Following my first tutorial on how to make and implement units cards / icons, this one is going to treat the part of weapons icons.
The tutorial will be step by step, pictures..so everyone even not friendly with modding can do it. (kinda like if I was explaining to kids, but at least you will understand, I hope.) Even if some elements are in french you won't have any major problem understanding where to click.
In order to reach that : (not very nice but I'm more an autist than an artist, I'll explain why it's looking like this)
Spoiler : :
MAKE A BACKUP BEFORE DOING ANYTHING !
Required softwares & stuff
Some softwares will have a bigger importance than others, and they won't be used for their main "use" but for a side job.
GIMP : http://www.gimp.org/downloads/ - To do the major job on the weapon's icon.
PAINT.NET : http://www.getpaint.net/download.html - To save it in the correct format and parameters. (used for texturing / for skins..)
NOTEPAD : https://notepad-plus-plus.org/download/v7.html - To edit the installer code, for your own weapons icons, but it will be explained later, it's not hard.
The Modding Suite : (By Enohka) viewtopic.php?f=187&t=56451#p904985 - To search weapons icons to replace, I'll explain some stuff concerning that.
The Wargame Mod Installer : (By Vasto) https://mega.nz/#F!BdIgWLSI!R2J0VOT_0cmE8m9492oejw - With a modified code from me, so it's more simple for you to install, I'll explain later.
Threshold Plugin : http://paint.net.amihotornot.com.au/fea ... Threshold/ - Good suggestion by The W:AB Noob to translate into black & white in PAINT.NET : , time to test it and I'll add a secondary way to do things among the tutorial.
So, I'm going to explain how to do a main weapon (rifle), although you can do missiles, canons, rocket launchers or whatever you want.
I've decided to use one main technique to do it, faster than what I was doing before.
Tutorial
The icon we are going to do today is the Berreta AX-160, I've searched few different side view pictures and came out with that one being the most proper. At some point you will be able to choose two different ways to do it, one is faster and needs the Threshold Plugin.
STEP 1
> Open the referencial image of your weapon into GIMP :
STEP 1.2
> Select the smallest pencil size by double clicking on it, take smallest size and the good brush by clicking on small picture, take the small dot.
STEP 1.3
> Go on down left corner and zoom at 800%, or click on it to edit to 1000% if you want. (will be necessary at some point)
HERE : OR, you use the Threshold Plugin : in Paint.net that will turn colors into black & white, should make it faster. OR, you just follow the long way under spoiler, both are doable. (Thanks to The W:AB Noob for suggestion)
Spoiler : :
STEP 1.6
> Just up there there isn't the trigger area done, but you have to do it, I did it just after. So for the external you should have something like this, I've done the internal too BUT, it's not necessary as when we will reduce size you will loose every detail, it's just to get a global image of where is what, don't need to go that far in detail as I did.
STEP 2
> Now you can right click and Cut. We are going to create a new image, TAKE EX-AC-LY the same size as picture, or I hit you with a baguette.
STEP 2.1
> Time has come to paste our work, Right-Click > Paste, (OH GOD ITS SO BIG I DON'T SEE ANYTHING I CAN'T RESIZE, calm down, un-zoom to 100%, press SHIFT+T to resize, take a corner of the selected paste, try to reduce from each corner until it fits in the rectangle, you can move it with the middle circle, click on it and drag).
STEP 2.2
> So now you managed to make it fit and clicked OK, it looks like meh.
Normal, it basically went from a higher resolution to basically few pixels.
STEP 2.3
> We need to redo the shape with black lines, do same job as before, at that point I had a bug, not sure it happens to everyone but I couldn't paint or do anything on it, if it happens to you too, save the new picture (export it) then re-open it, it should fix it.
STEP 2.4
> When it's done, you can fill the exterior with black. Let me explain, the white is the only part that will appears, the black is translated as transparent ingame. That's why we use after internal black lines to make forms, the exterior lines that you have to make now are just around it, not ITSELF. As you when you will fill you will loose those details. You don't have to make as much details as I did, as normal WRD weapons aren't very detailed, it looks weird. Don't forget of course to fill the interior of white or all will be transparent of transparency.
> So after testing a bit, you see I reduced the number of details (and added sights)
> It will look a bit dirty when added to game, and I think I know why, the WRD icons are having some kind of self made shades, shades of grey (not the movie), and thats why sometimes its making some nice shapes instead of that brutal black, feel free to test yourself to make those, GREY is used for shades. In this pic you see I made a bit too much on the HK 417, during the time I was testing :
STEP 2.5
> Now it's done, you will export, File > Export As >
Now, close GIMP, and open the Icon with PAINT.NET, go to File > Save As > DDS !!!! Name your file NAMEWEAPON_icon
STEP 3
> Then we talk about the code of the installer, for those whom are familiar with my previous tutorial, you know what to do, still I'll clear up few things. Move your DDS file into the folder I provide you, Icon Installer Tutorial 2 > WeaponsIcons. Now, open with Notepad (or another software that do same job) the installerConfig
You will see things you won't understand unless you are familiar with it.
1) IF, you are someone that just want to make a unique icon for a weapon and doesn't care about making a mod, this format is good, the two paragraphs are going to replace your image over the one of the game. Now you are wondering why are they two, simply, (actually no) the game created two icons for the same weapon, one for short range (courte_portee) and one for long range (longue_portee), a weapon will have a "inner" weapon in files, for CQB, and will have more accuracy under a certain range.
So, you are just replacing your icon and doesn't care about making more for a mod, replacing these two will make it work.
2) IF, you are a modder, and making a big mod with new icons (thx to read what I've wrote upper first), then you will for example just replace courte_portee and keep the other longue_portee that is exacly the same, to make a NEW icon, get it ? In files if you wonder, there is a texture for the weapon, its in the name, just have to put both same like both courte_portee or longue_portee, so anyway its the same, and the other one is just free to be replaced for a new weapon.
Ok, tricky part away, now we need to locate the weapon you want to replace, open The Modding Suite : and go into Wargame Red Dragon's files > Data > WARGAME > PC > 510019512 > 510024196 > ZZ.4. When you opened it, you will see in the files inside a "commoninterface.pkk", select it, then go to click on the man digging into the trash > Export, be sure to have set your export path to somewhere you are sure to find it back.
Now, up on left corner, File > Open > commoninterface.pkk
Inside of that, you will search the weapon you are looking to replace, in my case, the Famas.
Remember EXACLY how it's is, each _ or letter can just make fail the installation.
Go the the installer code, put the right name of your DDS file instead of mine sourcePath="WeaponsIcons\ax160_icon.dds"
and.....common\interfaceweaponstexture\arme_famas_chasseurs_courte_portee.tgv"/> with the weapon you are willing to replace, its name found in The Modding Suite. Do it for both paragraphs, one will have longue_portee and the other courte_portee, unless it's a missile or a canon, or even a MG, unique, in that case no need for the two paragraphs.
If you want to do multiple icons in same time, you can just add the same paragraph multiple times
Code: Select all
<ReplaceImage
sourcePath="WeaponsIcons\ax160_icon.dds"
targetPath="Data\WARGAME\PC\510019512\510024196\ZZ_4.dat"
targetContentPath="pc\texture\pack\commoninterface.ppk|+pc\texture\assets\2d\interface\common\interfaceweaponstexture\arme_famas_chasseurs_courte_portee.tgv"/> The < is opening and the > is closing, as long as they are here, you can add as much as you want between <Componement.. and the last </Componement>.
I hope I was clear enough, save your code before closing, (save icon left upper corner), launch the installer, and go check ingame.
You see it looks very WHITY (and bad because I ain't an artist right), and the wargame weapons are having some shades of grey, so you can try to do it too, the main goal was to teach how to install them with few advices, hope it works and you have fun, it took some time to build all this lol
PS : took me an afternoon to 9 AM to build all, I may have made mistakes or forgot to explain well something, feel free to say or ask.
