Shiny armors, Alpha channels, all over again... with GIMP though

[Gavroche]

Yep, I know there are several tutos about this subject, but I've never found any that would explain how to proceed with GIMP.

 

So I'd like to know: How to make *parts* of armor shine in-game? I think I got the principle: A .txi named after the .tga with "envmaptexture CM_Baremetal" inside, and black marks in the texture's alpha channels to make the game understand that these parts must be shown shiny.

 

The problem is, I have no idea about how to make this alpha channel, or how to edit it properly (again, with GIMP). It seems, according to the tutos, that it should be present directly after extraction with the KotOR Tool, however there are only the three RGB channels when I check with GIMP.

For example, svösh says here that PMBBL01.tga is a good example of complex alpha channels, but I see no AC in this file when I check the channels with GIMP.

 

I hope someone will be able to explain me all this stuff... Thanks in advance.

[Inyri]

I could never be bothered to figure out gimp properly. I discovered that if I just partially erased the bits I wanted to be shiny that it would work fine in-game.

[Ferc Kast]

Here is a good tutorial concerning Alpha skinning with GIMP.

[Taak Farst]

im glad you found mine informative, sorry it might not of helped as much with no screenies.

[Gavroche]

@Inyri:

\o/ Indeed, this explains much when I think about it. To erase properly with GIMP, one *has* to create an alpha channel (otherwise the bits become whiter as you erase them, instead of becoming transparent).

/me checks something

Erf, silly me, I would have understood that just by checking the WotOR .tga files. Selven's blaster is almost completly erased...

 

@wolverinestabs;Darth Balatro:

Thanks for the link! I didn't know this forum, it seems there are very interesting things there...