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====== Creating Preview Images For Credit Shop Items ======

Each credit shop item that has an appearance (basically armour and pets) needs a preview image. I would suggest the following workflow :-

  - Take a screenshot of a character wearing the entire set. Also take individual screenshots of each piece.
  - Use an image editing tool to cut out the entire character from it's background and the individual pieces
  - For each piece, place the cut out character in the main area of the template, and the individual piece in the top right box. Use colour adjustment tools to adjust the brightness of the highlighted area.

===== 1. Taking Screenshots =====

Each piece of the armour (or pet) to add to the credit shop should have its own screenshot, and if the piece of part of a complete set, also take a shot of a character wearing the entire set.

I would recommended using a screenshot utility for this, it will make things easier. 

  * [[http://shutter-project.org/|Shutter]] - Linux. 
  * PLEASE ADD - Windows
  * PLEASE ADD - Mac OS X

I would also suggest taking the screenshots in a 'blank' zone, i.e. one the does not have any clouds or terrain. This makes cutting out the image easier later on. A zone has been created for this purpose.

 ''/warpi blank''

Also turn off **Bloom** in the option to reduce the brightness of the background and prevent bleeding through of the bright background onto your characters clothes (giving them a fuzzy edge) \\
<html><br style="clear:both" /></html>{{:howtos:cspreviews:disable-bloom.png?nolink |}} \\
<html><br style="clear:both" /></html>
\\
When you are done, you should end up with the following screenshots :-\\
\\
<html><br style="clear:both" /></html>
{{:howtos:cspreviews:full.png?nolink |}} 
<html><br style="clear:both" /></html>
{{:howtos:cspreviews:hat.png?nolink |}} 
<html><br style="clear:both" /></html>
{{:howtos:cspreviews:shoulders.png?nolink |}} 
<html><br style="clear:both" /></html>
{{:howtos:cspreviews:arms.png?nolink |}} 
<html><br style="clear:both" /></html>
{{:howtos:cspreviews:chest.png?nolink |}} 
<html><br style="clear:both" /></html>
{{:howtos:cspreviews:belt.png?nolink |}} 
<html><br style="clear:both" /></html>
{{:howtos:cspreviews:legs.png?nolink |}}
<html><br style="clear:both" /></html>
{{:howtos:cspreviews:feet.png?nolink |}} 
<html><br style="clear:both" /></html>


===== 2. Cutting Up The Images =====

Now using your favourite image editing tool, you will cutting the entire set and each individual piece from it's background.

I use the GIMP to do this, it's free and has all the required tools.

==== Select the background ====

Use the tool to select all the background areas. In the GIMP, this is the Fuzzy Select (the 'wand' icon). Click this tool, then any of the light blue background, and the tool will select all adjacent pixels of the same colour. Depending on the background, you may need to adjust the 'Threshold' of the selection. For the gaps in between arms and other areas, you may have to **Add to selection** by pressing **Shift** and adding more areas to cut out.

{{:howtos:cspreviews:select.png?nolink |}}


==== Adding the Alpha layer ====

Because we want to overlay this image onto another, the background needs to be transparent. In GIMP, this is done by **Layer** -> **Transparency** -> **Add Alpha Channel**

{{:howtos:cspreviews:add-alpha.png?nolink |}}


==== Cutting the select ====

Now we have an alpha channel, we can cut our selection, which should remove the light blue background and leave us with just the character on a transparent background (in GIMP, a chequer board indicates transparency).

{{:howtos:cspreviews:cut.png?nolink |}}

Now save your new image somewhere safe, and repeat this procedure for each of the pieces. 


==== Cutting out individual parts for the highlight images ====

You should not need to do this for main complete preview image, but for the individual pieces that are used for the 'highlights', you have some more cutting work to do ...

Take one of the transparent piece images (in the example the arms are used), and use the **Free Select** tool to select the shape of the arm.

{{:howtos:cspreviews:arm-cut.png?nolink |}}
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