EQInterface Forums - Tutorial: How to make your own custom graphics

12-21-2002, 02:03 AM	#46
Kaenil Darkwolf A Weathered Clockwork Join Date: Aug 2002 Server: Tholuxe Paells Posts: 341	Billgobaginss, I'm in the situation you are. I don't want to spend that kind of money on something like this. I found this program called Pixia(Strange name :/). It works well for me, and it's completely free. Click here for a link to the Pixia homepage It may be a bit difficult to use at first but once you learn the basics it's pretty easy. __________________ They have taken the bridge and the second hall.. We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes, drums... drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow lurks in the dark. We can not get out... they are coming......

07-10-2003, 09:16 AM	#47
Scubby A Gray Wolf Join Date: Jul 2003 Server: Maelin Starpyre Posts: 5	Re: Tutorial: How to make your own custom graphics If you didn't already, copy the "default" directory in $everquest$\uifiles\, and save it under a name you will remember, like "myprettyui" Nice post! Just one comment. You no longer need to copy the ENTIRE default directory to your "myprettyui" directory. You ONLY need the file that you are changing. Several patches ago they fixed this problem and now the UI will first read from your "loadskin" directory and then from the default directory for any pieces not defined in your "loadskin" dir. This makes it very nice and a LOT less cluttered. You can place only the files you are changing in the "myprettyui" directory. This also makes it MUCH easier to deal with UI patch changes, as you no longer need to recopy items from the default to your myprettyui dir after the patch, they will have already been updated in the default dir.

01-03-2004, 07:47 PM	#48
SolsticemoonBB A Tundra Mammoth Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 60	Thanks very much. The tutorial had exactly the information I needed. -sols

01-30-2004, 08:49 PM	#49
Koushirou A Ghoul Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 10	If I'm using Photoshop 5.0, how do I find out the coordinates and lengths and such for the graphic?

04-04-2004, 11:35 PM	#50
wingbane A Bat Join Date: Sep 2003 Server: tribunal Posts: 1	Photoshop 5 size To find the size of an image in any photoshop, i think since 1.0 or 2.0, its under the image menu, under size. You might also be able to click on File menu, info i think, but 7.0 only has a menu for you to enter information. It no longer shows anything about the image. I beleive in 5.0 it will have a menu pop up at that point, as if you wanted to change the size, and you'll need to switch it to pixels, instead of inches, the same way 7.0 and 6.0 both default unless you change them. __________________ Maybe coming outta retirement to play EQ some more.

07-08-2004, 09:45 PM	#51
Sylphan A Predatory Creeper Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 254	Pixia doesn't seem to do Targa files, so that didn't help me much. I have Gimp installed but find it very difficult to use. But I found an editor today called Project Dogwaffle, apparently through a reference from this message board. Version 1.2 is the free version, and it has a bunch of alpha-channel features (and even an alpha-channel toolbar) that make editing transparency rather easy.

09-15-2004, 03:54 PM	#52
scaevola A Tundra Mammoth Join Date: Nov 2002 Server: Veeshan Posts: 64	How do you find the pixel locs for graphics in photoshop? Nothing I have found has been able to discern them so i can add them to the coding part... which I'm still unclear about.. Using photoshop 6 or 7? __________________ Scaevola Minderaser - Coercer of the 65th Season Sceptered Isle E70.500/Ve 5.8khp 8.0km ft25 G++++ e+++(++++) T+++++ o+ t++++ L-- H+(+++) f++(+++) g b+ c++++ D+ X

09-20-2004, 09:53 AM	#53
Enchasze A Ghoul Join Date: Nov 2002 Server: TP Posts: 17	TheRealDuuece, and others asking: I started playing with graphics and making sigs, now moving to graphics and playing with UI's (none yet ) but a fairly inexpensive program I use is from Serif, PhotoPlus............they used to have a free trial D/L to see how you like it...... Set preferences to background = transparent, and work from there. Serif Hope this is helpful,

11-02-2005, 10:24 AM

#54

rjengel

A Shissar Disciple

Join Date: Dec 2004

Server: Fennin Ro

Posts: 100

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veirna

ehhh whats the alpha channel for ?

The Alpha Channel is to allow for transparencies so if you have an image that has openings in it anywhere the alpha channel allows the program to say hey nothing is suppose to be in the open area here, so you are able to see through it on screen.

__________________

(CLICK HERE FOR INTERFACES I'VE CREATED)

11-02-2005, 10:29 AM

#55

rjengel

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Join Date: Dec 2004

Server: Fennin Ro

Posts: 100

Quote:

Originally Posted by scaevola

How do you find the pixel locs for graphics in photoshop? Nothing I have found has been able to discern them so i can add them to the coding part... which I'm still unclear about..

Using photoshop 6 or 7?

In the Photoshop 6 or 7 program you go to VIEW then click RULER or use CTRL+R. Then go to image where you see the Ruler, and Right Click on the RULER itself, There you can choose PIXEL and it will show the measurements in Pixel Count. You can also drag a reference Line from the ruler to a location either horizontally or vertically to allow you precise placement of an smaller image inside your file...

Also you can make files as small as 16X16 before they get start to look out of porportion

11-02-2005, 10:32 AM

#56

rjengel

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Join Date: Dec 2004

Server: Fennin Ro

Posts: 100

Quote:

Originally Posted by scott309

Ok, two things.

1. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to use the spell icons in place of the spell gem icons? I like the tking icons, but they are too small for a friend of mine to see. What I'm looking for is a way to make the icons in the cast window the same size as the icons in the spell book. I'm guessing it's not as easy as cut and paste the bigger icons (in the proper order of course) and rename the tga file. I know the bigger icons won't fit in the gem holders and this is fine with me. All I want is the spell icon and the spell name with a transparent background anyway.

2. Can anyone point me in the direction of good (easy to use) graphics editor so I can play around with making my own?

If anyone knows of a larger set of gem icons let me know. I've found a bigger set, but the icons are very grainy as tho someone just enlarged the smaller gem icons. If someone is willing to give this a try for me, what I'm looking for is the larger icons on the left and the spell name on the right with no border, no window name and a transparent background.

Thanks
Scott

You can edit the size of the spell gems, this however takes alot of trial and error to get what you want.. and you need to remember the larger you make the image if too large can start to distort the image and make it blurrly looking if you make it too large

11-02-2005, 10:42 AM

#57

rjengel

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Join Date: Dec 2004

Server: Fennin Ro

Posts: 100

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bled Lifeblood

Ok, I think I've got the hang of adding graphics using the animations.xml. One thing I'm wondering is, it seems kind of a pain to play with that file as it constantly gets written over when adding new mods or pieces. I've seen people do graphics without editing the animations file, do you just declare you texture and UI2d's in the file your working on in that case?

Yes, Any file that is mentioned in either EQUI_Animations.xml or even EQUI_Templates.xml can be placed within any other files, But you have to remember that it HAS to be a unique name. So you can place the WDT_RounededNoTitle Window Draw Template file from the Template file into say your group window for example and then modifiy it how you want, BUT YOU MUST 1.) Replace the modified the EQUI_Templates File (or do not save changes made when altering) 2.) Make certain that the WindowDrawTemplate file you placed in the group window has a UNIQUE name so you would have to change the SCREEN ID and the NAME to be UNIQUE (example change it from WDT_RoundedNoTitle to something easy like WDT_Group) and then you make certain that the file is included and used as the border at the end of the file.
Then you group window would be the only window using that modified border

Just a basic run down, I don't know If I made more questions, or helped to answers some of them LOL

Sincerely;
R.J Engel

08-23-2006, 03:32 PM	#58
Koreno A Gray Wolf Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 5	When I start my new image and choose transparent... I get a checkerboard bg and not a black BG like yours.... I look at all the TGA in the UI directory and they are all black BGs too. WHat am I doing wrong.

08-23-2006, 04:17 PM	#59
Haliken Quintessence of EQUI XML Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 773	The background color has absolutely nothing to do with transparency for the format of TGA EQ uses. The TGA file needs to contain an alpha channel. The easiest way (for me) to make sure it does, is to start with an already existing EQ TGA so that an alpha channel already exists. I'll then resize the image, and edit the RGB channel and alpha channel as I see fit. The alpha channel is a black and white image; full white is 100 visible, full black is 100% transparent, and all 98 shades of gray in between are varing levels of translucency. In photoshop, ctrl+4 is a shortcut to the alpha channel (and ctrl+~ goes back to the RGB channel). Enok

08-23-2006, 08:28 PM	#60
Koreno A Gray Wolf Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 5	I tried this... But im doing somehting wrong... When I open an existing tga and look at the alpha channel, i can still see the important stuff... But when I edit one to be my image, and then look at the alpha channel, all i see if black. no important stuff.