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New Sprite guide - 11/24/2018 1:10:55 PM   
Issue8


Posts: 129
Joined: 12/15/2013
Status: offline 		New Sprite guide
a5.jpg


This is a quick guide on how to introduce new sprites in the game, if anyone wants to customize or make their own versions. In this example, I will just re-paint an existing sprite, although completely new sprites can be made using this system. The pic below has a repainted T-72 Polish sprite.

I will use the painting program Gimp as an example, because it is freely available. Other programs (like Photoshop) can also be used in a similar way.

Before starting, I need to make a custom mod folder. It is exremely simple, but it should be done first, and the instructions are here:
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4558585



< Message edited by Tamas -- 12/4/2018 1:29:10 PM >
Post #: 1
RE: New Sprite guide - 11/24/2018 1:11:29 PM   
Issue8


Posts: 129
Joined: 12/15/2013
Status: offline 		The first thing to do is find a sprite that I want to repaint. Vehicle sprites can be found in the folder data->graphics->vehicle, where the sprites are separated by faction folders. For example, the West German sprites are in the 'de' folder, the US sprites are in the 'us' folder, and the Polish sprites are in the 'pl' folder . . . The suffixes also identify what the sprites are. Usually _td means 'Turret Desert', _ts means 'Turret Summer', and _tw means 'Turret Winter.' Suffixes like _hs, _hd, and _hw are for the hull graphics. This is the game's naming convention, but any name can be used.

*note--unlike games such as Close Combat, where vehicle graphics are locked into files and must be extracted by third-party tools, AB sprites are simple png files and easy to access.

In this example, I will repaint a T-72 sprite.

It is best to find a sprite that doesn't have a camo pattern already, because that is easier to repaint. The Polish summer units are a general green color, so that makes them easier to work with. In the 'pl' folder I open the pl_t72_hs.png and the pl_T72_ts.png:

a1.jpg

(in reply to Issue8)
Post #: 2
RE: New Sprite guide - 11/24/2018 1:12:24 PM   
Issue8


Posts: 129
Joined: 12/15/2013
Status: offline 		The next step is to desaturate the sprites, by going color->desaturate. I usually pick the 'luminance' option. If a desert sprites is used, like a desert M1a1, then sometimes the gray sprite needs to be darkened a bit by going colors->brightness and contrast, and then darkening the gray sprite a bit, but the Polish T72 is about the correct darkness:

a2.jpg


(in reply to Issue8)
Post #: 3
RE: New Sprite guide - 11/24/2018 1:13:14 PM   
Issue8


Posts: 129
Joined: 12/15/2013
Status: offline 		My next step is to create a new layer above they gray sprite, usually in 'overlay' or 'soft light' layer mode and use the paintbrush tool to paint new camo patterns.

a3.jpg

a4.jpg


(in reply to Issue8)
Post #: 4
RE: New Sprite guide - 11/24/2018 1:13:56 PM   
Issue8


Posts: 129
Joined: 12/15/2013
Status: offline 		NOW--How do you get this in game?

I have exported my new T72 hull and turret, and I named them 'pl_t72_h_camo.png' and 'pl_t72_t_camo.png' to the 'pl' folder in the 'vehicle' folder. (For sprites, Armored Brigade uses the png file format.) That's great, but AB needs to know about these new sprites before it can display them.

Letting AB know which sprites are in the game is done via the resources_custom.xml in the custom dataset folder. EVERY sprite for every vehicle is named and registered in the file.

b2.jpg


(in reply to Issue8)
Post #: 5
RE: New Sprite guide - 11/24/2018 1:14:46 PM   
Issue8


Posts: 129
Joined: 12/15/2013
Status: offline 		If I want to assign my new sprite to a unit, I must open the resources_custom.xml in a text editor and add the unit to the list. Usually, I just add the sprite names to the end of the list, following this format by simply copy/pasting another and changing the names. The lines include the new names and the file locations.

b3.jpg


OK! now I can start the game with my custom dataset.

b4.jpg


< Message edited by Issue8 -- 11/24/2018 1:26:34 PM >

(in reply to Issue8)
Post #: 6
RE: New Sprite guide - 11/24/2018 1:15:21 PM   
Issue8


Posts: 129
Joined: 12/15/2013
Status: offline 		Open the database editor from the main screen, and find the Polish T-72 in the units tab to assign the new sprites. (The unit ID# is 686)
Remember to save the changes when finished.

b5.jpg


(in reply to Issue8)
Post #: 7
RE: New Sprite guide - 11/24/2018 1:15:55 PM   
Issue8


Posts: 129
Joined: 12/15/2013
Status: offline 		If done correctly, then new sprite should show up in the purchase screen and in-game.

b6.jpg

b7.jpg


< Message edited by Issue8 -- 11/24/2018 1:16:43 PM >

(in reply to Issue8)
Post #: 8
RE: New Sprite guide - 11/24/2018 3:35:00 PM   
exsonic01

 

Posts: 1131
Joined: 7/26/2016
From: Somewhere deep in appalachian valley in PA
Status: offline 		Great tutorial! Is this photoshop you used to change colors and patterns? May I ask how do you change camouflage patterns from photoshop?

(in reply to Issue8)
Post #: 9
RE: New Sprite guide - 11/24/2018 4:01:12 PM   
Issue8


Posts: 129
Joined: 12/15/2013
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: exsonic01

Great tutorial! Is this photoshop you used to change colors and patterns? May I ask how do you change camouflage patterns from photoshop?


This example is with Gimp, but Photoshop does a fine job also.


The major steps to re-painting a sprite is to
(1) Find a suitable starting sprite to repaint that is generally a single color like green or desert yellow.
(2) Make the sprite black and white by desaturating it. In Photoshop this can be done with a Hue/Saturation/Value adjustment. Just slide the Saturation value all the way down.
(3) create a new layer on top for the camo color, usually in 'overlay' or 'soft light' mode.
(4) paint it however you like and export it as a png file.
(5) register the sprite in the resources_custom.xml and then assign it in the database editor.

Any raster editor can work, as long as it can create png image files.


(in reply to exsonic01)
Post #: 10
RE: New Sprite guide - 1/1/2019 9:09:57 AM   
O.Schmidt


Posts: 94
Joined: 3/29/2014
From: Europe
Status: offline 		I almost finished Stridsvagn 103 (Sweden)! Do I have to consider a size (scale)? This is 9,80m x 3,60m!
How do I translate this into pixels?




Attachment (1)

< Message edited by O.Schmidt -- 1/1/2019 9:21:42 AM >

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Ahoi Seemann
O.Schmidt

(in reply to Issue8)
Post #: 11
RE: New Sprite guide - 1/1/2019 5:45:15 PM   
22sec

 

Posts: 976
Joined: 12/11/2004
From: Jackson, MS
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: O.Schmidt

I almost finished Stridsvagn 103 (Sweden)! Do I have to consider a size (scale)? This is 9,80m x 3,60m!
How do I translate this into pixels?





The sprite scale is 25.6, so multiply the size by 25.6 to get number of pixels.

_____________________________

Mapping Specialist

(in reply to O.Schmidt)
Post #: 12
RE: New Sprite guide - 1/2/2019 3:24:05 PM   
Veitikka


Posts: 1304
Joined: 6/25/2007
From: Finland
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: 22sec

The sprite scale is 25.6, so multiply the size by 25.6 to get number of pixels.


Every unit has the 'spriteScale' attribute that can be adjusted in the data editor.


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Know thyself!

(in reply to 22sec)
Post #: 13
RE: New Sprite guide - 1/2/2019 10:49:16 PM   
Perturabo


Posts: 2614
Joined: 11/17/2007
Status: offline 		Does anyone know any tutorial for making vehicle sprites from scratch in GIMP or something similar?

_____________________________

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They should ask themselves why people who finish schools burned out due to mobbing aren't receiving high enough compensations to not seek vengeance.

(in reply to Veitikka)
Post #: 14
RE: New Sprite guide - 1/3/2019 12:07:41 PM   
SchnelleMeyer

 

Posts: 221
Joined: 3/26/2014
Status: offline 		Here are some tips:
http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=8238&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=mod+tanks&start=60

Edit: For best results why not go for free 3D models that you render out in Blender as 2D images. That will take care of light, shadow and the whole depth of the vehicle - giving a realistic resulting sprite. This is also how the original game sprites were made.


< Message edited by SchnelleMeyer -- 1/3/2019 12:15:33 PM >

(in reply to Perturabo)
Post #: 15
RE: New Sprite guide - 1/23/2019 5:54:20 PM   
O.Schmidt


Posts: 94
Joined: 3/29/2014
From: Europe
Status: offline 		Finish with the Swedish Strv 103/0 / B / C!
Zip File is coming!
Thanks for your help!




Attachment (1)

< Message edited by O.Schmidt -- 1/23/2019 5:58:03 PM >

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Ahoi Seemann
O.Schmidt

(in reply to SchnelleMeyer)
Post #: 16
RE: New Sprite guide - 1/23/2019 5:59:10 PM   
O.Schmidt


Posts: 94
Joined: 3/29/2014
From: Europe
Status: offline 		The Zip File!


Attachment (1)

< Message edited by O.Schmidt -- 1/23/2019 6:01:44 PM >

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Ahoi Seemann
O.Schmidt

(in reply to O.Schmidt)
Post #: 17
RE: New Sprite guide - 1/23/2019 6:07:57 PM   
nikolas93TS


Posts: 619
Joined: 2/24/2017
Status: offline 		Great looking sprite!

(in reply to O.Schmidt)
Post #: 18
RE: New Sprite guide - 9/29/2019 3:36:18 PM   
Jace11

 

Posts: 87
Joined: 8/23/2012
Status: offline 		Had a quick try at this in Photoshop to make a camo scheme for the Russian T-80BV..





< Message edited by Jace11 -- 9/29/2019 3:37:24 PM >

(in reply to nikolas93TS)
Post #: 19
RE: New Sprite guide - 10/1/2019 8:24:43 PM   
Jace11

 

Posts: 87
Joined: 8/23/2012
Status: offline 		Here is the sprite from the pic above. If you want to install it, copy it to your data/graphics/vehicle/su folder. It will overwrite the original green version, so back those up first.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Jace11 -- 10/4/2019 3:55:53 AM >

(in reply to Jace11)
Post #: 20
RE: New Sprite guide - 4/27/2020 8:43:43 PM   
MGK4167

 

Posts: 6
Joined: 4/27/2020
Status: offline 		Team

I've found out how to move the location of the turret around the hull, and how to move the commander so that he appears over his hatch, but can I change the point of rotation of the turret itself? The turret seems to rotate around the centre of the turret png but, because of the gun, this can make the rear of the turret swing outside of the hull. How can I change the centre of rotation of the turret please? Thank you

(in reply to Jace11)
Post #: 21
RE: New Sprite guide - 4/27/2020 10:11:53 PM   
Mr_Luxury_Yacht

 

Posts: 46
Joined: 6/15/2019
Status: offline 		Extend the sprite with empty transparent space so that the center of the sprite (including the space) is the pivot point of the turret.

Take a look at some of the base game sprites to see what I mean. Notice how the turret sprite ends at the gun at the top but extends past it at the bottom? That's how you adjust the point around where the turret will turn.

(in reply to MGK4167)
Post #: 22
RE: New Sprite guide - 4/29/2020 5:16:38 AM   
MGK4167

 

Posts: 6
Joined: 4/27/2020
Status: offline 		Brilliant! Did the trick!
Thank you for your prompt and useful response.

Cheers

(in reply to Mr_Luxury_Yacht)
Post #: 23
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