Transparent Build Buttons

[Rifraf]

Yesterday I released a temporary build button pack for the Upgrade Project 2014 over at FO. In it I included general command buttons by Tain_Enabran from his mod released over at FF. I won't post a link as I'm not clear on that rule yet. He made them semi-clear and they look really nice. However, he didn't do the general research buttons for special weapons and I'd like to do that.

Is there a way to make the stock gray/steel looking buttons semi-transparent? I tried doing alpha channels and adding layer masks using GIMP, but I'm not figuring anything out so far that works. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

[CABAL]

Use wormhole blending in the sprite tables to preserve how they come out in game. It preserves the alpha used in the texture while additive blending makes darker pixels more transparent. Other than that, Gimp's 'color to alpha' can be very useful. Usually, when I want to make part of something transparent, I copy the part I want to keep onto another layer, keep the new layer at 100% opacity, and reduce the opacity of the original layer. The lasso tool is the most helpful there, but the magic wand can work, too.

 

[Majestic]

If you were using PS I could show you how to do this, how to match them to FO defaults, however I don't use GIMP never really liked the program much. So unfortunately I can't be of much help.

 

[Rifraf]

Thanks guys, though I still don't get it Cabal? One thing I did try is in the gui_global sprite file for the build buttons in question I changed the @tmaterial=default to @tmaterial=additive for their specific entries and that did make the stock buttons semi transparent. Is that what you were meaning? That will work I just need to find a way to make the buttons themselves different as the symbols are on that ugly light gray background.

@Majestic: I do have mspaint and paint.net on my puter. Are those remotely similar?

 

[Majestic]

Not really Photoshop is a pretty powerful tool and the leader in the field.

 

[CABAL]

Thanks guys, though I still don't get it Cabal? One thing I did try is in the gui_global sprite file for the build buttons in question I changed the @tmaterial=default to @tmaterial=additive for their specific entries and that did make the stock buttons semi transparent. Is that what you were meaning?

Sort of. @tmaterial=additive makes it so that the textures you are referencing in that section have the darker parts made more transparent. Black becomes fully invisible and white is fully opaque. In Gimp, you could mimic it by using Colors -> Color to Alpha... and using black for the color. @tmaterial=wormhole preserves the transparency of the TGA. That allows you to use transparency and dark colors in the same texture rather than one or the other. I suspect exclusively using wormhole blending may also ease GPU load a bit since it's using the texture 'as is' rather than modifying it on the fly. Personally, I don't usually edit the alpha layer directly and instead just move the slider for layer opacity, select and delete with 'feather edges' checked, etc. Before jumping in to editing textures, you may want to load a photo or something in Gimp and play with the various filters, selection tools, layers, and so forth. I don't even use most of them so you may discover a trick that never occurred to me.

 

[Rifraf]

I've never heard of the =wormhole setting. Ya learn something new every day. The stock build buttons don't have any alpha channel or layer mask at all so how can the tga have transparency? I'm sorry I'm dense on this stuff. I also googled and hits also mentioned the slider for layer opacity, but I don't see that anywhere? Am I just over looking it?

Do I have to add an alpha layer before I even begin to edit? The buttons are a light gray so when I used the =additive setting it did make the overall button semi-transparent which was nice, but now I just need to change that light grey color of the button to something more appealing.

 

[CABAL]

The stock build buttons don't have any alpha channel or layer mask at all so how can the tga have transparency? I'm sorry I'm dense on this stuff.

Don't apologize for being new, it took me quite a while to use Gimp for more than what could be done with Microsoft Paint. The alpha channel is a core part of the TGA format. Rather than having three values, red, green, and blue (RGB), each pixel has four values, red, green, blue, and alpha (RGBA). If you select an area and hit the delete key, you will see a grey checkered pattern where it used to be. That is how Gimp represents transparency by default. Any area where you can see the checkered pattern will be transparent when exported as a TGA, no directly manipulating the alpha map necessary.

I also googled and hits also mentioned the slider for layer opacity, but I don't see that anywhere? Am I just over looking it?

It's right at the top of the layer toolbox, which should be on the right by default. Yours probably won't be orange. Your layers toolbox may also be in a separate window.

Do I have to add an alpha layer before I even begin to edit?

Nope, Gimp should create an alpha channel on it's own.

 

[Rifraf]

Oh nice, it's been right in front of my face the whole time. If it was a snake it would have bitten me. Just tried it and see what you are saying now. I'll give it a go. I've been spending this weekend messing around more with GIMP more and playing with all the buttons. I used it to make all the transparent wire frame for the UP mod and I redid all the build buttons excluding 8472 as well.

I really like it, but just couldn't figure out this last bit. I really appreciate the help

 

[Rifraf]

Last nite before bed I tried the opacity slider with the =wormhole setting and it didn't do anything. Once I changed the wording to =interface though it made them semi-transparent again so that seems to work. The value =additive also seems to work the same so that's good. Just need to find a setting that looks good. Thanks for all your help