected, then go to Mask > New> From Image The following dialogue will pop up:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/FinishingPt4AddMask2.jpg
16) Click the drop down, and select the black and white image we created before. Use the same settings in the picture above, and click 'Ok'. You image should now look something like this:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/FinishingPt4AddMask3Result.jpg
And your layer palette will look like this:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/MaskFinishedLayerPaletteDisplay.jpg
17) Next, we need to save this new mask to the alpha channel. Go to Masks > Save To Alpha Channel. The following will pop up:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/SavingMask.jpg
18) Select the new channel and press 'Ok', then another dialogue:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/SavingMask2.jpg
19) Just click 'Ok'.
Save the image.
20) At this point now, the image is ready to be opened in GIMP for the final conversion to a .DDS file. Go ahead and open up GIMP and open the .PSD file you saved your image as. It should look something like this when you've opened it in GIMP:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/GimpLayerChannels.jpg
Notice on the layer palette there is an 'Alpha' channel, and a 'Selection #0'. Do not touch either!! It's strange, and I can't explain it, but this is the way that GIMP interprets how PSP does alpha channels.
21) The 'Save As' prompt in GIMP really hates me with a passion, so I'm gonna just post this:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/GimpSaveAs.jpg
22) Select .DDS from the filetype list. I don't know if it's a bug or not, but unless in the name field of Gimp I actually type in 'nameoffile.dds' it will attempt to save it as it's default GIMP format. Just giving you a heads up in case it gives you problems too.
23) GIMP will complain and tell you that the image has too many layers. That's fine, just click 'Export' and GIMP will automatically fix it to how it needs to be to make it work:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/GimpComplain.jpg
24) Once it exports it will ask you for file format specifications. You can choose whatever compression you want (thought DXT5 seems to be best); I chose 'None' for mine because choosing a compression with a gradient seems to really reduce the color depth and kill the blending ability.
24a) Make sure Generate Minmaps is NOT checked! Then click ok:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/GimpDDSCompression.jpg
25) It's all set to be imported into Tattooinator! Open up the program, and fill in the following:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/Tattooinator.jpg
And here is a preview of it!:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/TattooinatorPreview.jpg
26) Save the tattoo as a package, copy and paste it into your Mods folder, and load it up in game!
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/FinalTattoo.jpg
Good luck guys! Feel free to leave questions, comments or concerns :D
You can find CmarNYS's tutorial for Gimp here: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=411332
There are tons of great comments and questions, so if you can't get something to work right, be sure to take a look!
This will explain the basic way to make a color tattoo using CmarNYC's Tattooinator, Paintshop Pro, and Gimp.
Tattooinator:http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=410592
Gimp: http://www.gimp.org/
GIMP DDS plugin you'll need: http://registry.gimp.org/node/70
1) Create a new image in Paintshop Pro (just called PsP from here out) that is 512 x 512 and 100 resolution.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/NewImage.jpg
2) Create five layers, and draw the item you wish to color in on the top most layer. The layers will work as the following:
The first, top most layer is the black outline.
The second layer just below that, it for red color.
The third is for blue color.
The fourth is for green color.
The fifth is for the white (eventually black) background.
If for some reason your layer palette is not showing, you can click the button highlighted here:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/LayerPalette.jpg
An image with the layers created (Feel free to name these if it helps to keep them straight):
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/Outline.jpg
3) Go to the bottom layer, and fill that with white. This will be our background layer.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/LayerWhiteFill.jpg
4) To make the mask for this image for later use make sure that top outline layer is selected, and blur the black outline like so (Image > Blur > Blur More):
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/MaskMakingPt1.jpg
5) With the black outline blurred, and the white background showing, its time to make a separate image we will use for the mask later. Go to Edit > Copy Merged. This will make a copy of the layered image as a flat image.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/MaskMakingPt3CopyMerged.jpg
6) Paste the copied file as a new image, and your resulting image should look something like this. It looks very blurred now, but when the game automatically sizes it down, you will be thankful we blurred it so much to begin with:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/MaskMakingPt2Result.jpg
7) With the new, single layer image selected, go to Colors > Invert Image. This will make black white, and white black. Now you are all set with that black and white image for right now. Just hold onto it for later. You can save it, or just move it to the side.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/MaskMakingPt4NegativeImage.jpg
Next step is to go back to the original layered image we created, and start deciding how to fill in the color.
Remember we made a layer for each color? Well, this is where they will come in handy. At this point, you can color the layers however, using a different color on each of the layers- this will make it both easy to fix mistakes, and recolor a part of the image if you don't like it.
Ways you could color this:
8) Highlight the layer you want to paint on (in this case my blue layer),
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/ColorChannelsPt2Blue.jpg
9) Grab the Lasso tool, and set it to point to point, in the following fashion:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/ColorChannelsPt1.jpg
10) Use it to select the general area you want to color. Don't forget! The black outline layer is above these others, so feel free to go inside the line a little. As a matter of fact, you should to ensure the color is even at the black edges later:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/ColorChannelsPt2Blue.jpg
11) Once you have the area selected, grab your paint bucket, and just fill!
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/ColorChannelsPt3ColorOption1.jpg
11a) You could also do a two tone gradient:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/ColorChannelsPt3ColorOption2.jpg
11b) Or a three tone!:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/ColorChannelsPt3ColorOption4.jpg
**Intermission: If you want to know more about the gradient tool in PsP let me know. I'm going under the assumption that if you have the program, you know how to generally use it. If you don't, feel free to ask! I'll show you how you can set gradients, and change patterns, etc.**
So! I like the last one. It's got a wild and crazy look for a boring arrow. I'm going to go with that one.
12) At this point, once you get it colored just the way you want, it would be an -excellent- time to save the image. To make this easier on you later, I suggest you save the image as a .PSD (Photoshop) file. Gimp loves PSD files.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/SaveAs.jpg
So! We now have two images. The colored image with the five layers, and the black and white inverted mask with the single layer.
13) Go to the bottom most layer of your colored image, and just use the paint bucket to fill the white with black.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/FinishingPt1.jpg
14) Now we're ready to make this a single layer. Go to Layer > Merge > Merge Visible
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/FinishingPt2.jpg
14a) Your image layers palette should now look like this:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/FinishingPt3LayersMerged.jpg
Once we've done that, we can apply that black and white image as the mask.
15) Make sure your colored image is selected, then go to Mask > New> From Image The following dialogue will pop up:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/FinishingPt4AddMask2.jpg
16) Click the drop down, and select the black and white image we created before. Use the same settings in the picture above, and click 'Ok'. You image should now look something like this:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/FinishingPt4AddMask3Result.jpg
And your layer palette will look like this:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/MaskFinishedLayerPaletteDisplay.jpg
17) Next, we need to save this new mask to the alpha channel. Go to Masks > Save To Alpha Channel. The following will pop up:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/SavingMask.jpg
18) Select the new channel and press 'Ok', then another dialogue:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/SavingMask2.jpg
19) Just click 'Ok'.
Save the image.
20) At this point now, the image is ready to be opened in GIMP for the final conversion to a .DDS file. Go ahead and open up GIMP and open the .PSD file you saved your image as. It should look something like this when you've opened it in GIMP:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/GimpLayerChannels.jpg
Notice on the layer palette there is an 'Alpha' channel, and a 'Selection #0'. Do not touch either!! It's strange, and I can't explain it, but this is the way that GIMP interprets how PSP does alpha channels.
21) The 'Save As' prompt in GIMP really hates me with a passion, so I'm gonna just post this:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/GimpSaveAs.jpg
22) Select .DDS from the filetype list. I don't know if it's a bug or not, but unless in the name field of Gimp I actually type in 'nameoffile.dds' it will attempt to save it as it's default GIMP format. Just giving you a heads up in case it gives you problems too.
23) GIMP will complain and tell you that the image has too many layers. That's fine, just click 'Export' and GIMP will automatically fix it to how it needs to be to make it work:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/GimpComplain.jpg
24) Once it exports it will ask you for file format specifications. You can choose whatever compression you want (thought DXT5 seems to be best); I chose 'None' for mine because choosing a compression with a gradient seems to really reduce the color depth and kill the blending ability.
24a) Make sure Generate Minmaps is NOT checked! Then click ok:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/GimpDDSCompression.jpg
25) It's all set to be imported into Tattooinator! Open up the program, and fill in the following:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/Tattooinator.jpg
And here is a preview of it!:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/TattooinatorPreview.jpg
26) Save the tattoo as a package, copy and paste it into your Mods folder, and load it up in game!
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a128/Alexial_MS/PSPTattooTutorial/FinalTattoo.jpg
Good luck guys! Feel free to leave questions, comments or concerns :D
You can find CmarNYS's tutorial for Gimp here: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=411332
There are tons of great comments and questions, so if you can't get something to work right, be sure to take a look!