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fallen knight
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Joined: 02/17/2004
Location: United States
Posts: 241
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| Posted: 03/01/2005 at 8:32pm | IP Logged
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Hello 
I need anyone to show/tell/talk through on creating shadows and transparents. I've seen some in some of the wonderful maps created here, plus it might help
others also....
thanks...............
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Halebop
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Joined: 06/07/2004
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: 03/01/2005 at 10:30pm | IP Logged
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Thats a huge question Fallen Knight! There are so many techniques and drawing apps that its really impossible to answer.
I've put together a quick tutorial using The Gimp. Most drawing apps have the same or similar functions but you will navigate to them differently (obviously!).
1st start with a blank canvas. Set the image to 200 pixel per inch as 200 pixels is the default 5 feet for Dunjinni.
Draw a shape. I'll draw something that could be a hole in the ground...
In the layers menu you can set opacity. Reduce this (I've set it to 50 here) and the object or layer becomes transparent. This is the basics of shadow building.
Here is the example. Not how the checker pattern that is my "canvas" is now visible through the object. Its now transparent.
We can get a bit trickier though. I might want to make the hole look like it gets deeper towards the center, so it appears in perspective from top down view. I use the magic wand selection tool...
...To identify the edge of the object
Then use the menu Select > Shrink Selection...
Here I've opted to move inside the object by 12 pixels...
Now I want to make it darker within this area. I usually create a layer for everything I do so if i change my mind later I can just remove the offending layer. Don't worry about having too many layers as you can merge them back together later...
I grab the fill tool and will fill in black to create a deeper shadow...
Once I've filled I then change the opacity on this new layer. How much opacity is up to you and trial and error, depending on the look you want to get...
At this point you can keep repeating this process. Here I've made about 8 or 9 layers...
I was happy with how they looked so I [right clicked] in the layer menu and merged them into a single layer
Next I decided I didn't want such definate lines between depth levels so used a blur to reduce the difinition between transition points...
And here it is...
I haven't finished this one yet - I'm not quite happy with my shading but here is an example using colour and texture as well to create what will be a crevice with a clear base that you can place any other dundjinni object/texture under...
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Kepli
Djinni (Admin)
Joined: 01/04/2005
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 16801
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| Posted: 03/01/2005 at 10:49pm | IP Logged
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 Wow Halebop, that's one fine turtorial. I just started using The Gimp and this helps me enormously to create new shadows ... (I used Photoshop before, but the 30 days have expired. Will get it on my birthday though).
Could you also show how to use the Intelligent Scissors? The explantions I've read state that there might be a problem with it. I can select a part of a picture, but cannot select it to copy of cut it ... 
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Halebop
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| Posted: 03/02/2005 at 3:37am | IP Logged
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Sometimes I find the fuzzy logic of the scissors algorithm more effort than they are worth but they can be useful. Here is an example that shows how they work and one of their limitations...
Select the scissors tool and click around the border of the area you want to select. The algorithm will follow the logical border of the image by shade and colour. You must completely enclose the area selected so you should meet back at your starting point...
Note in the image above the limitation of this logic. When my "cut" line went through the shadowed area the logic gave up and just cut a straight line because there was no obvious border to follow. There has been some debate about this by gimp developers as there are alternatives but this was deemed a resource light compromise.
Once you have selected the Scissor area, then click once (and once only!) inside this area. When you do this the scissors selection border will change to a standard select border. The red dot indicates wear I clicked to achieve this...
Now that the area is selected, you can Cut or Copy this area. In my example I used the [CTRL]X hot key to cut...
This is the basics of scissors!
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Kepli
Djinni (Admin)
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| Posted: 03/02/2005 at 3:44am | IP Logged
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%$$%#$#$#, just one extra click <sigh>.
Thank you very much Halebop. 
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Halebop
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Actually my example is a bit broken I just noticed I must have moved the selection or the background image before cutting - the cut is in a differnt location to the original selection. Never mind. That's what you get for making 3 images in about 2 minutes. I used to do a lot of documentation so have got accustomed to capturing images and pasting very quickly. Perhaps a bit to quick this time!
The basic premise of what I said still holds though. My example is just not perfect.
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Kepli
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| Posted: 03/02/2005 at 3:54am | IP Logged
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Halebop wrote:
| I used to do a lot of documentation so have got accustomed to capturing images and pasting very quickly. |
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So have I It's a small world afterall (OH MY GOD, WHAT DID THAT COME FROM  )
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fallen knight
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| Posted: 03/02/2005 at 9:16pm | IP Logged
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ThanksHalebopandKepli I'll try it as soon as I find the time...
1 more question: The Gimp....When I get to it..What do I type in to find what I'm looking for...When I look for it, I get al sorts of different subjects to choose from but can't seem to get what I want...Thanks for the help......
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Halebop
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| Posted: 03/02/2005 at 9:21pm | IP Logged
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www.gimp.org
Assuming you are using Windows just click on the "Gimp For Windows" link on the left side panel.
The mind boggles at what "alternatives" you might have been seeing! 
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fallen knight
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| Posted: 03/02/2005 at 9:55pm | IP Logged
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Thanks...I'll let you know how it turns out...
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Dundjinni Mapping Software - Forums : Questions
Topic: Help--shadows and transparents
