Changing the hero icon.

Okay, let's take one of the Master maps as an example (simply because icons were recently discussed there) and make an icon for Elva!

1.
Here, we have exported it to the desktop.

Let's check its size in File Explorer -- it shows

Remember this number -- if our final 128x128 icon weighs the same, then we most likely saved it correctly. But I will still attach a screenshot later showing which format I used to save in, so as not to get confused.

2.
If you already have an image template with transparent black color of size 128x128, or if you made it earlier (found, Download from this message: I will attach it as base.dds), then this step can be skipped.

To add transparency to this icon, I suggest creating a new empty 128x128 image in paint.NET



The next sequence of actions is as follows: we set black as the primary color and perform a fill of the image.



Select our (only) background layer, click the wrench icon ("Properties") in the layers panel



and set the layer opacity to 0



Save, close the image, and open it again (the eyedropper just didn't work correctly for me until I closed the image and opened it again).

What format should you save in? At this stage, a simple png with transparency is fine, but if you want to save in the correct dds, see point 5 near the end when we save the final result.

So, let's open our template -- and you are wonderful, it really is black-transparent, just as the game requires! See the eyedropper action in the screenshot.



3.
Let's deal with the elf girl. So, let's open it.



Take an eraser with some reasonable hardness and size, and carefully remove the background. Be especially careful near the ears; Elven Ears are Important!



Take the magic wand and click on one of the transparent areas of the drawing, in this case -- on the left. Adjust the magic wand sensitivity so that this entire area is selected, but it doesn't overlap our elf girl (borderline semi-transparent pixels should not be included in the selection).



Hold Ctrl and click with the magic wand now on the right area of the elf.



Now go to the "Edit" menu and invert the selection.



We ended up with only the elf girl selected and nothing extra.



Press Ctrl+C. Open our base.dds template from point 2. Press Ctrl+Shift+V in it.
The most important part is done!

4.
So, we have a modified base.dds image with two layers: the bottom one is transparent, and the top one is the elf girl.
Go to the bottom layer and draw a black border under the elf girl, about two pixels thick or slightly thicker. I did this with a brush. It's possible it might turn out neater if you use the "Line / Curve" tool; in that case, you should draw curved lines specifically. But here is my result:



Final touches. Take the "shapes" drawing tool, select "rectangle" and "fill only". Primary color -- black.



And draw rectangles on the top layer (where the elf girl is) in those places where the elf girl touches the edge of the image. Exactly two pixels thick.



When you are finished with this, the layers can be merged. Result:



5.
Save the image as dds (Direct Draw Surface). For icons -- here is the format I used to save in:



You won't ruin the base, but it's better to save to a new file.
Also, at the time, I only made 128x128 icons. The game can scale various 64x64 and 32x32 ones from the large version itself; however, I don't know about the quality -- perhaps it's not worth it. And yet, the developers of the "Tribes of the East" expansion use only large icons in their files.

[spoiler=Result in game:][/spoiler]

Now, like in a school lesson -- where did the teacher make a mistake? Who can spot it on the screenshot?

Correct,

I initially forgot the black line on the upper border of the elf girl. According to the game authors' standard, black lines should be everywhere: top, bottom, and sides, if the portrait touches them.

That seems to be everything.

Attaching the result and the base (template) in the archive elf + base.zip