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How to make transparent renders without chroma-keying

By jdbeatz

So you want to know how to make a transparent png of your 'original' oc huh? Well, you've come to the right place.

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Created by

jdbeatz
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Category: Walkthroughs

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

18 Dec, 2016 @ 3:01pm

18 Dec, 2016 @ 3:06pm

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Guide Index

Overview

Requirements

So, how do I do it?

Comments

Requirements

Gimp, Photoshop, or any editing software that has access to the channels tab.

So, how do I do it?

You will need to render it two times. The normal render, and a render with no lights and a white greenscreen background.

So open up your editing software. I am using gimp. Open the first render, and import the second render as a seperate layer, and make sure it's the top layer.

Go into your channels tab, right click any of the channels and click channel to selection.

Go back to layers, and delete the 2nd render. Now add a layer mask to the 1st render, and click selection.

The character will probably be the only thing transparent, but don't worry. Just select the layer mask, go to colors tab and hit invert.

There you go! Now you have a transparent render of your character.

51 Comments

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Cosmic Fabulous Supreme 10 Aug, 2023 @ 2:17am

to do it in SAI2, do the same 2 renders method mentioned here, and in SAI2, select the silhouette of the thing you want to render in the second render, invert the selection, switch to the first render (this is done by having the first render in another layer) and then deleting the stuff in your selection, and you can then remove the second render from your image, and you now have a transparent image

rabbitboy 25 Apr, 2023 @ 6:05am

This is the best method of creating transparent PNGs of SFM renders.
100%

Dendrolimus Sibiricus 13 Feb, 2023 @ 9:29am

How to do the same in SAI2?

CommScanDetected 5 Jul, 2022 @ 5:16pm

Reminds me of how they did the chroma keying of ship models for Empire Strikes Back.

margarinoslav 20 Mar, 2022 @ 10:17am

Cinnamon toast cult, photoshop your unusuals instead of making them with sfm, ps looks better

Sheila 12 Mar, 2022 @ 12:31am

im using ps but everytime i right click on the channels pattern it wont show the menu everytime i right click

pussy rips 27 Nov, 2021 @ 2:48pm

any idea how to fit particles such as unusual effects into this or is that pretty much impossible?

Husky 1 Oct, 2021 @ 1:18pm

Thank you, now i can finally start making stickers in sfm

DarkLord 29 Sep, 2021 @ 2:58pm

@Stefano
This guide is how to make transparent renders without using green screen.

Stefano (BackToGetCommissions) 14 Aug, 2021 @ 10:51am

Or, you could use a green model as background, and later use paint.net to remove the green part

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