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've exported it to the desktop.

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 of the format I used to save it, just so there's no confusion.

2.
If you already have an image template with transparent black color sized 128x128, or if you made one earlier (found and Downloaded from this post: I will attach it as base.dds), then you can skip this step.

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 (simply because my eyedropper tool didn't work correctly until I closed the image and reopened it).

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, open our template -- and voila, it's indeed black-transparent, just as the game requires! See the eyedropper action in the screenshot.


3.
Let's deal with the elf girl. So, opening it now.



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


Take the magic wand tool 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.


Now only the elf girl is selected, and nothing extra.


Press Ctrl+C. Open our base.dds template from point 2. Press Ctrl+Shift+V in it.
The main 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. 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 places where she touches the edge of the image. Exactly two pixels thick.


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


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


You won't ruin the base, but it's better to save to a new file.
Also, in my time, I only made 128x128 icons. The game can scale 64x64 and 32x32 from the large version itself; however, I don't know about the quality -- perhaps it's not worth it. Even so, 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 in the screenshot?

Correct,

I initially forgot the black line on the top 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 all.

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