8 replies to this topic

[Webtroll]

I've downloaded a couple of skins that do not have crash versions, so I thought I'd share my way of knocking out a quick crash texture. It's not elegant but it works for me (and who spends that much time looking at their crashed tanks anyways?). As always make sure you keep backups of your original images. I have used this on downloaded skins I'm using on my own system, but I will not share these are they are not my work. I know other people have different ways of getting the crash effect, but as I indicated in the title this is my quick and dirty way of getting it made. I'm not claiming to have invented this method, so apologies to anyone who may have come up with the same method previously.

1- Open up the original crash .dds file in your image editor (in my case Photoshop 7) and select the whole thing then copy

2- Open your modded skin in your image editor and paste in the copied crash .dds file, move this layer to the top

This next part can vary depending on your choice of image editor; if you are using Gimp please post the way to do the same thing

3- Under the Select menu choose Color Range and click on the darkest part of the layer, move the slider to the halfway point, and click okay

4- Invert the selection (unless you had Inverse checked) and hit delete

4b- If you are using a dark skin use Image, Brightness/Contrast and lower the brightness by about 15 or so to take out the grays, then drop the layer opacity to about 50%

5- Save your crash .dds file, you are done


I've used a solid white level with no transparency of the white layer on this PzIII/IV. I used the method listed above to create both the normal and crash .dds files. I did not cut out the tracks from the front of the tank or the tools in order to show the difference this creates.

[Jiri_Starrider]

Webtroll, on 09 November 2010 - 02:40 AM, said:

I've downloaded a couple of skins that do not have crash versions, so I thought I'd share my way of knocking out a quick crash texture. It's not elegant but it works for me (and who spends that much time looking at their crashed tanks anyways?). As always make sure you keep backups of your original images. I have used this on downloaded skins I'm using on my own system, but I will not share these are they are not my work. I know other people have different ways of getting the crash effect, but as I indicated in the title this is my quick and dirty way of getting it made. I'm not claiming to have invented this method, so apologies to anyone who may have come up with the same method previously.

1- Open up the original crash .dds file in your image editor (in my case Photoshop 7) and select the whole thing then copy

2- Open your modded skin in your image editor and paste in the copied crash .dds file, move this layer to the top

This next part can vary depending on your choice of image editor; if you are using Gimp please post the way to do the same thing

3- Under the Select menu choose Color Range and click on the darkest part of the layer, move the slider to the halfway point, and click okay

4- Invert the selection (unless you had Inverse checked) and hit delete

4b- If you are using a dark skin use Image, Brightness/Contrast and lower the brightness by about 15 or so to take out the grays, then drop the layer opacity to about 50%

5- Save your crash .dds file, you are done


I've used a solid white level with no transparency of the white layer on this PzIII/IV. I used the method listed above to create both the normal and crash .dds files. I did not cut out the tracks from the front of the tank or the tools in order to show the difference this creates.

Cool, have to give that a spin.

What I've been doing is taking the original _crash.dds and washing out the color, by just desaturating the image under [colors], [hue-saturation] (using gimp). Then open the modded file as a layer and set the layer mode to overlay. Flatten, save as, compress and run.

Attached Files

•  IS.jpg   224.41K   20 downloads
•  IS crash.jpg   223.14K   27 downloads

[Webtroll]

It looks good but I'm not sure if I'm following; are you using the original crash .dds file to do that?

[Jiri_Starrider]

Webtroll, on 09 November 2010 - 05:24 AM, said:

It looks good but I'm not sure if I'm following; are you using the original crash .dds file to do that?

Yes, correct. The original crash.dds, and wash it out. This gets rid of the colors (green for russian, etc) and leaves it as greyscale. Then overlay the pretty modded skin. I haven't compared the 2 enough, but I'm sure "overlay" = "normal" at some set% of opacity.

Not an orignial idea of mine, took it from the guide at "Some handy texturing tips - Photoshop and GIMP friendly! For intermediate skinners" .

Also, love the IS skin, want more W40K ones, but, it's not mine. I only hashed up the crash.dds. Didn't want someone to think I'd done the skin, not there yet. It can be found at 4Ridley's .

Edit: Here is another skin I found on 4Ridley's, love it, but I thought the crash.dds was still too clean, so i took the stock one, washed it and overlayed the non crash on it, and tada!

Attached Files

•  T34-85 crash 2.jpg   391.11K   14 downloads
•  T34-85 crash 1.jpg   413.54K   24 downloads
•  T34-85.jpg   394.31K   15 downloads

[amade]

Jiri_Starrider, on 09 November 2010 - 06:43 AM, said:

I haven't compared the 2 enough, but I'm sure "overlay" = "normal" at some set% of opacity.

What overlay does is take whatever that's dark and multiplies it with the lower layer while whatever's light is dodged onto the lower layer.

My method you used is also a quick and dirty way... for better results you should use only the paintjob (not the whole merged texture) and apply it on the crash skin. Of course, this only applies if you made the skin and have the unmerged layers at your disposal. Not much you can do if it's a skin you downloaded so you'll have to use the whole texture.

Also, if possible try to desaturate only the green colour (or whatever original paint) the crash skin had. I included a guide on how to do that in photoshop (Blend if) and GIMP (Colour to Alpha), because it'll be better if you can retain the original colours of rust (having only black will make it look like it's only soot covered, burnt metal gains oxygen which rusts it).

[Daboredgamer]

Meh, I just don't see the necessity to create the crash skin for custom tank skins (unless it is a really detailed WWII skin that people make for historical representation, unlike my custom skins.)  But all the same, very nice tutorial for setting up the crash.dds files and I'll possibly try with some of my newer skins .

+1

[Webtroll]

I like the crash skins; if you have a desert yellow tank that suddently turns dark green or gray when it blows up it tends to mess with the illusion. If you don't care about the illusion then why bother with skins at all?

[Daboredgamer]

Guess it's just preference too though, generally I'm jumping in and out of battles if my tank gets toasted during a match.  Don't get me wrong though, I know it definitely looks better to have a crash skin for the customized skins and keeps the illusion of the battle going even after death.  Just my preference doesn't include a "Hello Kitty" KT up in flames smoldering after getting knocked out   .

[Indivisibizle]

i look at areas that normally have fire/smoke coming out,and i make burn effects, I have a 'winter holiday' jagdpanther coming out soon