Here is a quick how to tutorial on how to make an invisible spray in counter strike source or any Half life game using photoshop..

If you are using Photoshop 7 or before you will have to download the Targa plugin


1 - get or make an image that you want to use, set it at 256x256 and 72dpi for the best quality of spray.



2 - Select the areas you want to be transparent and delete them.



3 - Select the areas that you want to remain visible and keep them selected for now.



4 - With the areas you want to remain visible still selected, click on the 'Channels' tab and click on the 'Create a New Channel' - click ok with the options it gives you



5 - You will see your image as totally black with the marching ants going around the area you selected already. Your forground and background colors should also be black and white and the Red Green and Blue channels shouldnt be selected as shown. Make sure that you have white as the forground color and click the 'Fill' icon (or press K) and fill the selected area white. if you have some areas of your image that are semi-transparent they should go a shade of grey, such as the tail in the pic below.

note: Alpha channels work as White is visible, black is transparent and anything inbetween is semi-transparent, play with the greys to get a lighter or darker shade of transparency


6 - Now all you need to do is save it, click File>Save as - and choose Targa as the format, make sure that it has Alpha Channels ticked. Also the best place to save it would be in your counter-strike-source folder as:
C:Program FilesSteamSteamApps{YOURNAME}counter-strike source
this makes it easy to find when you are importing it via the options.



7 - launch CSS and goto Options>Import Spray - it will take you to the folder above.. import your spray and join a game, remember if you import during a map you will have to wait for it to change map to load the spray.

notice how the tail is semi transparent as the aplha channel made it grey.

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And as some of you had probs with the tutorial i have made a little vid that should clear up any probs.. you might have to wait for it to buffer tho, enjoy.


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Here you can Download the spray i just made as well as another default Killer Mongoose spray, they are in Targa (tga) format, so just import them as shown above.


GLHF - SD

Post edited by: [KM]ShadowDog, at: 05/09/2006 01:02

Post edited by: [KM]ShadowDog, at: 14/09/2006 23:01

can you link that spray?

[KM]Rifleman wrote:
can you link that spray?added downloads of 2 KM sprays.

damn shad nice spray teh squirrel looks mean

Im having a bit of trouble.

When i select and delete the area that i want to be transparent then select the visibe areas again and make the alpha chanel the whole image goes back.. not just what i have selected.


Any ideas?

[KM]OurManFromRushia wrote:
Im having a bit of trouble.

When i select and delete the area that i want to be transparent then select the visibe areas again and make the alpha chanel the whole image goes back.. not just what i have selected.


Any ideas?
Read number 5 again..

5 - You will see your image as totally black with the marching ants going around the area you selected already.
All of the image will be black, but will have the marching ants around the selection..

Make sure that you have white as the forground color and click the 'Fill' icon (or press K) and fill the selected area white.
Then you fill what you want to be seen white, it will then look black and white.

I have done all that and i followed the instructions though twice but when i import the tga to css all i get is a picture of a white frame.. Nothing else

When i spray it, it shows me everything but what i filled in white on the alpha channel.

All im trying to do is add a drop shadow to my spray so it looks off the wall when i 'spray' it.

Never mind.

[KM]OurManFromRushia wrote:
I have done all that and i followed the instructions though twice but when i import the tga to css all i get is a picture of a white frame.. Nothing else

When i spray it, it shows me everything but what i filled in white on the alpha channel.

All im trying to do is add a drop shadow to my spray so it looks off the wall when i 'spray' it.

Never mind.



Make sure you have the Channels selected and not the layers.
is it showing the bit you want invisible?.. if so try filling it in black and exporting it.

also make sure you have the drop shadow and the image you want to make visible as well..

Send me over the image, i will make a movie of how to do it.. that might give you a better idea than following words.

zatoichi wrote:
damn shad nice spray teh squirrel looks mean yeh it is a bit Squirrelish.. i will sort out the bushey tail and get some Mongoose stripes on him..

Bump - added video above

[KM]ShadowDog wrote:
zatoichi wrote:
damn shad nice spray teh squirrel looks mean yeh it is a bit Squirrelish.. i will sort out the bushey tail and get some Mongoose stripes on him..

Just pity him like we do.

It's not his fault he can't recognise a mongoose when its threatening him!

[KM]ShadowDog wrote:
Bump - added video above

The choice of music is inspired, in-fucking-spired!

[KM]Corpse wrote:
[KM]ShadowDog wrote:
Bump - added video above

The choice of music is inspired, in-fucking-spired!

TY