"Your pony died because it wasn't pretty enogh..."
х_Х
This illustrated tutorial shows basic methods and sequence of making bg sceneries for caves/bunkers in Gimp. It should take less then 15 min.
I'm using bunker from tw_Next as example. You can find source xcf file
here.
1. Take screenshot of the part of the map you want to make a scenery for. Make sure that zoom is 100% (press '*' in PW) so the scenery will fit the map. It's a necessary thing to turn everything off at the display panel and set bg color in pw to some simple color like green so you can later easily separate background from polygons.
2. Open Gimp and paste screenshot into it (Edit=>Paste as=>New image). Select the bunker and tonnel with
Rectangle select tool. Cut it to clipboard and paste into new image. It will be the base for scenery.
3. Select green area with
Select by color tool. Note that threshhold shouldn't be big, even 0 should be fine.
4. Then delete it (Edit=>Clear).
5. Colorize layer to red (Color=>Colorize).
6. Rename it to "polygons", set opacity to ~50% and lock. It it used only as a helper. Now create new layer (Layer=>New layer), name it "cave bg", set
Layer fill type to
Tranparency.
7. Open texture for cave bg and copy it to clipboard (i used landscape_91). Fill cave bg layer with it. Add layer mask (Layer=>Mask=>Add layer mask), set
Initialize layer mask to to
Transfer layer's alpha channel. Actually you can use Eraser tool instead, but i prefer to use layer mask since this method gives some additional opportunities.
8. Remove all unnecessay parts. Use Pencil tool for rough edit and brush for exits. Fg color should be pure black. Apply layer mask (Layer=>Mask=>Apply layer mask).
9. Create "bunker bg" layer (Layer=>New layer) and add background for the bunker by analogy (i used default ananas texture).
10. Now it's time to add some shading. Set "cave bg" as active layer and select transparent area with
Fuzzy select tool. Don't forget to check
Select transparent areas at tool's settings. Invert selection (Select=>Invert). Create "cave shading" layer (Layer=>New layer) and set it as active.
11. Switch to
Blend tool. Set
Gradient to
Fg to transparent. Set
Shape to
Shaped (spherical). Fill selection with gradient.
12. Switch to
Paintbrush tool. Select
Galaxy small brush.
13. Add some additional shading to the middle area.
14. Basic shading for the tonnel is finished now. It's time to change it considering light from outside and two lapms in the tonnel. Add
Transfer alpha channel mask to "cave shading" layer. Switch to
Blend tool. Set
Gradient to
Fg to transparent. Set
Shape to
Linear. Set color to black. Add gradient to exits to show the beam of light that goes from the outside.
15. Set
Shape to Radial. Add gradients for lamps. (Usually i put light sources before adding shading so i don't forget where light is coming from, but in this tutorial i tried to keep things in proper order and places lamps togather with other junk).
16. Shading for tonnel is finished. Apply layer mask. Add "bunker shading" layer. Select floor with
Rectangle select tool. Switch to
Blend tool. Set
Gradient to
Fg to transparent. Set
Shape to
Linear. Add some shading to the floor.
17. Select area inside of the bunker using different
Modes of
Rectangle select tool. Switch to
Blend tool. Set
Opacity to ~50%. Add some shading to the bunker.
18. Select window area using different
Modes of
Rectangle select tool. Switch to
Blend tool. Add some shading to the window.
19. Create "stuff" layer. Add two lamps to the tonnel (i used st_light). Basically, when you add some scenery to you project, you open scenery file; if it is bmp with green mask you select mask with
Select by color tool, then invert selection (Select=>Invert) and then copy it to clipboard; if it is png with alpha channel you can just copy it whole without selecting anything.
20. Add cs_crate_2, m_blood_2_sk and some raato body. Draw some bullet holes with
Paint brush.
21. Now our bg scenery has nice texture, shading and some objects, but it looks ugly. It is time to adjust colours/brightness/contrast for the scenery to make it look solid with the map. Duplicate "cave bg" layer (Layer=>Duplicate layer). Colorize it (Color=>Colorize).
22. Set mode of "cave bg copy" layer to
Soft light and opacity to ~80%. Now tonnel looks much better.
23. Duplicate "bunker bg" layer (Layer=>Duplicate layer). Select area inside of the bunker using different modes of
Rectangular select tool. Colorize it (Color=>Colorize).
24. Make "stuff" layer active and select crate. Adjust it's brightness (Color=>Brightness/Contrast).
25. That crate also needs a shadow. Make "bunker bg" layer active, select area to the left of the crate with
Rectangular select tool and add shadow with
Blend tool.
26. Our bg scenery is ready. It's better to save it as xcf so it would be possible to edit it in the future.
27. Export it to Scenery-gfx folder as png.
28. After saving scenery as png open it again and go to Image=>Autochop image. Then open Canvas size dialog (Image=>Canvas size). Uncheck lock between
Width and
Height, increase both of them by 2 px, set
Offset to
Center and
Resize layers to
All layers. Resize image and then save. (This last step isn't necessary in case of this scenery but not doing this can sometimes lead to ugly glow effect around edges.)
29. This is how does it look in the PW.
Tutorial is finished so here is some conclusions:
Process of making bg scenery consists of four basic steps:
- filling bg with texture
- adding shades
- adding junk
- adjusting colours/brightness/contrast
Always give siutable names to layers and save layer backups before perfoming operations with them such as colorizing (just duplicate layer and turn copy's visibility off).
Using different modes of selecting tools it's possible to select almost any desired area to work with.
Different mix modes for layers/tools can create intresting effects, try experimenting.
