Making icons

[Doom]

Different way of making icons
Written by Nexus:


I would like to share an alternative icon making method that I have been taught. It has many small steps but I have been told that this method is fairly fool prof. The best part is that a total FL modding novice can use it with ease.

Software you need: Image editing software, FL Moddel Cloner and UTF editor.

1) Choose an extisting icon from the Data/Equipment/Models/Commodities/NNicons. Copy and past that into another folder.

2) Load up FL Model cloner and open the Icon you just copied.

There will be 3 minimized tree's on the left hand side, expand all three.



Click on the line with the red X under VMesh ID's. A string of text will appear in the New Name box on the right. Find the name of the Icon in that string and replace that portion with the name you will be using. In this case I am replacing cwire_contraband_3 with ID_tut

Before:


After:


Note that affter you cange the name the X in the left hand tree turns into a check mark.

Next click on the line with the red X under 3DB (VMeshRef) Names. Replace the back slash with your Icon name.

*NOTE* When you choose an Icon name, always use the same name! If you do not you will encounter errors later. It is case sensitive.



Repeat this process with the line under Material ID's.



Now you can go into file and Export the model. Be sure to add .3db to the end of the file name. ( Ex ID_tut.3db ) By default the program will try to save it as a .3ds or .cmp which will not work.

This is half of the process. Now you need to open UTF editor and open your newly created icon. Expand the tree and then expand the Material Library and Texture Library sections.



Slowly double click on both areas that say synth_crop in this example and replace with the name of your icon.



Now expand the ID_tut under the Material Library. Click on Dt name then go over to the Interpret data as section and change the window to string.



Click the edit button beside string. A window will appear. Replace whatever is there with your icon name. Click Update.



Now expand the ID_tut under Texture library. Select the MIP0 and click on the import button.



Choose your icon image and click open.

*NOTE* For best results save your icon image as dds file in your image editor. If you cannot save as a .dds save the file as a .tga, just rember to rotate the image other wise it will appear upside down ingame.

Now hit save and your icon should be finished!