Alpha channel in TQ textures

[zax]

Hi everyone
I Was changing some TQ female textures, but dont know how to use Alpha in my PS.

This is female texture by Shark:
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/2893/1mf9.jpg
and here same texture opened in Photoshop:
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3381/2yf2.jpg

Looks like PS doesn't see it and Alpha channel is uneditable.
Even if its work when i save it, I cant edit both white places.
Can Someone explain me how to make "my own Alpha channel" usable in retexturing? ( specially in this case )
Thanks in advance.

[MaDMaN]

I use photoshop to make textures and it allows easy editing of the alpha channel, i don't know ps :/

[Leak]

I use photoshop to make textures and it allows easy editing of the alpha channel, i don't know ps :/
Uhhh... unless I really misunderstood zax he *is* talking about Photoshop...

np: Yoko Kanno - Run Rabbit Junk (Ghost In The Shell Stand Alone Complex OST 1)

[MaDMaN]

Oh! hmm i though he was talking about paint shop because photoshop doesn't show the alpha channel white (it shows it red), but!

If its photoshop, then you can access the alpha channel from the layer window, there is a "Channel" tab.

[zax]

First picture is texture in TEXviever, second one is converted from .tex to .tga vieved in Photoshop.
In TEXviever there is possible to look at ALpha channel, but in Photoshop i see only white places ( Alpha which is made in PS is showed as red translucent, not pure white color ).

When i saved exported, opened in PS texture with orginal Alpha ( even if i didnt see it ) then converted to .tex from .tga again, it worked ( in game ).

I think I should make my own Alpha because exported with orginal texture from TEXviever isnt editable in PS.
How to make Alpha channel with specific shape ( white places ) in this textures?

zax

[Max]

I'm a bit confused -- are you saying there's a bug in the TEX viewer with exporting alpha channels?

Max

[zax]

I'm a bit confused -- are you saying there's a bug in the TEX viewer with exporting alpha channels?

Max

I Dont know enough about Alpha, to say TEX viever is bugged, but...

Ill write step by step.
-------------------------
(Shark's texture)
-------------------------
- TEX viever - visible Alpha [viev->Alpha]
- Photoshop - (same texture converted by TEX viever) - no Alpha in "Layer Window" -> "Channels" ( RGB only ). Alpha uneditable?
There is still working 'Alpha' after save unedited, orginal texture (even if invisible in Photoshop)
When i edit place where Alpha should be, there will be "white place" after. (same as pictures above)
-------------------------
(My texture)
-------------------------
- Photoshop - Did Alpha with specific shape ( layer window -> channels -> new, then cut off needless part )

http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/671/3yp4.jpg
(vieved in Photoshop)

Saved as .TGA, converted by IronLore Texture Compiler, (texturecompiler "x/x/x.tga" "x/x/x.tex"
-format dxt5), then opened .tex in TEX viever...
[viev->Alpha]
There are results:
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3474/4sw2.jpg

Suprise ! Where is Alpha?

zax

[MaDMaN]

I Dont know enough about Alpha, to say TEX viever is bugged, but...

Ill write step by step.
-------------------------
(Shark's texture)
-------------------------
- TEX viever - visible Alpha [viev->Alpha]
- Photoshop - (same texture converted by TEX viever) - no Alpha in "Layer Window" -> "Channels" ( RGB only ). Alpha uneditable?


Hmm well, first i think there was a problem if you could not see the alpha texture when you opened the TGA file in Photoshop after exporting it with the TexViewer.

Because i can see the alpha channels of imported textures in Photoshop, right after exporting them, so my guess is, either the original texture did not have a valid alpha channel, or that your version of photoshop is not finding it, althout it should.

Did you try with one of the game's original textures?

[zax]

There *is* Alpha in exported textures but invisible in Photoshop 'channels window'. (shoud be editable red translucent, not uneditable pure white color)

I also did texture (with alpha) then saved it as .PSD, then converted with "IronLore TextureCompiler" to .tex format and everything works perfectly.
Looks like Photoshop doesnt support ALPHA channels in .TGA format (it works with PSD, PICT, BMP, TIFF, DDS etc..)

zax

[YellowLab]

Why not just export everything in .psd format?

I am a little confused because I have exported using the Texture viewer and been able to edit the alpha chanel in photoshop even when it is "black/white" not "red/white."

YL

[MaDMaN]

I don't know why you cannot edit the alpha channel when you use TGA format to export the textures.

Because I always export the TEX files into TGA format, and i can edit the alpha channel immediatly after opening the TGA in Photoshop. So i don't know why you cannot edit the channel in your photoshop, but you should be able to no matter what format u export it in. My guess is your version of photoshop that has a problem with TGA format. But since you got it to work in PSD format, then its cool i guess.