Crests - List of Available/Reserved, and how to get your own

[Gandalf the Grey]

My guild is starting to recruit people (3 so far), and i was wondering about the possibilities of changing these skins... Would it be possible to make the front half of the texture transparent as to create a cape/cloak feel? If not, would i be able to access the crest model file, chop off half of it, and then use it as a crest? Thanks

 

[Thothie]

Could be done either with {Solid masked textures or by editing the submodel - be up to you to work that out though. Making masked textures involves tricky palette work, and modeling, well, you're on your own there, lest you can recruit someone to help you.

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

i can model decently... Tricky palette work? hmm. Could you point me towards the file? I think i might be able to pull something off with a bit of trial and error. I found something which says the colour for transparent in hl1 is pure blue- would throwing that all over the front side of the texture work, or would i have to worry about a backside to the front side of the crest? Like would something like this:
http://www.imgplace.com/viewimg580/8942/41transparentfront1.png
work?

 

[Thothie]

i can model decently... Tricky palette work? hmm. Could you point me towards the file? I think i might be able to pull something off with a bit of trial and error. I found something which says the colour for transparent in hl1 is pure blue- would throwing that all over the front side of the texture work, or would i have to worry about a backside to the front side of the crest?

It actually isn't pure blue, it can be any color, but pure blue is the convention for indicating it (although some folks like purple). In anycase, the main thing is that it has to be the last color in the 256 color index. That there being why it's tricky. Any near-matches will come up colored, rather than partially transparent, as will any blue (or other intended transparent color) anywhere else in the palette index. Decompile any model with masked textures for examples.

Masking the entire front robe would likely result in some sort of hovering handles over the shoulders, but I couldn't be sure without taking the time to try it.

Additive render is also an option - so that anything black will simply be invisible - although any image or text you put on the robe would likely be indecipherable, and it'll probably wind up looking like glowing lace.

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

Arg... this is pretty complicated stuff. Im pretty good at image editing, its just all this technical stuff is like a curve ball to me... How would i make sure a colour would be the last in the index? Cause I just basically load up stuff on GIMP, colour/edit, and then let it lie.

 

[Thothie]

I could tell ye how to do it in Photoshop, but I've no experience with GIMP. You'll need some sort of picture editor that'll allow you to edit the palette order - not sure if GIMP can do that.

 

[jon50559]

Use Wally! I'm pretty sure it has that ability.

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

Thx jon, i found wally, and have found it fairly easy to use. Mwahahaha! My first crest is born!
http://www.imgplace.com/viewimg291/3981/26fellowship.png
Now i only have one question, how would i test this in game? (like how would i replace the helena crest with it or something)

 

[Thothie]

PNG no good. It won't keep its palette when I convert it to BMP.

To test it... You can replace the texture of a crest you have with JHLMV and mark it solid - however, the textures get clipped in compile, so you'll have to clip your own texture to match the final model. You can export the texture you intend to replace to figure out how you'll need to clip it.

 

[Gandalf the Grey]

Yes i know it has to be bmp, i have the file on my documents right now, its just that website i found for uploading photos for free changes everything to png... -.-

Heres link for download tho:
http://rapidshare.com/files/397248980/template.bmp.html

Also, I found out about the p_gowns file, im just wondering how/what program i would use to replace just one of the textures with my own

EDIT: Wow i just tried replacing that BOU models texture with mine and i must say it looks pretty awesome! I found the transparent button thing, and - wow thats awesome.... *trips over awesomeness* I just need to know now where the non-prop crest models are... -.-

2nd EDIT: Also, i don't know if you have noticed, but i have sent you a private message thothie regarding our clan crest we would like to use temporarily till mine can be implemented. (We would like the blue one) The guild name is The Fellowship.