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Full Version: [Tutorial] Model Icons and Previews without Photoshop
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How to make icons for your models without Photoshop, using free & simple tools! Smile

For the purpose of this guide, I will use models from Homeworld, previewed in 3D Exploration. This guide should work with any standard 3D viewer, however.


Necessary Tools:
Icon Maker V3
IrfanView
GIMP



Icons

Step 1: Prepare for Screenshots
Simple enough: prepare for taking a good, clean screenshot of the 3D model. This means disabling all 3D axis, grids, and things that would get in the way of the model.

[Optional]:
Toggle the lighting so that the model is evenly lit from all over.
Set the background to a bright color that is not present in the models.

[Image: TMP000140.png]

Step 2: The Screenshot
Rotate and pan around until the model is in a good position for the icon. Scale it up or down to a small size (whatever will look good for the icon preview).
Once that is taken care of, press your PrintScreen key.

[Image: TMP000141.png]

Step 3: Cropping
Open Irfanview, and press paste (either Ctrl+V or Edit-> Paste). Holding down your left click button, drag a box around the model. Once you are satisfied with the box, select Cut (either Ctrl+X or Edit-> Cut).

[Image: TMP000142.png]


Step 4: Pasting & Finishing
Open IconMaker, and start a new model sheet. You will have a blank icon. Paste in the cropped image (either Ctrl+V or Image-> Paste Image). The image should now be in the icon, with the background still around it.

[Image: TMP000143.png]

Now open the "Image" menu, and navigate to the "Transparency -> Background" submenu. Choose "Top Left Pixel". Your image should now be transparent, with the 3D model on the proper tMR icon background. You can now move it around by left clicking & dragging your mouse.

[Image: TMP000144.png]

[Image: TMP000145.png]

Add the name of the model through the text menu, save your icon, and post it with your model! Smile

[Image: TMP000146.png]



Previews

Follow the above guide to step 3, making sure to enlarge the model a decent bit.

Once you have the cropped image, start GIMP and open the standard tMR preview image (available below).

[Image: KP3Jh.jpg]

[Image: TMP000147.png]

Paste in your cropped model image, and do the following key combination: Ctrl+Shift+N. This will create a new layer for your recently pasted image, allowing us to work with it.

[Image: TMP000148.png]

[Image: TMP000149.png]

Now navigate to the Toolbox window, and select the Magic Wand at the top. Make sure the threshold, in the lower part of the toolbox, is a low number (around 15).

[Image: TMP000150.png]

Click anywhere on the background of the pasted image, and you should notice marching lines around the model. Press Ctrl+X (or navigate to Edit-> Cut) to remove the entire background at this point, leaving only the model resting on the tMR background.
(To get rid of the selection & marching lines [to make more edits], click anywhere outside the image, on the grey of the window with the wand tool.)

Save your image as a JPG (make sure to specify the extension, otherwise GIMP will use its own format), and upload this, too! Smile

[Image: TMP000151.png]

[Image: TMP000152.jpg]
Edited the thread title and copied over to Model Discussion + sticky. Smile


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