HOW TO: Create your own overlays

Eek! This is the first topic I’ve created so please go easy on me!

So I see a lot of requests for overlays on the forums and a lot of you asking how it’s done, well I’m going to (hopefully) explain and show you how!

First and foremost, if you’re using a smart phone, I highly recommend you download ibisPaint X
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
A LOT of editors and artists use this app and in all honesty, since I downloaded it I’ll never attempt to use my laptop to make overlays ever again.

HOW TO MAKE LIMB OVERLAYS

Example

The most requested type of overlay! So, after you have looked through some editor drives and still can’t find what you’re looking for, do it yourself! You can use an editing assistant (@episode_amanda on Instagram has one) or you can use a blank script on your portal. I advise using a BLACK background for ink so you won’t be left with those pesky white jagged edges. For LL - yikes! Good luck! Even photoshop can’t make those limbs looks decent. ANYWAY! Click here to if you are unsure on how to upload your own background

Be sure that your character is wearing the correct clothing (especially long sleeved shirts or jackets). Have your character do an animation … I used the animation frustrated

Example Script

INT. BLACK - NIGHT
@ JADE stands screen center AND JADE faces right AND JADE starts frustrated
@pause for 5
NARR
Pause

Go into the app and load this scene,

TIP! Turn on your screen recorder instead of screen shotting :wink:

Once you have the video saved, you can scrub along and find the perfect shot of the limb. Screen shot it and proceed to open ibis paint.

Screen shots of ibis paint

When you open ibispaint


Click on My Gallery, your recent projects will be shown here

Click the plus sign on the bottom left and you’ll be greeted with this screen

Click on Import Picture and select your picture from your camera roll. When prompted, select the original canvas size*

You’re ready to roll!

IF YOU PLAN ON ROTATING YOUR LIMB OVERLAY I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU USE A SQUARE CANVAS 1:1 HD SIZE AND UPLOAD YOUR PHOTO AS A NEW LAYER

Example

Start by erasing the background around the limb using the eraser tool. I suggest using the soft felt tip for erasing. Zoom in as you get closer to the edge and tidy up around the black outline using a smaller brush size and viola! A practically perfect limb overlay created by yourself! You will need to position your limb as centrally in the canvas as possible if you plan on rotating it. This will make coding so much easier and you can use the 0.5 0.5 anchor point. You can read more about animating overlays here.

Change the background to the white and grey checkered and then save as a PNG transparent. You can upload overlays and backgrounds to the portal from your mobile or email them to your self to do from your laptop.

IMPORTANT

DON’T FORGET! IF YOU USE CUSTOMISATION, ENSURE YOU HAVE GAINS WITH YOUR SKIN TONE CHOICES AND YOU WILL HAVE TO CREATE OVERLAYS FOR EACH SKIN TONE AVAILABLE IN YOUR STORY!

HOW TO MAKE OVERLAYS OUT OF BACKGROUNDS

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT INFO ENLOSED

MOST IMPORTANTLY!!! If you are using an editors background and need an overlay for it ALWAYS ASK or read their T&Cs … most already provide overlays and most will state if you CAN or CANNOT create overlays from them. DO NOT BREAK their terms. It’s disrespectful. If you’re not sure. JUST ASK THEM.

Moving on. Let’s make a bed overlay from the episode background INT. BEDROOM POSTERWALL - DAY. Go into the portal from laptop or mobile. Open the background in a new tab and save it. (Email to yourself if using laptop).
Open ibispaint and follow the steps above to open the photo in the original size of the canvas. LMAO I seriously wanted to put a goto and label for that! This way, you can cut the overlay out. Save it and you won’t need to resize or move it. Just simply -
INT. BEDROOM POSTERWALL - DAY with BED at layer 1

Result of Background and Overlay


I simply followed the steps above to cut out the bed, changed the canvas background to the grey and white checkered, then saved as PNG transparent.

TIP: WHEN CREATING OVERLAYS SO YOUR CHARACTERS ARE STANDING BEHIND IT, LEAVE SOME OF THE FLOOR SO YOU CAN’T SEE YOUR CHARACTERS FEET

Unless you have an overlay like below where not seeing their feet would look wierd!

Click here to learn more about layering and spot directing your characters behind and in front of the the bed.

Last but not least -
Use the eraser brush to completely cut out the blanket. Oh yeah, you now have a bed overlay AND a blanket! You can use the move tool and then MESH FORM to move the blanket in certain places so it actually looks like there’s a human underneath it. Cool right?

Human-ish Blanket overlay

YIKES! That took a lot of work :sweat_smile:
Please feel free to use these overlays if you want to! Sole purpose of making this thread is so that you guys can learn and not have to rely and wait on others to make your overlays.
I guess that’s it :grimacing: DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT AN OVERLAY REQUEST THREAD … Please refer to the guides for any question NOT related to MakINg yOUr OwN ovErLAys. Thank u xxx

35 Likes

This was helpful, thank you! :yay:
I’ve been wanting to learn how to cut things out of a background. I actually use that app, but I didn’t know about this.

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Amazing! And bookmarked! Great job at explaining! It was really well done! :smile:

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Congratulations on the first post @Jade.epi ! :partying_face:

Let me try to make one :sweat_smile:

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this is super helpful! thank you for taking the time to help everyone out. :innocent:

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Thank you guys :sweat_smile::yellow_heart:

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This is amazing, ty very much Jade :heart_eyes: :yellow_heart:

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Yay!! Yr first post!!! :+1::fire::hugs::heart_eyes::clap::clap:

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Happy first forum anniversary @Jade.epi :partying_face::star_struck: also, bump! :grin:

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Happy Anniversary of the day you joined the Forums Jade :partying_face: :nerd_face::cupid::sparkling_heart::heartpulse::heartbeat::heart::orange_heart::yellow_heart::revolving_hearts::blob_hearts::disco::cupcake::strawberry::grapes::chocolate_bar::candy::lollipop::icecream::ferris_wheel::sparkles::balloon::tada::confetti_ball::gift::hearts:Also, everyone needs to check this amazing topic out, so very helpful :sunglasses: :blue_heart: :green_heart: :purple_heart:

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Bump :disco:

Bumping :fist:

b u m p :heart_eyes:

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Bump :blob_sun:

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I have now added a video tutorial to my IGTV on how to cut out a LL limb. IG: @jade.epi you can find it on my profile next to the highlights :blush:

Bump :disco:

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bump :star_struck:

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Bump :metal2:

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bumppp

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Bump :art:

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