razorace
11-05-2003, 01:56 AM
This tutorial will help you create menu icons (that look just like the default ones) for
new customizable player class parts.
We assume that you're using Photoshop 7.0 with the PNG plugin installed, have the JKA
Modeling SDK installed, have Modview working, and have already set up your new skins
correctly. You can find the PNG plugin @
1. Open up the player class's model in Modview. Be SURE to NOT rotate the model at all.
2. Select the appropriate skin from the skin menu. You do this by opening up "==>
model.glm <==" (this button is on the left side of your screen), opening up the "Skins
available" and then double clicking on the skin you want.
4. Next, determine which animation you want the player to be in for the icon. Select the
correct animation, first sort the animation list by right-clicking the "Sequences ( From
.cfg file)" and then selecting "Sort by Name ( unchecked = sort by Frame # ). Next, search down the list and double-click on the animation you want. Here's a table of suggested animations...
Animations Used for Model Class Icons
---------------------------------------------
BOTH_STAND1 Lower
BOTH_STAND1/BOTH_STAND8 Torso
3. Now, you're going to turn off (make invisible) all the model surfaces except for the
ones you want. You do this by navigating thru the "Surfaces" menu, right clicking on the
ones you want turned off and clicking either "Set status: OFF" (turn off only this
surface) or "Set status: OFF + NO DESCENDANTS" (turns off this surfaces and all surfaces
that are below it in the surface order. You'll not want to pick this option unless you're
sure you want to turn off everything "downwind" from this surface. For example, to turn
off the left arm and the left hand, you'd set "Set status: OFF + NO DESCENDANTS" for the
left arm). To see your handwork, just click on "==> model.glm <==".
4. At this point you should only see the surfaces you want an icon of (the head, the
torso, etc). Now, maximize modview's window and then click on the "Best fit to Screen"
button on the tool bar. It looks like a stick figure with arrows pointing away from it.
5. Save this to a screenshot file by selecting View->Screenshot to file or by pressing
SHIFT-C. This will save a screenshot to somewhere on your hard drive. On my system Modview
just puts the files in c:\.
6. Open up the file in Photoshop.
7. First off, you'll need to remove the Ravensoft copyright from the bottom of the
picture. Check your Photoshop tutorials on how to do this.
8. Now, resize the picture. Click on Image->Image Size. Set it up so that the height
will be 128 pixels high at 72 pixels/inch. Be sure that "Constrain Proportions is on. Press
ok.
9. Resize the width to the correct size. To do this, click on Image->Canvas Size. Set
the width to be 128 pixels wide and then press ok. there will be a warning message about
the canvas being smaller than the image, press Proceed.
10. You know have a choice. You can either have color selection on your icon or not.
If you decide to not use color selection, you can simply save your icon as a jpg.
If you want color selection, you need to add an alpha channel that covers everything EXCEPT
the areas that you want to change colors. Check a Photoshop tutorial on how to do this.
After you're done, save the file as a .png, make sure you have the "alpha channels" options
selected. For the smallest file size (Note that PNGs never have image loss), use "None"
for the Interlace and "Up" for the Filter.
In both cases the filename has to be icon_bodytype_skinnumber. Example: icon_head_a1.png.
Place the file in your model's directory.
11. You now have to create shaders for your icon. If you already have shader file you can
add to it, otherwise, create a .shader file in a /shaders directory in your work area.
Review the way Raven did it in the assets.pk3 for examples.
12. Open up your shader file and add a shader for your icon.
If you didn't do color selection use the following as a base:
models/players/jedi_tf/icon_lower_e1
{
nopicmip
nomipmaps
q3map_nolightmap
{
map models/players/jedi_tf/icon_lower_e1
}
}
If you did do color selection use the following as a base:
models/players/jedi_rm/icon_lower_f1
{
nopicmip
nomipmaps
{
map models/players/jedi_hoth/icon_lower_male
rgbGen identity
}
{
map models/players/jedi_hoth/icon_lower_male
blendFunc GL_SRC_ALPHA GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA
rgbGen vertex
}
}
Note that you'll need to change the directory/filenames for it to work. You don't have to
list your file extensions.
13. That should be it. You can now pack things up and use them in the game.
new customizable player class parts.
We assume that you're using Photoshop 7.0 with the PNG plugin installed, have the JKA
Modeling SDK installed, have Modview working, and have already set up your new skins
correctly. You can find the PNG plugin @
1. Open up the player class's model in Modview. Be SURE to NOT rotate the model at all.
2. Select the appropriate skin from the skin menu. You do this by opening up "==>
model.glm <==" (this button is on the left side of your screen), opening up the "Skins
available" and then double clicking on the skin you want.
4. Next, determine which animation you want the player to be in for the icon. Select the
correct animation, first sort the animation list by right-clicking the "Sequences ( From
.cfg file)" and then selecting "Sort by Name ( unchecked = sort by Frame # ). Next, search down the list and double-click on the animation you want. Here's a table of suggested animations...
Animations Used for Model Class Icons
---------------------------------------------
BOTH_STAND1 Lower
BOTH_STAND1/BOTH_STAND8 Torso
3. Now, you're going to turn off (make invisible) all the model surfaces except for the
ones you want. You do this by navigating thru the "Surfaces" menu, right clicking on the
ones you want turned off and clicking either "Set status: OFF" (turn off only this
surface) or "Set status: OFF + NO DESCENDANTS" (turns off this surfaces and all surfaces
that are below it in the surface order. You'll not want to pick this option unless you're
sure you want to turn off everything "downwind" from this surface. For example, to turn
off the left arm and the left hand, you'd set "Set status: OFF + NO DESCENDANTS" for the
left arm). To see your handwork, just click on "==> model.glm <==".
4. At this point you should only see the surfaces you want an icon of (the head, the
torso, etc). Now, maximize modview's window and then click on the "Best fit to Screen"
button on the tool bar. It looks like a stick figure with arrows pointing away from it.
5. Save this to a screenshot file by selecting View->Screenshot to file or by pressing
SHIFT-C. This will save a screenshot to somewhere on your hard drive. On my system Modview
just puts the files in c:\.
6. Open up the file in Photoshop.
7. First off, you'll need to remove the Ravensoft copyright from the bottom of the
picture. Check your Photoshop tutorials on how to do this.
8. Now, resize the picture. Click on Image->Image Size. Set it up so that the height
will be 128 pixels high at 72 pixels/inch. Be sure that "Constrain Proportions is on. Press
ok.
9. Resize the width to the correct size. To do this, click on Image->Canvas Size. Set
the width to be 128 pixels wide and then press ok. there will be a warning message about
the canvas being smaller than the image, press Proceed.
10. You know have a choice. You can either have color selection on your icon or not.
If you decide to not use color selection, you can simply save your icon as a jpg.
If you want color selection, you need to add an alpha channel that covers everything EXCEPT
the areas that you want to change colors. Check a Photoshop tutorial on how to do this.
After you're done, save the file as a .png, make sure you have the "alpha channels" options
selected. For the smallest file size (Note that PNGs never have image loss), use "None"
for the Interlace and "Up" for the Filter.
In both cases the filename has to be icon_bodytype_skinnumber. Example: icon_head_a1.png.
Place the file in your model's directory.
11. You now have to create shaders for your icon. If you already have shader file you can
add to it, otherwise, create a .shader file in a /shaders directory in your work area.
Review the way Raven did it in the assets.pk3 for examples.
12. Open up your shader file and add a shader for your icon.
If you didn't do color selection use the following as a base:
models/players/jedi_tf/icon_lower_e1
{
nopicmip
nomipmaps
q3map_nolightmap
{
map models/players/jedi_tf/icon_lower_e1
}
}
If you did do color selection use the following as a base:
models/players/jedi_rm/icon_lower_f1
{
nopicmip
nomipmaps
{
map models/players/jedi_hoth/icon_lower_male
rgbGen identity
}
{
map models/players/jedi_hoth/icon_lower_male
blendFunc GL_SRC_ALPHA GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA
rgbGen vertex
}
}
Note that you'll need to change the directory/filenames for it to work. You don't have to
list your file extensions.
13. That should be it. You can now pack things up and use them in the game.