Icons with Photoshop CS4

[Bethencourt]

Ok, with PhotoShop (also named Ps) open a vanilla icon file and open the icon you have done. I have got the Spanish version of CS4 Photoshop so maybe some words I use are not exactly what you see in your computer.

If you haven't any icon file image done take a screenshot of your unit and open it with Photoshop. Then select the part of the screenshot you want to use and then in Ps menu open a new image and paste the part you have selected there, then main menu go to image menu that is just to the right of edit menu in main menu. There go to size of image and then change the size to 66 pixels wide and 88 high.

Once you have both icons open in the right column of Ps you should see a menu with layers, channels and paths. Open channels, then you will see RGB chanels, the red, the green and the blue channel and Alpha 1 channel. To make them visible you check the box to the left of each of them, but to see which one you are working with it is the one that goes blue when you click on the channel name. To select to work with the red, the green and the blue channel just selecl the RGB or just make it visible this RGB so the three channels effects will be visible. Ok select to work with Alpha 1 channel of your image and make visible this one only, if there is no alpha 1 channel in you image you can create it by right clicking on the last of the channels you see and select duplicate it and then give Alpha 1 name to it. Then go to the vanilla icon and open the channels selecting and making visible only the Alpha 1, you will see only a white oval shape in you screen sourrounded by a black edge. Select the image and copy and paste it in our new Alpha 1 channel that you have just created. Then save it in the ui>units>icons with the rest of the icons. Add it to you mod pack with PFM. And in the units table place the name that you have given it in the column 13. Then go back to Ps and then in your icon image go to Alpha 1 channel make it visible and select to work with it, so its names background goes blue as before. Then make all the Alpha 1 channel black so there is no more oval white surface and then save but then adding ' _mask' to the name you previously gave to your icons name, so it would be 'iconsname'_mask. Save it in ui>units>icons and add it to your mod pack with PFM and test.