How to change faction emblems using Photoshop CS5

[Noif de Bodemloze]

Greetings TWC members.


This is my first tutorial and this thread is about "How to change faction symbol/emblem/banner".
For me, this will gonna take 15-45min (depend what you want give for your emblem. It is important that you save it correctly.
To get this emblem work, you need make sure that you are saved in 3 save format: PNG, DDS 3 and 5. Otherwise you will not get it work.
Also emblems need to be same size, otherwise you will have issue in game. I use Photoshop cs5.

I will already apologize my English.

OK, lets start:


1. Lets make new layer.
File - new (I like to make 268 x 268 pixel, background contest: transparent) and press ok

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2. Now you have empty transparent in front of you. If you have any custom shapes in your file then go to left side and find custom shape tool, press it.
When you press it, a small box will appear beside icon, what you pressed. Then select custom shape tool. Go to upper level. In the middle of tool bar,
there is Shape: [ shape ]
- In this case, if you don't have any shapes in your Photoshop. Go to Google and write "deviantart and custom shapes and try find wreath shapes " or
wreath custom shapes (there you search it).
- Once you have found it, download and extract it to C:\program files\adobe\Photoshop xxxx\present\custom shapes and throw that same file to that folder.
- Make sure once you are installed, remember restart your Photoshop before you start to make emblem

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3. I decide to take this nice wreath shape and then select it and drag it to your empty transparent. Like this.





4. After you have this wreath. Go to right side, layers, right-click and press rasterize layer. After it you can decorate this wreath as you like you want
it be. Then stay in right side and double click that layer and it will open layer option for you. There you can change color, add shadow or whatever
you want to do. In my case, I choose Color overlay and bevel & emboss. Activate color overlay and choose color what you want it be. I choose take golden
yellow. (in picture you can see my example values) After you have done your changes, press OK. Optional: You can also add stroke that give clear line for
your emblem, but I recommend that don't do stroke too strong if you dont want to see clear stokes in emblem. It doesn't look good in game IMO.

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5. Wreath is ready now. Next we can start add a text (If you don't have any good ancient style. Then go to Google and write: free fonts and look
ancient roman/greek style fonts. There are many different fonts waiting you). I want that SPQR will show up in my emblem. I select text tool, click left mouse button, where
do you want write it (You can move a position many time if you are not happy to position yet). After I wrote SPQR, then we do same stuff like I did for
wreath. Same color and settings, so there is no differences between parts in emblem.

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Attention: While you are doing these emblem parts, don't merge layers because I know you want resize or change emblems parts places! Merge layers
when you are finished all parts and happy for them.




6. When your emblem text is done, move to next stage. Many people just now want give nice decorate for this emblem. This example, I liked to use this Scipii
faction logo from RTW1 as Romulus wolf in emblem. Now left side, there is "quick selection tool". Select it and top level come three choice. 1st is for if you select
area from picture what you don't want, then by this when you activate it. Then you can re-select area what you want and old will disappear. 2nd add more selected areas
and 3rd will remove areas. Sometime this is too sensitive that it might add/remove more areas as you though, so don't rush. Otherwise you need to do this again.

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Now, I take that 2nd button and size for 18 (you can change it to smaller like 1-4 for smaller detail and big size for big areas). I select whole wolf and delete this eye
area, because i don't need blue eyes to my emblem. You can see in picture what I have selected. That look fine to my emblem.

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Then go to top level, file > copy and paste it to your emblem like this. (Yes, it might look ugly my wolf now.)

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Once again, we do same changes for wolf like we did for wreath and text. Remember resize it to good size that you like to your emblem, when you have
found good size, then press accept in top level. (In my work, I don't want make it too big so i made it small one above SPQR text.)

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Finally, check all your changes one more time and make your changes what need. If you think you are done, then select any layer, right-click and press
merge visible. ( NO FLATTEN IMAGE! If you do it, your emblem will lose transparent background and then you have white background in your banner)

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Now you have an emblem, we are in half-way now. (just incase if your PC/programmer will crash, save it as .png like your name_emblem jus if your pc or programmer crash.

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Add your custom emblem to banner!


1. I like to make own folder for my custom banners. Create folder to desktop and name it what do you like (Custom Rome 2 emblems), then copy original banner files.
to your just created folder like: Custom Rome 2 > Rome (there can be other faction folders too) > Rome emblem #1 folder > rome > then all png +dds files for banner.

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2. Now pack to Photoshop, Open mon_256(png) file from your Rome emblem #1 folder. Left side toolbar, find eyedropper tool and take sample color from original
banner, then find pencil tool and choose 226 size for pencil, so it enough take off that old emblem from banner. Clean it while you don't see any color
from original banner.

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It should be like this

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3. Open your emblem window in Photoshop, select whole layer, copy and paste to mon_256.

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When you are pasted it, resize it that it fit to banner. If you think
it is good, then accept resize in top level. Then merge visible or merge down in right side on layer section

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After it, save it over original png. emblem. You can over save to dds format. Take this mon_256. dds one and over save it. Then you need save it
as DXT3 and generate MIP maps and save.

in PNG

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in DDS

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Now, create a new > Size 128 x 128 and transparent in background contest. This emblem what you did in begin, copy and paste to this 128x128 what you just created.
Then you need resize it to good size but remember that png and dds version need to be exactly same. Example: I copy and pasted my emblem like this. In the
middle and some space from rears.

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Now, first save this over original mon_banner and save it as png. Then save this emblem again but this time you override dds file now. This time we need
use DXT5 and generate MIP maps. (if you save it on dxt3, then you will get unclear and pixel banner in campaign army and battlefield unit.) and save.

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We are almost in the end now. KEEP GOING!




Now open your mon_24 & 65 (both png and dds). In mon_banner you needed save only in dxt5, but mon_24,65 and 256 need only dxt3. Generate MIP maps for all dds files.
When you are opened mon_24 & 64, then copy and paste your made mon_256 to 64 and 24, resize them that they will just cover original one, then press merge down/merge visible.
Save over original file 24 & 64 (png first and then dds on dxt3 with generate mip maps).

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Now Photoshoping is finished. Now open your PFM and create a new mod and make same like in this picture. Remember save it in mod.pack.

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Final stage: go to rome 2 launcher and activate it in mod manager. Then it should work! If you see something pixel on your emblem or other issues. Then
you have done something wrong. Make sure that your rendering is perfect.

We are done! I hope that you will get it to work without any problem. Remember that practice makes masters. Make some practices before real works. If have problems, then ask. This might be difficult if you have never used Photoshop programmer.





Noif de bodemloze

[kamikazee786]

thanks, cant wait

[Noif de Bodemloze]

updated

[chael01]

thanks gonna try it now

[SgtHatred]

Thanks for the info. I used it to make a new Suebi faction emblem. It makes for a nice avatar too.

[skullpile]

Hi Noif, this was a great tutorial. I am such an amateur though. Can you tell me how to add the files that we make back into the PFM? I was able to pull them out of PFM by right clicking then extracting. But I am not sure how to add my new ones back in.

[Dresden]

Thanks for posting this tutorial.

[stalker33]

I managed to create an emblem before i saw your guide. i don't have CS5, so i made a copy of every .png and renamed it to .dds. despite the expectation everything is working perfectly. so my question: for what these .dds files are there?

[kamikazee786]

Now pack to Photoshop, Open mon_256(png) file from your Rome emblem #1 folder. Left side toolbar, find eyedropper tool and take sample color from original
banner, then find pencil tool and choose 226 size for pencil, so it enough take off that old emblem from banner. Clean it while you don't see any color
from original banner.




It should be like this

Hey noif, sorry for bumping this old thread but i just want to ask, how can you change the color of the emblem background.

For example if i wanted to change that red in the images above to black ?

[TuCoT]

Select red area with magic wand tool and fill it with black (or whatever color you want). This applies for PS but I don't know how about other softwares (like Gimp).

[kamikazee786]

Select red area with magic wand tool and fill it with black (or whatever color you want). This applies for PS but I don't know how about other softwares (like Gimp).

thanks i figured it out

I do need help with changing a factions color on the campaign map though, can anyone help ?

[webbird]

Hello Noif,

i have a problem with the thread, i cant see the images. for example and for me important:
the one under: "Now Photoshoping is finished. Now open your PFM and create a new mod and make same like in this picture. Remember save it in mod.pack."

maybe you can add some text for those like me? Thank you!