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[Tutorial] Model Icons and Previews without Photoshop - Printable Version +- The VG Resource (https://www.vg-resource.com) +-- Forum: Archive (https://www.vg-resource.com/forum-65.html) +--- Forum: July 2014 Archive (https://www.vg-resource.com/forum-139.html) +---- Forum: Other Stuff (https://www.vg-resource.com/forum-6.html) +----- Forum: Questions, Info, and Tutorials (https://www.vg-resource.com/forum-89.html) +----- Thread: [Tutorial] Model Icons and Previews without Photoshop (/thread-19668.html) |
[Tutorial] Model Icons and Previews without Photoshop - John2k4 - 02-28-2012 How to make icons for your models without Photoshop, using free & simple tools! ![]() For the purpose of this guide, I will use models from Homeworld, previewed in 3D Exploration. This guide should work with any standard 3D viewer, however. Necessary Tools: Icon Maker V3 IrfanView GIMP Icons Step 1: Prepare for Screenshots Simple enough: prepare for taking a good, clean screenshot of the 3D model. This means disabling all 3D axis, grids, and things that would get in the way of the model. [Optional]: Toggle the lighting so that the model is evenly lit from all over. Set the background to a bright color that is not present in the models. ![]() Step 2: The Screenshot Rotate and pan around until the model is in a good position for the icon. Scale it up or down to a small size (whatever will look good for the icon preview). Once that is taken care of, press your PrintScreen key. ![]() Step 3: Cropping Open Irfanview, and press paste (either Ctrl+V or Edit-> Paste). Holding down your left click button, drag a box around the model. Once you are satisfied with the box, select Cut (either Ctrl+X or Edit-> Cut). ![]() Step 4: Pasting & Finishing Open IconMaker, and start a new model sheet. You will have a blank icon. Paste in the cropped image (either Ctrl+V or Image-> Paste Image). The image should now be in the icon, with the background still around it. ![]() Now open the "Image" menu, and navigate to the "Transparency -> Background" submenu. Choose "Top Left Pixel". Your image should now be transparent, with the 3D model on the proper tMR icon background. You can now move it around by left clicking & dragging your mouse. ![]() ![]() Add the name of the model through the text menu, save your icon, and post it with your model! ![]() ![]() Previews Follow the above guide to step 3, making sure to enlarge the model a decent bit. Once you have the cropped image, start GIMP and open the standard tMR preview image (available below). ![]() ![]() Paste in your cropped model image, and do the following key combination: Ctrl+Shift+N. This will create a new layer for your recently pasted image, allowing us to work with it. ![]() ![]() Now navigate to the Toolbox window, and select the Magic Wand at the top. Make sure the threshold, in the lower part of the toolbox, is a low number (around 15). ![]() Click anywhere on the background of the pasted image, and you should notice marching lines around the model. Press Ctrl+X (or navigate to Edit-> Cut) to remove the entire background at this point, leaving only the model resting on the tMR background. (To get rid of the selection & marching lines [to make more edits], click anywhere outside the image, on the grey of the window with the wand tool.) Save your image as a JPG (make sure to specify the extension, otherwise GIMP will use its own format), and upload this, too! ![]() ![]() ![]() RE: [Tutorial] Model Icons and Previews without Photoshop - Garamonde - 02-29-2012 Edited the thread title and copied over to Model Discussion + sticky. ![]() [Closed, see here for more information] |