A naive question about GIMP

[Astringofcharacters]

Hi. A naive question about GIMP here.
A clothing tutorial instructed me to "turn off" all the layers in its example template except for the last one - the base.
There were 121 layers, and I dutifully clicked the eye shut on 120, one at a time.
Surely there must have been a way to turn them all off in a batch, rather than one by one.
Could anyone out there tell me how I should have done it?

[Anaiya Arnold]

If there is, I do not know it.

As a workaround, highlight the layer you want to retain.  Select all.  Copy or Cut.  Close the window and open a new file of the same size (ie 1024/1024 or 512/512).  Use "Paste into".  Viola!

Save the file (with a different name to the original file, for instance append 'base" to the end of the file name) at this point so that you do not need to do this process each time.

If you then discover you want one of the other layers as well, simply re-open the original file and repeat the process to paste the layer you want into your "base" file.

[Peggy Paperdoll]

Oh wow!  A tutorial that instructs you to create a texture that has 121 layers.  Okay, I guess.  I know of no way to turn all the layers at once either.  Usually when you work with an image you have most of the layers turned on anyway so just scroll down and click on the ones that are not turned on.

 

I've made textures that have more than 121 layers ( think the most ever for me is about 250 but that is very unusual)..........but I've never seen a tutorial that has that many layers.  It must be some advanced tut. 

 

I use GIMP also.

 

Oh crap!!  Just reread your post.......you are instructed to turn OFF those layers.  I have to ask what's the purpose of those other 120 layers?  If all you want to show in the save is the bottom layer (background layer) what's the purpose of the layers above it?

 

I'm wondering if the tutorial is telling you to turn off the template layers.......like Chip Midnights clothing templates have something like 8 or 10 layers (I forget exactly now many) and you would want to turn them off for your save.

[Astringofcharacters]

Thanks for the workaround Anaiya; it sounds like it would be efficient in the hands of someone who knew what they were doing. Easily lost plodders like me, though, are probably better off just clicking away at the first file until it's done, rather than going back and forth between files looking for shortcuts.

[Astringofcharacters]

Here's a link to the tutorial, Peggy.

The extra layers (from a skin texture) are used to enhance a clothing texture.

http://robin-makingstuff.blogspot.com/2011/04/making-clothes-tank-top-part-1.html

[Peggy Paperdoll]

Okay I understand now.  Yeah that's pretty complicated for a clothing item (especially for a beginner) but I can see the educational value. 

 

For the turning off of the layers, the only way I use is to do as you did........one at a time.  You can use the work around as discribed but that's almost as tedious as turning off the layers individually (at least in my opinion). 

 

Once you learn more about clothing making you'll find better ways that work for you.  I don't even use the Chip Midnight (or Robin Sojourner templates much anymore..........I use templates I found on the Internet a long time ago that are a single layer with nothing but the UV lines on a white background (I can't remember where I found them it was so long ago........but I have serveral copies in case I lose them because they are so valuable to me). 

 

Sorry I don't have a better answer.   And the question is not a naive question.  I'm just patient so I never thought about turning off a group at one time..........I just plod through the one at a time way.  If there is a way, I would like to know too.  Maybe some real GIMP guru will come along.  I'm pretty good with GIMP..........but I ain't nowhere close to an expert.

[Anaiya Arnold]

Anyone is better off doing this method and if you can follow Robin's tutorial, you're definately up for it.

It's simply opening two documents, cutting/pasting and then saving a document.  It sounds complicated because directions nearly always do...try explaining how to walk for instance....simple task, but really complicated sounding directions.

Please give it a try because you'll need to be able to cut and paste between documents if you intend to keep using Gimp to do fun and interesting stuff, and I promise it is much, much easier than it sounds.  Keep this window open while doing the steps.  Let me know if you have trouble with any of the steps and I will clarify it.

 

Open eloh's template file just as you usually would.

In the layers/paths/channels window (the one where you close the eyes), left click the base layer just as though you were about to close it's eye.

OK, that is obviously something that you can do because you did it before you closed a single eye when you went through and closed them all individually.  The rest is just as easy....so carry on to step 3!

In the main window click  "Select" (it's along the top between "Edit" and View"), and then click  "Select All".  This is to make sure you get the whole layer).

Right click anywhere on the image in the main window.  A drop down menu will appear, left click "edit" in this drop down menu, and then left click "copy" (just like when you copy text from a text document).

Click File now, (top of main window,on the very left hand side, next to edit) and click "New" ; a pop up window will appear.

In the pop up window, punch in 1024 and 1024 for height and width and then click "OK".

A new main editing window will open.  Click on this window to make sure it is active.  Now right click in the main area of this window and then click "edit" and then click "paste into" (The layer will now appear in this window).

Click "file" at the top of the new window that you pasted the layer into, and click "save as".  A box will pop up for you to type in the name of the file.  Type in "eloh_base_layer.xcf" without the quotation marks and hit enter.

You're done!

Repeat the cut and pasting to transfer the extra layers you need later (when you get to that part of Robin's tutorial).

 

Trust me, it is much quicker than turning off every layer, and it is a lot easier than it might sound if you try to make sense of it without following along step by step.  So long as you have this window open and just do each step as described, it's really quick and simple.  It will take you less time than it took to type this all out.

Give it a go and surprise yourself.  You can do more than you think.  I have every confidence that you can do this!

[Nefertiti Nefarious]

I took one of the Eloh Eliot skin files and deleted everything but the shading layers and saved that file as "Clothing Shading Top" and "Clothing Shading Bottom".  It gets rid of over half the layers

THEN: When I am designing clothing, I get the basic clothing done first with a few layers for Front, back, sleeves, trim options, etc. I use this to test the seam matching and other details.

LAST STEP: Use "open as layers" in the GIMP to open the shading file as a layer stack inside the garment file ... adjust opacity and brightness, and turn layers on or off as needed to get the effect I want for that clothing.

SAVE AS: Save the visible layers out to the final upload file, and keep the shaded layered garment file in case I want to make variations.

 

************

You could just save the shading layers as one layer in one file and import it for every garment, but that gives a cookie-cutter look to your clothing. Some things need more emphatic shading than others, and the attention to detail is what separates the good designers from the rest of us.

[Astringofcharacters]

"It sounds complicated because directions nearly always do...try explaining how to walk for instance....simple task, but really complicated sounding directions."

I follow you

Thanks here to everyone. Your replies were helpful!

[Morgaine Christensen]

I use Photoshop so GIMP may have something similar. I have not read the posted tutorial so this may or may not work for you.  I AM NOT a graphics artist but a fledgling in photoshop,  but in PS you can create what is called a Group.  It is like subfolder where you can move 1 or more layers into that folder.  You can turn off all the layers in that folder group with one click.

Depending on how the layers are laid out, it would make sense to divide up into group folders..  Or, you could move all your layers into a single folder except the one you want to work on.

[Arwen Serpente]

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Morgaine Christensen wrote:

I use Photoshop so GIMP may have something similar. I have not read the posted tutorial so this may or may not work for you.  I AM NOT a graphics artist but a fledgling in photoshop,  but in PS you can create what is called a Group.  It is like subfolder where you can move 1 or more layers into that folder.  You can turn off all the layers in that folder group with one click.

Depending on how the layers are laid out, it would make sense to divide up into group folders..  Or, you could move all your layers into a single folder except the one you want to work on.

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Gimp is probably the best free program out there (imo), but alas the "groups" that exist in Photoshop do not exist in Gimp. Basically, all the layers are there and it's up to the user to organize them and turn them on or off as necessary.

[Cerise Sorbet]

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Astringofcharacters wrote:

Hi. A naive question about GIMP here.

A clothing tutorial instructed me to "turn off" all the layers in its example template except for the last one - the base.

There were 121 layers, and I dutifully clicked the eye shut on 120, one at a time.

Surely there must have been a way to turn them all off in a batch, rather than one by one.

Could anyone out there tell me how I should have done it?

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Hi, hold down the Shift key when you click on the button in the "eye" column and only that layer will be visible. Also click on the thumbnail for that layer to make it active, that is a separate operation in Gimp. Shift+click again to make them all visible.

[robin Meridoc]

Woohoo!  Thanks Cerise!  That may be my blog that the person was talking about.  I'll find that post and add your suggestion to it.

robin

PS:  Here's my blog.... just in case anyone wants to have a look: http://robin-makingstuff.blogspot.com/

[Anaiya Arnold]

Yes, it is your blog!:matte-motes-big-grin-wink:

[Astringofcharacters]

Thanks Cerise!

And hi, Robin, thanks for your blog!

[Arwen Serpente]

Hi there Robin I just wanted to add my thanks to you for your blog. I've been gimping for over 2 years now and I still discover new things everyday. Your blog is outstanding! Definately, a bookmark for any and all creators no matter level of expertise!