How does one create and import Icons?

I may be dense(not understanding something that is easy) or I may be blind(not seeing the posts or wiki files on the subject), so I guess I'll ask.

How does one create and import Icons?

I can create the icon art in an image editor, and I suppose it wouldn't be hard to figure out a tool like the ones Microsoft uses to put 2 or more icons into a single file.

I could look through the asset repository and figure out how to add them manually, but I'm hoping that doing it the proper way will be much easier and quicker.

But what is the proper files are needed and what is the proper process for using the MV Asset Importer to get the icons into the asset repository?

Thanks for any help you guys can give.

Even if it's only suggestion of how we can figure out the proper way to do it, it'll be a start.

Thanks,
TheWatcher

Haven't worked with the gui yet.

If your talking about icons or button images for the gui then this may be part of it:
http://www.multiversemmo.com/site/w/index.php/Imageset_Files

You are certainly not dense
There is a lot in the api, wiki and docs, takes time to find stuff

Cheers

OK, that helps a lot.

I thought that the '...\AssetDefinitions\FantasyWorldIcons.asset', '...\Imagefiles\FantasyWorldIcons.tga', and '...\Interface\Imagesets\FantasyWorldIcons.xml' files were all added to the Asset Repository by the Asset Importer using the Asset Type 'Icon'. But now I see that they were added using the Asset Type 'Imageset'.

1) Should I assume that the '...\Interface\Imagesets\FantasyWorldIcons.xml' file was created and/or edited by hand?

2) Also, I noticed a gap of about 4 pixels between images in the '...\Imagefiles\FantasyWorldIcons.tga' file. Is that required or is it just there to make it easier for humans to see the images as separate images?

3) With the exception of a few 3d models, I haven't seen much in the way of references to free/cheap game art on the boards. Any suggestions on where I might look?
(I will be needing a minimum of a few hundred inventory and action icons to start with. I can make them myself, but it would be nice to at least have a few of a given pattern/style to start with that works with the art style I envision/choose for my game. Preferably something free that I can build on.)

Again, thanks for the help.

I think imageset files were probably hand coded but not sure.

At one point I was just fooling around but failed getting the project for the ClientInterfaceEditor from the source to build. Not sure exactly how it would work or if the Multiverse team ever finished it.

If you want to give it a shot I believe it's in \trunk\Tools\ClientInterfaceEditor

Some links I've found for 3D models and textures
http://www.morguefile.com/ (free for commercial use too!)
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/60-excellent-free-3d-model-websites/ Check the licenses first
http://alice.org/index.php?page=gallery/index

Sorry I can't be more help on the gui.


Cheers

You can use Photoshops Contact Sheet to pull all of the icon from a directory and place them in nice rows. You will still have to create the imageset data but it takes out the annoyance of trying to put the icons in rows. You do not have to put a buffer between the icons but it can be helpful to have at least a pixel so that you can easily see where one ends and the other begins.

For Art you could look at Ryzom they went open source including their art assets but I dont not recall what they set as their licence.

Thanks for the help, guys.

Koron:

I don't think I will have time to get into the ClientInterfaceEditor for now. At least, not till I get past the learning curve of understanding the insides of the server and client and etc.


Delurin: (And Koron:)

I'll check into those sites to see if they've got any Icons (or other art) that I might be able to use.

For the time being, I've made up templates for my imagefile.tga and my imagefile.xml . (not program templates. just frames to fill in / modify as I add new icons.)
The imagefile.tga template is actually a multi layered image that I work from in Gimp.
It's a 1024 by 1024 with a background layer, a border layer, a location number layer, and an Icon layer.

This way, I can change the colors of the background or borders without having to redraw every icon.

And I can redraw or swap out an icon without having to draw the background or borders.

I can also have the same icon with different colors of background and/or borders.

I can add more layers for the different backgrounds, borders, and icons. I put in an icon once and swap the backgrounds and borders to get all the variations. (I put in a new icon and in a matter of minutes, I have 9 variations of the icon.)

I can switch on and off the 'location number layer' to see which position in the .xml file needs to be given a name-label. (The .xml file has an entry for every position in the image file. Each image name is 'Image Name="Icon_yx" ' where y is the row and x is the column. Once I add an image to the image file, I use it's row/col to find the entry in the .xml file and change it's name to the name for that icon.)

It's not as easy as having a program that creates the .xml program for you, but it works for now.


On another note, can anyone tell me where, in the API, do I find the 'put(...)' function?

Again, thanks.