CREATING SKINS & BASIC ALPHA CHANNELS EDITING

INDEX
- Required Knowledge and Software's
- Editing the skin in Photoshop
- Converting .tga to .blp
- Importing the Skin in World Editor/Your Map
- Tips

Required Knowledge and Software

Before proceeding, I am assuming that you already know how to extract and convert skins using Image Extractor 2. If not, then it is recommended that you read my tutorial on Using Warcraft Image Extractor 2 listed on the tutorials page.

Software's Needed
- Warcraft III Image Extractor 2  (latest version is v2.0)
- Adobe Photoshop CS2  (v7.0 and above recommended. Steps are similar for PaintshopPro as well)
- Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne  (for ROC, you just use WinMPQ instead of Import Manager)

Also, a basic knowledge of using Photoshop is a must. I won't be teaching you how to use photoshop in this tutorial. Use Google to search for tutorials or just learn using Photoshop's offline help provided on CD or software.

Editing the skin in Photoshop

NOTE: It is recommended that you always use .tga for exporting images from warcraft image extractor. Any other format (JPEG) is not as good as .tga, especially if you want to edit alpha channels.

- Goto Textures\Hero_BloodElf.blp and extract Hero_BloodElf.blp as Hero_BloodElf.tga

- Open the Hero_BloodElf.tga image in Photoshop

- Edit the image like you want to. For example I edit and change the robe design using Polygonal Lasso tool and change the color of whole skin using Hue/Saturation. And change it to like this...

- Switch to Alpha Channels near the layers tab.
Window will look like this...

- Select the Alpha 1 layer.
Your skin window will change to this...

- Now start editing the black and white skin parts appearing in the window.
If you want to make a part of the skin invisible (delete), you will have to color that part (alpha out the part) black. To add a new part to the skin, you will have to color (alpha in the part) the part in white.

To Delete Something from the skin = Color it Black
To Add Something to the skin = Color it White

- Now save the .TGA by pressing Ctrl+S

IMPORTANT: If you have created a new layer or done a cut and paste work on the skin, you will have to Flatten the image (layers) first. Goto Layer > Flatten Image to do this. Then save the .tga file as 32-bit image if it contains alpha channels/editing. Else, to reduce size, you can save the image as 24-bit image.

Converting .tga to .blp

- Open the new TGA image you just edited in Image Extractor 2. The preview will show the image you just edited (and opened)..

- Press Ctrl+S or goto Save > Image

Save the image as Hero_BloodElf.blp (depends on what your original skin name was) and when asked for quality option, enter 100 instead of 75. This ensures that the skin stays sharp and doesn't blur in-game. Exit the Image Extractor and open the World Editor (warcraft editor)

NOTE: 100% quality level is good for single player maps only. For B.Net or multiplayer, choose either 75% or any low one to keep the file size low and prevent lagging for modem or slow connection users.

Importing the Skin in World Editor/Your Map

- Open the map in which you want to use the skin

- Open the Import Manager by pressing F12 key. Import the new skin (Hero_BloodElf.blp) you just saved/converted from image extractor.

- Now double click the file in import manager and in the new window that appears, check the Use custom path option, and enter Textures\Hero_BloodElf.blp as the new path for the file. It will look like this...

- Press OK and then save your map and restart World Editor.

Congratulations, you just made your first skin

TIPS

- First of all, Adobe Photoshop is not available for free. There is a trail version available, but then you'll have to buy it like rest of us normal people. Also, Adobe Acrobat Reader isn't same as Photoshop. Acrobat is for reading editing PDF files, not PSD (or other Image formats). If you can't afford Photoshop, then I recommend searching for some freeware image editing programs like GIMP or whatever. Just search on Google and I am sure you will find something interesting.

- If you have created new layers while editing your image in Photoshop, make sure you flatten the image (layers in photoshop) in photoshop before saving as .tga If you didn't flatten the image, photoshop will try to save the file as copy of that image instead of original name.

- The custom path of your skin depends on the directory (folders) structure shown in Wc3 Image Extractor. For example, I found the Hero Blood Elf (Kael) skin under the category Textures, so in World Editor import manager, I will enter the path for the skin as Textures\Hero_BloodElf.blp, not just Hero_BloodElf.blp. Also, make sure you don't get confused with backward slash or not naming the directory like most people do.

- Always restart the World Editor after you add/replace any skin in your map or campaign file. Without restarting, you will see no changes or new skins in the editor. If after restarting, you still see no changes, then make sure you followed everything in this tutorial accurately. Also, sometimes, re-saving the image as 32-bit .TGA solves the problem of it not showing up in the editor even after re-saving.

- Use 100% .BLP compression when saving image from Image Extractor (as .blp). Highest quality percentage is recommended for offline maps (or campaigns) only. Don't use high quality skins for B.Net maps. For B.Net maps, try to keep the size of skin as low as possible (as long as skin is visible and not totally blurred, depends).

- Everyone doesn't have a high speed DSL or cable connection. People play online on 56kbps Modems to slow cable lines. So make sure you map size as small as possible for B.Net (recommended size is under 1.2 MB).

- This tutorial just explains basic editing of a skin in photoshop. For other skins, use your head. Not every skin has same path, or some skins with alpha channels must be saved as 32-bit TGA's not 24-bit. So experiment like hell.

- NO, MS Paint is not as same is Photoshop. It's not even close.