GIMP: Difference between revisions

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'''The GIMP''' is a powerful, flexible image-editing program that can be used to create textures in the Targa format (.tga). It is a free, open source program that runs on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and other UNIX operating systems.
[[Image:Gimp Wilber.png|right|GIMP's mascot, Wilber]]
 
'''GIMP''' (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free and open source image editor. [http://gimp.org/ Download it from gimp.org].
 
== Usage with Source ==
 
=== VTF ===
 
There is currently no VTF plug-in for GIMP. Save as TGA instead, [[Creating a material|then import]].
 
=== RGB of transparent pixels ===
 
GIMP's developers consider the alpha channel to be transparency. Source (and DirectX/OpenGL in general) generally don't.
 
This means that GIMP is quite happy to destroy or not operate on RGB color information for pixels with 0% alpha, causing horrendous problems in most 3D engines. Aside from the obvious lack of color information, the behaviour leads to the "halos" sometimes seen around the edges of filtered materials.
 
Luckily, so long as [http://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-dialogs-structure.html#gimp-layer-mask Layer masks] are used, in current versions of GIMP the only operation known to trigger the problem is the Merge Layers command. Unfortunately it's used almost every time one exports some work!


== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[Decals in GIMP]]
* [[Decals in GIMP]]
* [[Normal Map Creation in The GIMP]]
* [[Normal Map Creation in The GIMP]]


== External links ==
[[Category:Third Party Tools]]
* [http://www.gimp.org/ The GIMP] Official website.
[[Category:Material System]]
* [http://www.gimp.org/docs/ User Manual] Documentation.
 
[[Category:Third_Party_Tools]][[Category:Material_System]]
[[Category:GIMP]]
[[Category:GIMP]]

Revision as of 09:01, 15 January 2009

GIMP's mascot, Wilber

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free and open source image editor. Download it from gimp.org.

Usage with Source

VTF

There is currently no VTF plug-in for GIMP. Save as TGA instead, then import.

RGB of transparent pixels

GIMP's developers consider the alpha channel to be transparency. Source (and DirectX/OpenGL in general) generally don't.

This means that GIMP is quite happy to destroy or not operate on RGB color information for pixels with 0% alpha, causing horrendous problems in most 3D engines. Aside from the obvious lack of color information, the behaviour leads to the "halos" sometimes seen around the edges of filtered materials.

Luckily, so long as Layer masks are used, in current versions of GIMP the only operation known to trigger the problem is the Merge Layers command. Unfortunately it's used almost every time one exports some work!

See also