Alpha Tile for Dummies

[bhusta]

Alpha Tile for Dummies

-by bhusta

Complexity: Low

Requirements:

• Warcraft 3 Editor
• An alpha tile texture

This tutorial explains what is an alpha tile, how one can create it and how one can use it.

First of all, why do people call it alpha tile?

• It is a texture which only uses the alpha channel.
• An alpha channel can be used for different things like team color or transparency. In this case it is the transparency.
• Not all file types have an alpha channel. Look at the following example. The first file type of the picture is .png. The second one is .jpg

Example

.png

.jpg

This tutorial is divided into three parts.

1. How to create an alpha tile?
2. How to make it useable for the editor?
3. How to use it?

Part 1 - How to create an alpha tile?

open a graphic modification software like gimp or photoshop. create a new image. The dimensions must be divisible by two like 2x2 or 256x256. The size doesn't matter. The background color must be transparent. After creating the image you already created the alpha tile. Now you have to make it useable for warcraft 3. Save it as a .bmp file because this file type has an alpha channel. open Warcraft 3 Viewer link Press the TGA -> BLP button open your new created transparent image. save it. Now you should have something like yourFileName.blp

Part 2 - How to make it useable in the Warcraft 3 Editor?

Create a new map this tutorial uses the Lordearon-Summer standard tile set import your alpha tile texture with the file type .blp via Import-Manager How can one use it? The alpha tile is a texture which will replace an existing texture of a tile. We will replace the DirtGrass tile. So, how do we do that? We have to change the import path of the imported texture to the path of the tile we want to replace. The paths of tiles have this scheme: TerrainArt\Tileset_Name\Tile_Name.blp As mentionened above the tileset name is Lordearon-Summer so the path is Terrain Art\LordearonSummer\ and we want to replace the DirtGrass so the final path is TerrainArt\LordearonSummer\Lords_DirtGrass.blp You can find all TerrainArt paths under this link. Changing path Now, save the map and restart the Editor.

Part 3 - How to use the alpha tile?

Basically, you can use it like any other tile. Just like this. Using the alpha tile Pick brush Place units on it Example 1 - The Bridge Example 1 Select the fire doodads and press "Ctrl + PgDn". This will lower the doodads so that the fire will be under the terrain. Now, you can place a unit on it and it lookds like a stone bridge. Example 2 - The walkable Volcano Example 2 Place the volcano doodad somewhere. Brush with the alpha tile and press G to see the grid. Now raise the terrain so that you can see the grid on the volcano. You have to select the vocano first and press "Ctrl + PgDn or PgUp" so that the vocano doesn't change the height with the terrain. A walkable volcano. You can see the examples in the attached map. Tile Overlapping The last point is about overlapping of the terrain tiles. It has a significant effect on how the alpha tile looks in Warcraft 3. Overlapping simply defines which tile overlaps another tile. This is how the overlapping is in the examples above: Now we are going to change the overlapping order. This is how one can change it: Open the Edit Tileset window here: Advanced -> Edit Tileset This is the window you should see: Now, move the alpha tile (DirtGrass) to the left and it is under the other tiles, move it to the right and it is on the other tiles. At the bottom Attention Do not move the alpha tile to the very left like in this example! If the alpha tile is the bottom tile, it looses its transparency At the top

Limitations of the Alpha tile

it looses transparency in fog of war and black mask It is white or black on the minimap How to solve this problem can be found here. it looses transparency if it is the bottom tile as mentioned in the overlapping part above.

 

[fladdermasken]

You can also apply this if you want other tiles to overlap so the full square doesn't show.

http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/...ials-278/terrain-overgoes-small-guide-145182/

 

[bhusta]

Thanks, I will also gather some other links of tutorials which use the alpha tile. Your point could be quite important. I don't know yet if it would be better I just show your link or make an example of my own.

 

[fladdermasken]

Probably cover it yourself. Collect what you need from Belgarath's tutorial and optimize it.

Oh, there's also this weird phenomena that if you shift it to far left, it's no longer transparent. Don't know why.

 

[bhusta]

So, I added the overlapping point. Maybe I change the layout. It looks a little bit messy now.

What do you mean by

Oh, there's also this weird phenomena that if you shift it to far left, it's no longer transparent. Don't know why.

?

The shadow in front of the map boundary acts like the fog of war, if you mean that ^^

 

[Kino]

Oh, there's also this weird phenomena that if you shift it to far left, it's no longer transparent. Don't know why.

I can confirm this.

 

[fladdermasken]

The shadow in front of the map boundary acts like the fog of war, if you mean that ^^

No I meant in the Edit Tileset window. If you shift the alpha tile to the far left side of the window it isn't transparent anymore when you place it.

Try it out, it converts to paper-white texture with no transparency. I acutally used it as ice once.

 

[bhusta]

what the hell that was new to me

edit: I have to edit the overlapping part ...

edit2: added the new problem

 

[PurgeandFire]

Looks nice overall. Since you have added the part about overlapping, I think it is unique enough to be approved.

 

[myPhoenixBlade123]

omg GREAT its usefull clear tutorial!
1+

 

[bhusta]

omg GREAT its usefull clear tutorial!
1+

Thank you.

I also added a point on how to solve one of the limitations.

If someone finds more limitations and/or possible solving approaches I will be happy to add them.

 

[V]

The transparency issue can be solved with this configuration:

1. Alpha tile in second tile position
2. "Masked Areas Are Partially Visible" can be checked or unchecked (Map Properties)
3. In triggers add this

• Player Group - Pick every player in (All players) and do (Actions)
  • Loop - Actions
    • Visibility - Create an initially Enabled visibility modifier for (Picked player) emitting Black mask across (Playable map area)

If you want to solve the minimap issue you can do this:

1. Select a dummy tile for coloring the minimap (snow in this time)
2. Travel across the map changing that tile with our alpha tile

See the attachment to make a test.

If you want to find the code of a tile:

place that tile in the center of the map (where the tree is) and use code findcode later change this value with dummy_tile_type variable value.

Commands

• fogon
• fogoff
• blackon
• blackoff
• swap
• findcode

I make a tutorial for that see this:

Alpha Tile Issues solving

 

[Meatsausage]

Hello! Any way how to make an invisible tile in Reforged?

Greets

 

[Mayday]

Not the answer you wanted, but if you change one of the ruined ground models to "none.mdl" and place it, it will appear invisible in game. You're limited to squares only, though.

Hello! Any way how to make an invisible tile in Reforged?

Greets