How to Add Camouflage?

[Rambler]

I have what is most likely a dumb question, but for the life of me can't figure it out. How are you able to add camouflage to the templates MikeyD uploaded without totally painting over the details already on the texture? I saw where he mentioned on the included color swatch jpeg to use the colors on a Color/Hue layer. In Photoshop, I select the layer blend mode as Color and I get the results below. Changing the mode to Hue does about the same thing:

As you can see, the red-brown color is now very faint and almost a light purple. I've tried all the other layer blend modes, but none of them allow you to paint the correct colors. How are y'all doing it? Thanks!

[Mord]

I can't add much to this discussion...LOL basically 'cause I suck at this level of modding...but have you messed around with the transparency levels at all?

Mord.

[MikeyD]

There's an ancient ancient "How to do camou" PDF tutorial I assembled for CMAK (CMBB?) a million-billion years ago that mostly still applies. God knows where it's located. I may not even have a copy. If anyone can locate it on Repository or GreenAsJade's site give a holler.

[Earl Grey]

It IS on GAJ's website: http://cmmods.greenasjade.net/mods/2516/details - happy modding!

There are, of course, different ways to apply camouflage - overspray for example is pretty difficult and time-consuming to do with Mike's method, so you need to find another solution (like I did with the StuH (mid)). In case of doubt, just ask and someone will help you.

[Ryujin]

Personally I duplicate the base layer several times (one for each camo color I want).

Then I use hue/saturation or even color replace to adjust each layer to the camo color I want.

Then I erase away from each layer to make the camo. A bit backwards, but it'll make sense when you do it.

For stuff like details, say headlights, I just erase away to make sure the base version is showing.

If you want to get more advanced, you can get into making and using special brushes in photoshop, like for mud/dust or even I bet you could do that whatever it's called coating the panthers have with a special brush.

[mjkerner]

Ryujin, that's basically how I do it. I learned PSP by trial and error on IL2 and this game...and quite a lot just in the last two weeks working on a US divisional patches mod (coming very soon), so it's probably not the most efficient or elegant way, but it works.

[MikeyD]

Oh, anyone using that old CMx1 camou tutorial, completely ignore the "magenta knockout color" section. That doesn't apply to CMx2. They use additional Alpha channels to knock out pieces of the art on the model.

[Rambler]

Thanks for the tips y'all, it's a big help! I downloaded MikeyD's pdf tutorial and it seemed to answer a lot of the questions I had, but I'm sure I'll have more as a go along.