Since I'm completely graphics illiterate, I find that I have grave difficulties when it comes to creating custom icons for new items in the game. Every time I save the icon, it comes up in the game with a beautiful white background around it that totally makes it stand out. Any tips on removing it? I've tried using the transparency feature, but .tga files can't save that information, so I'm lost.

- Star Admiral

Since I'm completely graphics illiterate, I find that I have grave difficulties when it comes to creating custom icons for new items in the game. Every time I save the icon, it comes up in the game with a beautiful white background around it that totally makes it stand out. Any tips on removing it? I've tried using the transparency feature, but .tga files can't save that information, so I'm lost.

- Star Admiral

Save as a 24 bit tga. 32 bit saved tgas don't save the alpha channel.

I tried what you suggested, and it worked. Photoshop saved the alpha channel. The problem though, is that the background is still there. I must be doing something wrong, as Photoshop can see the alpha channel but the game can't.

Any suggestions?

- Star Admiral

For an alpha to have any transparency basically black in the alpha is transparent white is opaque. Any levels of grey between the two are varying degrees of transparency let's say you added a glow effect behind the robe or whatever your icon is for .. on the alpha that would be from white = your item then to light grey darkening out to black for the glow

or no glow white = your item , black all the negative space surrounding it

If you have Photoshop 7 then check this post here http://www.lucasforums.com/showpost.php?p=1594374&postcount=5) the TGA link still works and you just overwrite the faulty tga plug in that shipped with ps 7

Here is the link for the working .tga plugin
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloa...44&fileID=1478)

hope this helps

svösh

I'm using Photoshop Extended CS3, so would the plugin work?

Since I've had such difficulty creating a new icon, I've decided to first attempt a simple recoloring of an existing one. Predictably, it didn't work. If someone would be kind enough to offer me some help, I've uploaded my work here (http://rapidshare.com/files/160119866/iw_SbrCrstl_005.tga.html). This icon corresponds to the Eralam crystal, u_l_crys_14.

Thanks a million!

- Star Admiral

No that plug in fix is just for ps 7, i looked at your file it appears ok to me is your .uti set to 5 for mod var ?

and are you running the game on the high texture settting ?

Yes, the model variation is set to 5. The icon appears ingame, but the black background around it won't disappear.

I am running on high texture settings. Would it make a difference? As I understand it, there are three texture packs, one for each level of detail, but only one package for the icons.

- Star Admiral

Hrmm...looks like it should be fine. Try this version - iw_SbrCrstl_005.tga (17 KB) (http://d.imagehost.org/download/0454/iw_SbrCrstl_005.tga)

Texture settings won't make a difference. Icons are so small they only come in one size. Plus anything in the Override folder overrides the default textures anyway, regardless of quality setting.

Got it. It's working. Perhaps I'm a little unobservant, but what exactly did you change?

I must thank everyone here for spoon-feeding me info on getting the simple icon straight. :emodanc: I really need to improve my editing skills.

On a side note, if I want to add to the set of icons (i.e. there are currently 49 ingame icons and I want to add 11 more), what do I need to add? Looking at other mods, it appears that I need to put a .txi file. Question is, what's in the .txi file?

- Star Admiral

No .txi's for icons they just use alpha transparency from the texture.

txi's are shader files they replace transparency with one of the many in game shader effects
or force transparency like saber blades open one up and you'll see it's a full white alpha channel

So, how would I add them? I tried follow the naming convention provided by the game, but it unfortunately does not work.

- Star Admiral

Perhaps I'm a little unobservant, but what exactly did you change?Took the RGB layer from your file and pasted it into another file extracted from the game. I guess you changed something at some point that it didn't like, but I'm not sure what exactly.

So, how would I add them?If you want to add a custom saber colour crystal with an icon then you need to add it to upcrystals.2da. Have a look here (http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=143991) and here (http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=143456).