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isbrealiomcaifeI know there are others out there who can't afford a $600+ program for a hobby and aren't willing to pirate, so I just wanted to share a few tips for those of you who are using older versions of Photoshop that don't have the ability to run actions or are incompatible with downloadable actions or who are using other programs, such as GIMP or PSP that either can't run actions or run a different format that isn't widely available. It's a bit more time consuming to recolor in GIMP because you have to go through the steps manually, as opposed to just pushing a button, but it's definitely doable.
1. Keep a palette available. Most action downloads come with a sample palette (or you can find a swatch palette from a download made by someone who has used them), which you'll want to reference for accuracy.
2. Know your program; know the terminology. Pooklet has written instructions in the archived download for the older actions (Dynamite through TNT). Most of these compare quite well from program to program as long as you're at least moderately familiar with the program, its interface, and its terminology. In GIMP, for example, rather than using adjustment layers, you want to do "Layer -> New From Visible," then go into the blending mode on the layer tab and set the mode and opacity, then go into the "Colors" menu and select whatever you're being asked to change. The place where this gets a little confusing is when you're asked to select the blending mode "Luminosity." If you're using GIMP, you usually want "Value," but occasionally "Darken Only" or "Lighten Only" will match the swatch better. This is why you want to keep them available. (Obviously, if your program doesn't have "Flatten Image," you need to merge the layers down one at a time.)
3. The "sample" tool is your friend. If you take a nice big sample from a swatch sheet, you'll come up with a color that has a hex value pretty close to what you want for a recolor. It's faking it slightly, but it's a starting point if you have no other options. This is where you'll really need that sample palette as reference. If you're stuck taking samples, try to take it from a "neutral" area of the swatch, not from a particularly light or dark area. Make sure your sample tool is as big as is reasonable so you get a good average, not just one pixel. If you're doing a color like Pooklet's Fluorophore, HMX, or Shockwave, where the highlight is a slightly different color than the rest, you're going to need to adjust the color balance for highlights, midtones, and shadows separately to match the swatch. This takes a bit of practice and playing around, so it's probably best to get familiar with the program and doing other recolors in a set before attempting a more complicated swatch.
4. Find a texture, if possible. If you're doing straight hair, it's easy enough to just copypaste Pooklet's own textures over a Peggy or Newsea mesh's default textures. If you're doing something like waves, curls, or twists or if your mesh is awkwardly round (like a lot of Maxis hairs), it may be a bit difficult to find all the colors you need in premade textures. If possible, you should at least grab Volatile already made, as this will save you a bit of time that you'd otherwise spend desaturating and going through the steps to make Volatile, only to find out it's too dark and you have to go back and lighten it...then doing it again to find out you lightened it too much this time, etc. It won't be possible to find a premade texture if you're recoloring clothing, though, so it's best to keep that swatch around.
5. It doesn't hurt to ask. Some action creators may be willing to make a written set of the steps used in the action if you ask. It doesn't hurt to try.
1. Keep a palette available. Most action downloads come with a sample palette (or you can find a swatch palette from a download made by someone who has used them), which you'll want to reference for accuracy.
2. Know your program; know the terminology. Pooklet has written instructions in the archived download for the older actions (Dynamite through TNT). Most of these compare quite well from program to program as long as you're at least moderately familiar with the program, its interface, and its terminology. In GIMP, for example, rather than using adjustment layers, you want to do "Layer -> New From Visible," then go into the blending mode on the layer tab and set the mode and opacity, then go into the "Colors" menu and select whatever you're being asked to change. The place where this gets a little confusing is when you're asked to select the blending mode "Luminosity." If you're using GIMP, you usually want "Value," but occasionally "Darken Only" or "Lighten Only" will match the swatch better. This is why you want to keep them available. (Obviously, if your program doesn't have "Flatten Image," you need to merge the layers down one at a time.)
3. The "sample" tool is your friend. If you take a nice big sample from a swatch sheet, you'll come up with a color that has a hex value pretty close to what you want for a recolor. It's faking it slightly, but it's a starting point if you have no other options. This is where you'll really need that sample palette as reference. If you're stuck taking samples, try to take it from a "neutral" area of the swatch, not from a particularly light or dark area. Make sure your sample tool is as big as is reasonable so you get a good average, not just one pixel. If you're doing a color like Pooklet's Fluorophore, HMX, or Shockwave, where the highlight is a slightly different color than the rest, you're going to need to adjust the color balance for highlights, midtones, and shadows separately to match the swatch. This takes a bit of practice and playing around, so it's probably best to get familiar with the program and doing other recolors in a set before attempting a more complicated swatch.
4. Find a texture, if possible. If you're doing straight hair, it's easy enough to just copypaste Pooklet's own textures over a Peggy or Newsea mesh's default textures. If you're doing something like waves, curls, or twists or if your mesh is awkwardly round (like a lot of Maxis hairs), it may be a bit difficult to find all the colors you need in premade textures. If possible, you should at least grab Volatile already made, as this will save you a bit of time that you'd otherwise spend desaturating and going through the steps to make Volatile, only to find out it's too dark and you have to go back and lighten it...then doing it again to find out you lightened it too much this time, etc. It won't be possible to find a premade texture if you're recoloring clothing, though, so it's best to keep that swatch around.
5. It doesn't hurt to ask. Some action creators may be willing to make a written set of the steps used in the action if you ask. It doesn't hurt to try.
