Edit Alpha Channel / Team color in Classic

[Goblioc]

Hello,

I am currently trying to edit the existing (classic/SD) bat rider model to make the bat wings team colored.
But i can't find a proper non-out-dated tutorial about it.
As the model is already team color, it has a replacableID layer, right ?

I exported the textures with cascview and retera model studio. When i open it in BLP Lab, i can see the alpha channels.
But when i open in photoshop, there is no alpha channel in the channel section : why ? When i add one, and edit it, then export and convert to blp, nothing changed in the BLP lab when i check "view alpha channel"

I'm not very good at this, so explain me with great details please, i'm so frustrated i couldn't find a nice tutorial or post explained everything without dudes shouting "alpha channel" and then leaving xD

Thanks !

 

[PurrsandMlems]

export the texture, convert to png, open with your favorite image editing tool, select the wings, desaturate so only black and white remains, apply eraser of about 65% transparency with a sufficiently large size so it all gets done with one click. the percentage required may vary, on some its 50%, others 45% even, experiment around to find out the best pleasing outcome.

open the model in retera model studio, select the vertices that make up the wings, seperate as a new geoset, save the model.
open the model in war3 model editor, open geoset manager, ctrl click on the wings, on the highlighted geoset set it to use teamcoloring material. save the model.
open the model again in retera model studio, if you are seeing color edges bleeding out of the wings where normally transparency should have been then need to adjust the uv mapping. select the geoset of wings, and get to work pulling about those points until it appears acceptable.

 

[Footman16]

Also to note, BLP lab (or at least the version I have) doesn't show bits that have been alpha'd and simply shows the texture that was there before. You're best way to test is to view it on the model in RMS.