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Not sure how to use psd layers

wildbillnashwildbillnash Posts: 711
in New Users

I'm looking at purchasing either Ron's Explosions at www.daz3d.com/rons-explosions or GNBD Explosion Project - 4K PSD Layers at www.daz3d.com/gnbd-explosion-project-4k-psd-layers .  They both look like they used Photoshop formated images but they don't tell you 'how' to use is.  I'm in a time crunch for a few scenes I need to create and I don't want to buy something else I won't know how to use because there are no 'exact' instructions. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited November 2019

    I guess the first question to ask is  "How experienced are you with Photoshop and what version do you have?"   OK that's 2 questions

    Post edited by Chohole on
  • Catherine3678abCatherine3678ab Posts: 8,009

    G.I.M.P. is free and can work with .psd files as can some other programs too. I use Corel's Paint Shop Pro.

    The concept to bring the render into whichever program you're using with any purchased .psd files, arrange the layers, or use the brushes, or whatever, eventually getting together a finished look which is then saved out as say a .png or .tiff file. It is not normally a good idea to save out as .jpegs as nasty things can happen to otherwise lovely images.

     

     

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604

    Yes but Ron's brushes  and PSDs like the explosions etc do need to tend to take advantage of layer modes to get the effects.

  • jpetersen1jpetersen1 Posts: 148

    Are you asking how to use the Layers function in Photoshop? Or are you asking how to use Photoshop layers in DAZ Studio?

    I can't quite tell from your title but having read your post three times, I'm guessing you are asking how to apply them in DAZ Studio? Is that correct?

  • Catherine3678abCatherine3678ab Posts: 8,009
    edited November 2019
    Chohole said:

    Yes but Ron's brushes  and PSDs like the explosions etc do need to tend to take advantage of layer modes to get the effects.

    Of course ;-) An image editor that works with layers is a necessity in this field, not only for effects but also for texturing.

    edited to add: n.b. that the Photoshop brushes used to have to be converted to .png files and remade into brushes to use in PSP. I don't know if they've updated to accept them or not. However more people can afford PSP than Photoshop. And there is a free .abr viewer/converter.

     

    Post edited by Catherine3678ab on
  • wildbillnashwildbillnash Posts: 711

    Sorry I've haven't check this for a while.  I have Photoshop CS 6, one of the older versions (I refuse to pay them a yearly subscription, forcing me even more $$$ from me).  It's been a while but I've played around with shading, photo-manipulations, and such with it.  You can say I'm a little better than the average user, but not much.

  • diogenese19348diogenese19348 Posts: 926

    CS 6 is new enough to use Ron's stuff a lot of them were created when that version was new ;)  Layers just means it's an effect with a transparent background, you put the layers in the order you want them in the finished picture, you will need to be able to select and create new layers if you want say an explosion to be in front of the background but behind some other objects in your picture (you would create a new layer containing only the objects you want to be in front).  And of course there are mountains of other things you do to get the effects you want.  Basically learning how to select the portions of your scene you want in the foreground is the toughest part, it gets easier the more you do it.

  • AJ2112AJ2112 Posts: 1,416

    I learned all about PS layers in youtube vids, there are numerous videos, even for CS6.  Here's a tip, name each layer. 

  • wildbillnashwildbillnash Posts: 711

    Thanks for the info.  Still a lot to learn.

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