Comparing the old to new

[UnkoMan]

Ha! Well not ONE pixel at a time. That'd be crazy. But, depending on slope, you can make a convincing curve with a few well placed straight lines.

If you really wanted, you could use the pen tool to plot out a path, and then have it get traced with a paintbrush at, say, 1 pixel 50% hardness or maybe 100% or whatever, but... I don't like doing that. For one thing I hate the pen tool in photoshop, and for another I find that no matter the hardness or size, paintbrush just doesn't give me that type of line I want. So I stick with my line tool.

Anybody who uses different, feel free to mention it!

Another thing about seams that I've seen used... just some light blurring. That way it looks like the seam is on the inside. Just saying that doesn't explain it fully, and I tend not to bother a lot of the time. I could explain more but I rarely if ever do it, so nevermind. That's for after you are comfortable doing things this way, anyhow.

[Lunarman]

Since you asked Unko, there is another way of doing it :P . Describing it might be hard though, as I've not done it in a while.

It gives an effect like this:


and is done (from what I can remember) by setting up the colour layers as normal. On your coloured layer, so in this case the blue, you go to blending options then outer glow and inner glow.
Set outer glow to: blend mode normal, opacity 100%, noise 0%, colour to one slighty darker than your current colour, technique softer, spread 100%, size 1, range 100%, jitter 0%.

This gives a thin dark line around your colour like that in the photo.

Then go to inner glow and set it up like this: (basically the same) blend mode normal, opacity 100%, noise 0%, colour to one quite a lot lighter than your current colour, technique softer, spread 100%, size 1, range 100%, jitter 0%.

I find this method works very well in giving the effect of a seam/raised edge.

Maybe that will help?

Lunarman

[laughing paradox]

Thank you, guys!

I am going to try both of your methods to see where it takes me and how it works for me. I really appreciate this exchange of information, guys. It's unbelievably helpful!

[laughing paradox]

The rest of the Zodiac and other stuff

[spoiler]
The rest of the Zodiac.


Vostok/Sputnik of the Supreme Soviets. I want to create a Fantasia skin and the rest of the Supreme Soviets that haven't been done before. I decided to create this skin to test out the metallic finish..and because I love the Supreme Soviets, comrade.[/spoiler]

[TaskMasterX]

This is great stuff! I love the classic comic characters! Thanks, LP!

[Outcast]

Nice! The metallic finish looks really good!  ;)

Congratulations! :cool:

[UnkoMan]

Zodiac looks pretty good. I like Taurus a lot. Aries is really sweet too.

Vostok's metal looks very nice, and his black is okay, but I am not digging the red. Too flat. Just use the same thing you did for that belt before to fix it up, then it should be right dandy!

[laughing paradox]

Thanks guys! If anyone has any trouble with any of the files, please contact me to let me know. By the way, the keyframe selection is in text file of the skin folder.

I'll definitely be adding more to the red of Vostok. Good call.

So okay..this is a WIP. I'm going to labor over this skin until my eyes bleed and my fingers fall off. I want this to be perfect because this is one of my favorite characters from one of my favorite comic books of the 80's: The Suicide Squad. I remember the first mod I've ever played was the Suicide Squad for the original  :ff:. I loved the mod but was dismayed by one thng: the exclusion of the Enchantress. So thanks to the impeccable Johnny Patches...I finally have her.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

[rmt]

She looks nice.  There are actually a few glaring omissions from that mod, the most notable (to me) being Vixen, Duchess (Lashina), Black Orchid, and of course Enchantress.  Vixen and Enchantress were on the table when Saracen and I were working on SS:Reloaded.  I don't think the request for Duchess ever got granted and neither of us got around to making her.

The problem with redoing the mod has always been scope.  I wanted to just update the art assets as Bearded in Lair suggested a looooong time ago, and got Charlie's permission to do so, initially.  But every time we started to do that, Charlie would want to add new characters, new levels, etc. to the point that it became more work than I was able to do.  Maybe down the line, if I could get him to do more than just help me with coding roadblocks.  Right now all I have is a new opening and main screen nif and his re-coded first level where Chimera is playable and can save citizens from the Jihad as long as she's not seen.  Rescuing so many was supposed to give you a bonus character, I think Black Orchid.

I'm anxious to check out Zodiac as well.  I had a version in Marvel Wars but I'm sure some of them could use upgrading.

[sweeten2213]

Looking forward to seeing her, laughing (and another of my list  :thumbup: even if it is the older version)

Good work

[monsterikan]

this is great .. i like this

[laughing paradox]

@rmt - I plan on making the Suicide Squad as my next project. I'm also interested in creating a Duchess, though I think her pants are going to be a little beyond my skills right now. I love the idea of Chimera saving people in the first level..I wish it was created! Who knows, maybe these skins/skopes will spark some interest? ;)

@sweeten - Ha, I told you before, we have similar taste in comic characters..but I like this classic look. I don't really like her current look too much.

@monsterikan - Thanks! I appreciate the kind words. By the way, does the 'rikan' part of your name stand for Puerto Rican?

So here's a look at an updated skin of the Enchantress. I've used a different technique with shading/highlights and the hair, to make everything look cohesive.
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]

[Outcast]

So here's a look at an updated skin of the Enchantress. I've used a different technique with shading/highlights and the hair, to make everything look cohesive.
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]

Hmmm.. It looks nice and clean LP. But i think it needs some more highlights though. What technique did you use by the way?

[sweeten2213]

Me Likey!

[laughing paradox]

So...I've made a breakthrough with the seams. I think...only THINK...that I finally "got it".

So let's see how they worked out..

[spoiler]

I thought Asp was going to be such a hassle, but I love the way she came out. Thank god for Tommyboy's awesome meshes!
[/spoiler]

[sweeten2213]

DL'ed your Enchantress - looks good :thumbup:

[tommyboy]

Both enchantress and the asp look really good.
I'd say you are progressing at a fair old pace, which is always good to see. Watching talent develop is one of the really nice things about being part of a community, especially as it means I get great skins, meshes, 'skopes and so on to play with.
Keep up the good work, if you please.

[laughing paradox]

My sincere thanks. I really appreciate that others are enjoying the things I'm doing, so it makes me want to do more. (And I will!)

[UnkoMan]

Seams look pretty darn good, as far as I can tell. Maybe some more shadow where costume meets skin, but otherwise...
I like the colours here. Really pale, and don't seem to stand out, but I think she'd stand out even more BECAUSE of that. Cool stuff.

[laughing paradox]

I have to tell you, Asp has quickly become one of my favorite skins. Her and Plastique...



That's Nightshade next to her. Suicide Squad in the house!

[Jakew]

Cool  :thumbup: Nice to see someone do Plastique and the SS-version of Nightshade.

[rmt]

Yeah, I couldn't find a Plastique when I was working on the DC mod but cobbled one together to get by.  But Nightshade had her own mesh at Alex's for quite some time.  I don't like the built-in Teleport effect in character tool, but I like it in game.

LP, are there any plans to do  :ff: versions?  I d/l'ed Enchantress to update to her and was disappointed to get the null point error in CT -- must be a  :ffvstr: only version, huh?

[electro]

whoOO hooOO more Serpent Society skins :blink:

[laughing paradox]

whoOO hooOO more Serpent Society skins :blink:

It's my intent to create all of them, eventually. I like having a complete set of things.

Speaking of...

[spoiler]
Viper

And I tried an updated Black Widow. This version of her costume always had dots all across it and I think I got it closer than my previous attempts to looking sharp. It looks better in the game than it does in these pics, so yeah.
[/spoiler]

[UnkoMan]

Your hair is lookin' nice. Try giving an extra even brighter highligh and I think they will really pop. These skins are looking alright. I'm glad you are experimenting with things.

Viper's refl layer though? Not so good. Actually, let me clarify. Her lightmap file isn't so good. I'd suggest searching for a new one. Something leathery. If you want it a bit comic booky then I suggest trying my Doctor Photon skin, not to toot my own horn. If you want it realistic, then I am uncertain where to get one. Even when you do find one, look at it and try making your own.

As to the dots... I don't know. I'm sure it does look a lot better in game and less like a crazy optical illusion suit. I actually don't mind that at all. I think it is way cool. Obviously a pattern like this will mess up at the seams. Almost impossible not to.

KEEP ON TRUCKIN'!

[R.O.M]

 :thumbup: nice skins I downloaded you first blackwidow skin I cant wait to get this new one. keep up the good work

[laughing paradox]

There was a pack of lightmaps I've downloaded from a Yahoo group that I've used but I've noticed that the outcome tends to always look the same. Maybe I worded it incorrectly (maybe it has to be male_basic_lightmap instead of female_basic_lightmap), so I'll check that out. Thanks for the input, as always. I'll look at your skin file and examine it. My only problem is that I don't know what a 'leathery lightmap' should look like. ;)

Yeah, the seams look better without the dots on BW, but since it's such an integral part of her costume, it's a fair sacrifice. And I always forget to add a lighter color level for the hair! It does make the hair look better.

Thanks guys!

[House Quake]

There was a pack of lightmaps I've downloaded from a Yahoo group that I've used but I've noticed that the outcome tends to always look the same. Maybe I worded it incorrectly (maybe it has to be male_basic_lightmap instead of female_basic_lightmap), so I'll check that out. Thanks for the input, as always. I'll look at your skin file and examine it. My only problem is that I don't know what a 'leathery lightmap' should look like. ;)

Yeah, the seams look better without the dots on BW, but since it's such an integral part of her costume, it's a fair sacrifice. And I always forget to add a lighter color level for the hair! It does make the hair look better.

Thanks guys!

The naming of a lightmap is crtical.  Check the standard skin of the mesh you use for its particular naming scheme and simply rename the lightmap.  I'm pretty sure you DL'd the lightmap pack I put up at the base skin yahoo group.   It does have some pretty nice ones in it.

[laughing paradox]

Yeah, it's definitely that lightmap pack. It's got some great ones, for sure. So I checked and the culprit was definitely the naming..I fixed it and it looks way better.

Inspired by this, I decided to tackle a reflection-heavy skin so I could see what I could do with it.

[spoiler]
Copperhead[/spoiler]

[Jakew]

 :thumbup: