How to make Starcraft II icons

[Hero_Lief]

Try using Paint.NET. You can get it for free here. Simple open your DDS (by default, DDS is supported), grab the magic wand, select your white area (or where you want to be transparent), and hit "delete". The selected area will instantly become alpha channeled. This probably is not the best way to do it, but it works. If you want it professionally done, attach your DDS and I'll see what I can do.

Also remember that PNGs do work as well; they're almost just as good as a DDS, minus their size (slightly larger) and single layers.

 

[Colt556]

Actually I figured it out, the images I was using were already alpha channeled, it was the fact that I was 'creating new', thus the background was a solid white. When I open my images as layers, it works fine. Aside from them being horribly misshapen and ugly as hell. lol

 

[Dr Super Good]

You can install the offical .dds editor made by microsoft themselves (who specified the .dds format) for free. It is part of the DirectX SDK which is a free set of tools aimed for developing programs for DirectX.

Be aware that a lot of the options it have are for buffers and not textures (as .dds is a buffer format of which textures are a small subset). Yes making a cube map of floating-point surfaces may sound cool but I do not think SC2 will make much use of them.

 

[Statharas]

Updated.

 

[Foronisus]

guys i didnt understanded how to make icon... how to mae Disbtn and other things?

 

[Statharas]

Simply put. You don't have to. Your icon changes ingame if the button that is using it is disabled or not.

 

[Dr Super Good]

They also do not have to be a certain size. A 66x66 icon will most likly work fine.

 

[Statharas]

The bigger, the better, as you can add as much definition as you want for those tiny details.

 

[Foronisus]

so what size should i make for icon?

 

[Dr Super Good]

The bigger, the better, as you can add as much definition as you want for those tiny details.

Not entirly true. Remember that the icons will be displayed at a certain size only so any resolution above the size of the icon on the ingame interface just wastes space.

I would recon that the icons should be complient for native display on a 1080p complying display (so the icon is displayed 1:1) at standard interface layout. Any resolution above that is very rare and probably not worth the extra file size. If the icon is too big or too smaller, SC2 will auto scale it using filtering to the appropiate size.

As for that resolution... I do not know off hand. I guess it needs to be measured.

 

[Foronisus]

one more question where can i upload pictures,2d Art?

 

[Dr Super Good]

If these pictures are for display on the forums (like to get help or give help), either attach them to your post or upload them to pastebin and link that.

If these pictures are finished icons or skins, upload them to the appropiate resource section (SC 2 Resources).

 

[Statharas]

You forgot resolutions. The UI will change depending on your resolution. That is why i would suggest 256x256.

 

[Malpheus]

64x64 is optimal for me, attached a simple unit icon/button.

 

[Statharas]

Eh, remove the background.

 

[Tleno]

If you want to capture the model without the background, by the way, you can just load it to editor's model previewer and screenshot there - the grey background is much more easy to edit.