TextureMap + DiffuseColor in GIMP? ANSWERED!
KickAir 8P
Posts: 1,865
Slightly weird question, but: does anybody know how can I replicate in GIMP (or Photoshop) the DAZStudio effect of adding the RGB numbers of a given color in the diffuse control over an applied texture map? (I don't have Photoshop, but I can probably work with the directions.) I'm looking for something that gives the exact same results, not a "fiddle with these sliders till it looks right" method.
Answered! :coolsmile:
Post edited by KickAir 8P on
Comments
dumb answer removed
If I understand you, what you basically want to do is open a copy of the texturemap, desaturate it (turn it to greyscale basically) Add a layer over top of the one containing the texture, fill the layer with the color desired and use a 'blend mode' Different blend modes give different results so try the various ones and see what gives you the effect you want. Also, adjusting the opacity will also give different results and allow you to fine tune the effect. Blend Modes and Opacity are options in the Layers Palette in Photoshop, I forget where exactly in Gimp.
The picture doesn't have to be turned to greyscale if you are simply trying to adjust the image rather then match exactly a specific tone as mentioned, so play with partial/no desaturation also to see the difference. There are other more advanced methods that produce an unbelievable number of effects, but this is where one would want to start.
If you are only trying to recolor certain parts of a texture map, it requires creating selections and masks in the layers panel. With this, one can also use different toning on different areas of the image. It does require learning how to use selections and masks efficiently in the graphics package you are using.
Edit: on re-reading I overcomplicated this. Import a copy of the texture map, create a layer, fill with color, change blending and opacity as needed... no desaturation or anything else required.
2nd Edit: just realized something else however. In DS, the diffuse change is limited to the part of the texture map that particular surface area addresses. The full texture map covers this and other surfaces. To avoid recoloring areas that you don't want recolored, using selections and masks in the channel with the rgb fill is probably going to be required.
Hugs Wendy, taking the time to help is always a good thing, never dumb :)
It does, but that part I've got a lot of practice with. I just got frustrated that a 2D thing that's so intuitively easy in DAZStudio wasn't something I could figure out in GIMP (not that I'm a GIMP expert by any means).
.
In GIMP there is a much easier way...
Load your texture...then under Colors look for Colorify. Select that and it will open a dialog box to allow you to choose the color. If you choose Custom color you can enter RGB or HTML color codes (plus there's a color picker that you can use to grab a color that you don't know the code for).
Or just play with the Hue-Saturation sliders (not as accurate for get a specific color).
There's a Channel Mixer plugin that is useful for playing with recolorizing. It should be under Colors > Components.
Of course the layer of a solid color with reduced opacity (25% or lower) and Overlay blend mode works very well.
The layer (blend) mode I'm most familiar with is Overlay (actually, that's the only layer mode I'm familiar with :red: ), but trying with that didn't work the way I though it would. I guess I was hoping I'd just used the wrong mode and somebody could recommend the right one. I'll work with it some more this weekend, see what I can come up with.
And the answer is: Multiply! GIMP's Layer Mode Multiply is what I was looking for -- just did several test renders and it works perfectly.
Works like this:
:exclaim: Open the texture map in GIMP.
:exclaim: In the Layers pane create a new white layer (it should pop up on top of the texture, turning everything white).
:exclaim: From the Tools pane change the Foreground Color to the same Red-Green-Blue numbers you used as the Diffuse Color in DAZStudio.
:exclaim: Use the Bucket Fill tool to change the entire white layer to that color.
:exclaim: In the Layers pane select your colored layer, then change the Layer Mode (it's above the Opacity bar, near the top) to Multiply.
:exclaim: Export as a jpg (if that's what it was before) and you'll have a new texture map with that exact Diffuse Color baked in!
Thanks Gedd, appreciate your help!
Yes, multiply is the default standby layer mode in graphics editing. All of the layer modes have something to offer however so it pays to try them out regularly and become familiar with them. It's also a good idea to take notes on what other people use different layer modes for. Overlay is another blend mode I see used often. Some give some pretty drastic results and are best used for niche situations while others like Multiply and Overlay are somewhat standbys. Another thing, in the drop down menu (both Photoshop and Gimp) layers are broken up in groups that somewhat define what they are used for so this helps in learning the different modes (I'm still learning them also.)
As mjc mentioned, there are other ways of doing the same thing that might actually work better in a given situation, but I have found that learning layers, layer masking, and the associated blend modes is a good starting point for most people as it gives a framework to learn a lot of the core functions one can do in a 'digital darkroom.'
A side note, the other two things I think are core are understanding the image catalog one is using (like bridge in photoshop) and if doing photography, understanding Camera Raw.
Glad it worked for you :)