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How do I make transmaps in GIMP?

SteveM17SteveM17 Posts: 987
in New Users

Basically what I want to do is make transmaps of figures I've rendered without a background, so I can put them on primative planes and use them in pictures rather than use figures. Here's an example from a freebie I found. (I would probably be using GIMP for this)

 

Amazon1-1.jpg
560 x 560 - 27K
Amazon1-1T.jpg
560 x 560 - 17K

Comments

  • nonesuch00nonesuch00 Posts: 18,333
    edited February 2016

    Make sure pitch black doesn't occur in your figure and use it for your background color and then select the background in Gimp to be transparent. In GIMP there is a Opacity % slider in the Layers - Brushes control panel or probably you want as better for your scenario: Toolbox -> Select by Color (pitch black - it's either 0 0 0 or 255 255 255 I always forget which) and then do Layer -> Transparency -> Add Alpha to Selection

    I've never investrigate whether you can tell DAZ to render the scene over a transparent background color. Maybe it can. You should open a ticket with support and ask them. It would be useful for animating 2D sprites.

    Post edited by nonesuch00 on
  • 3WC3WC Posts: 1,114

    It would be easy if you render the figure with a transparent background.  In Gimp just use the select tool with sensitivity turned all the way up to 255, uncheck "Select Transparency", and flood fill with white, select inverse and flood-fill with black, and you've basically got what is in the picture on the right.

  • jestmartjestmart Posts: 4,449

    Just save your renders either as .tif or .png, both formats are lossless and have alpha channels.

  • SteveM17SteveM17 Posts: 987
    wwes said:

    It would be easy if you render the figure with a transparent background.  In Gimp just use the select tool with sensitivity turned all the way up to 255, uncheck "Select Transparency", and flood fill with white, select inverse and flood-fill with black, and you've basically got what is in the picture on the right.

    I have my figure with no background loaded into gimp (behind him is a pattern of grey squares indicating no background, right?), then I've gone to select>all, but after that I'm lost as to the sensitivity, transparency and flood fill parts of the instructions.

  • 3WC3WC Posts: 1,114

    Here are some screen caps.  Use the Select by color tool, click anywhere in your image with the slider set up to 255.  That will select all colors that aren't transparent, if that box is not checked.

    Then with fill tool just fill everything.

     

    Select.jpg
    376 x 494 - 48K
    Fill.jpg
    288 x 664 - 59K
  • mjc1016mjc1016 Posts: 15,001

    Much easier...render to PNG with no background.

    In Gimp... Layer > Add Layer Mask >Transfer Layer's Alpha

    Then Layer > Show Layer Mask

    Then Layer > New Layer from Visible...\

    Save that layer as your mask.

  • SteveM17SteveM17 Posts: 987
    mjc1016 said:

    Much easier...render to PNG with no background.

    In Gimp... Layer > Add Layer Mask >Transfer Layer's Alpha

    Then Layer > Show Layer Mask

    Then Layer > New Layer from Visible...\

    Save that layer as your mask.

    That worked a charm, and so quick and easy! This will come in very handy! Cheers MJC (and the other guys for their suggestions), much appreciated.

  • mjc1016mjc1016 Posts: 15,001

    Layer masks are often an overlooked feature...but are very useful.  More often than not, you only see them used in various add-ons.

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