See image before opacity change

[CharlieThompson4]

So I'm trying to isolate a sprite from a screenshot of a game (I'm trying to make a drawing reference sheet from the sprites), and this sprite has an element that is translucent, so I can see part of the background behind it. Is it possible to use the background elements in some way to see what this element would have looked like without the background behind it? I've already isolated this element from the rest of the sprite onto its own layer.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Please post images with and without the element in question. 

[Bojan Živković]

Difficult to imagine what are you talking about. Please post requested screenshot with Layers panel expanded and visible.

[CharlieThompson4]

The pictures are from a friend who has a mod of Undertale. (the bits and pieces mod)

I have attached the screenshot from the game I got the sprite from and two screenshots of my photoshop file 

Photoshop screenshot with everything

the green background is just so I can see the white outline of the sprite, that is unrelated

the grid is also unrelated to my issue, I have that set up for something else

layer 3 is the rest of the sprite that isn't translucent so I don't have this issue

Layer 5 is the wings (the part I was talking about)

layer 2 (hidden) is my backup in case I cant fix this issue, it is pretty much layer 5 but without the gradient or background artifacts

Photoshop screenshot, layer 5 and background only

As stated, only showing the problematic layer (the more full screenshot but with layer 3 hidden, so I didn't feel the need to show the layer panel again)

Game screenshot: 

you can see the background that is showing behind the wings, I am constantly taking this in and out of photoshop to fix and change things, but it is not in this file at the moment (but could easily be brought in again)

My friend took this screenshot (and like 100 other unrelated ones) for me to do this project

so ideally I would like to see what the wings would have looked like if they were full opacity rather than translucent and with the background showing behind

This is purely for my (and my friend's) personal use to draw these characters with their game sprites as references

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Seems the Magic Wand Tool with Anti-alias unchecked could be used to create a Selection/Layer Mask. 

[CharlieThompson4]

i don't understand how this helps? I used the wand to get it on its own layer, so I know how that works

What do I do once I have that? I don't want the gradient removed (if I did, that would be much simpler, and is what I did on the backup hidden layer), just the background artifacts removed from the gradient and for it to be full opacity like the rest of the sprite rather than darker because of the black background under the translucent wings

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Then what did the sentence »so ideally I would like to see what the wings would have looked like if they were full opacity rather than translucent and with the background showing behind« mean? 

[CharlieThompson4]

the gradient is part of the wings, not the background, I want to know if I can somehow adjust the colours on the wings so I can't see the background behind them, as if they were 100% opacity 

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Are you sure you understand what »100% opacity« means? 

[c.pfaffenbichler]

i don't understand how this helps? I used the wand to get it on its own layer, so I know how that works

What do I do once I have that? I don't want the gradient removed (if I did, that would be much simpler, and is what I did on the backup hidden layer), just the background artifacts removed from the gradient and for it to be full opacity like the rest of the sprite rather than darker because of the black background under the translucent wings

By @CharlieThompson4

What artifacts? Seems like the background is just a plain black area. 

One can use multiple Layer Masks and the gradient can probably be recreated from the Red Channel. 

[CharlieThompson4]

the lines from the background (circled)

and how did you do that? the making the wings an opacity gradient thing

[c.pfaffenbichler]

I used an additional Layer mask to hide the original wings and a Mask based on the Red Channel on a Solid Color Layer for th epink areay (the lines can be removed fairly easily). 

[CharlieThompson4]

i use photoshop for its drawing capabilities, it has been years since I've edited a photo with it, so I can't really remember how to do have this stuff and I can't really tell what you're doing with those pictures

can I please have a more detailed step by step?

i managed to get the mask for the wings (although I don't really understand where to apply it) and I accessed the red channel, but I don't understand what you did there

[c.pfaffenbichler · Accepted solution]

I recommend you 

• Layer > Layer Mask > From Transparency 

• cmd-G

• cmd-G

• drag the Layer Mask to the top Group 

• apply the Layer Mask of the wing area to the contained Group (and invert it, cmd-I)

• add a Solid Color Layer behind the second Group (so at the very bottom of the top Group) 

• apply the original Red-Channel as a Layer Mask to the Solid Color Layer 

• alt-click the Layer Mask and use Curves (cmd-M) to make the lightest part of the wing completely white

Edit: 

• Then use Clone Stamp Tool, Brush Tool or what else you prefer to remove the lines. 

[CharlieThompson4]

(I cropped the image because i didn't need the rest of it and the smaller size was more manageable) 

This is what I could figure out how to do

I couldn't figure out the layer mask from transparency, so I couldn't finish it

when I try to select the red channel and them do that first step, I end up with a mask on the channels tab and not the layers tab, am I doing something wrong? and even then, I cant quite figure it out (it seems to do something.. sometimes?)

[c.pfaffenbichler]

With Layer > Layer Mask > From Transparency I was referring to the file in a previous screenshot of yours where you had already clipped the Layer (»Layer 3«) but I noticed that you had removed the wings on that, so just use the transparency of those two Layers or recreate the Layer Mask for the whole thing anew. 

»when I try to select the red channel and them do that first step, I end up with a mask on the channels tab and not the layers tab, am I doing something wrong?«

Load the Channel as a Selection (cmd-click it in the Channels Panel), select the Layer in the Layers Panel and apply the Layer Mask via the button or Layer > Layer Mask > From Transparency

[CharlieThompson4]

Sorry I took so long to try,  but I've now tried 

(Once again, green layer is just for more contrast between the background and the sprite, hidden in both screenshots)

I've named the groups by what the mask on them is so I don't get confused (again)

So, I manually made a mask of the whole sprite just so I didn't have to deal with the background (I copied layer 1 and manually removed the background and made that layer into a mask and applied it on that group, probably not the most efficient way to do it but that's how I've been doing it and it works so I'm not changing)

the body bit (group "all but wings" and the contained layer) hasn't changed I don't think since last time

Your instructions helped me to select the stuff for the layer based on the red channel, but the gradient on the wings didn't seem to work? (Second image is hiding the "all but wings" group so you can see the mask. There is different opacities throughout the image but the wings all seem the same)

I don't understand what you meant by "• alt-click the Layer Mask and use Curves (cmd-M) to make the lightest part of the wing completely white"

[CharlieThompson4]

nevermind on the gradient, I did the channel step wrong, I think anyway

that last instruction is still unclear

[CharlieThompson4]

I think I sorted out the gradient (and mostly removed the stuff with the spot healing brush) but still don't understand the step:

• alt-click the Layer Mask and use Curves (cmd-M) to make the lightest part of the wing completely white

[c.pfaffenbichler]

I think I sorted out the gradient (and mostly removed the stuff with the spot healing brush) but still don't understand the step:

• alt-click the Layer Mask and use Curves (cmd-M) to make the lightest part of the wing completely white

By @CharlieThompson4

If you don’t need that then that’s fine. 

• To see a Layer Mask without the composite one can either set the visibility in the Channels Panel or alt-click the Layer Mask’s icon in the Layers Panel. 

• If one uses an existing Channel for a Mask and the brightest part is not actually white but a (light) gray one can use a Curves, Levels, … Adjustment to change that. (There may be banding, though.)

[CharlieThompson4]

Thanks for all the help

I ended up doing some bits manually (the border on the wings, a few of the gaps caused by me adjusting other parts of the sprite (the spot healing brush was throwing errors about not enough of something on that layer, I didn't really understand and it wasn't much to finish manually so I did), aligning it with my grid, etc), but it all looks good now

all merged down into 1 layer and collected together with other sprites of that character (you can see a head in the bottom corner from another sprite of this character, just in a different form) now, all that's left is the other parts of these reference sheets I needed these sprites complete for (aligning them how I like and finding out what I don't have yet, nothing that I haven't done 10 times already)

Ive only used this community forum thing twice now (this thread and something in another adobe app I'm less familiar with), so is there any like way to show appreciation or anything? or anything I need to do to like lock the thread since I got my answer?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Ive only used this community forum thing twice now (this thread and something in another adobe app I'm less familiar with), so is there any like way to show appreciation or anything? or anything I need to do to like lock the thread since I got my answer?

You aleady marked a post as correct answer, so you have done your part. 

Locking the thread does not seem necessary, especially as in the future someone else with a similar issue might want to add something.