Custom URL avatars

[R'as al Ghul]

I'm against the box cover scans, the jap. castle and the centurion scrrenshot.
The others are okay.
The aculture ones by Quietus are nice, they at least have a frame.
Maybe we should make frames mandatory?

[Seasoned Alcoholic]

I'm against the box cover scans, the jap. castle and the centurion scrrenshot.

Yeah, since these were in the first batch I uploaded and things were still being debated you could delete these from the submission pool if you like Tosa.

Maybe we should make frames mandatory?

Do you (or anyone) know how to create frames with The GIMP? It would be good to know for future reference before submitting further batches

[EDIT:]The ones from the first batch are mtw1.jpg, mtw3.jpg, stw1.jpg, stw4.jpg, stw6.jpg, stw7.jpg, rtw1.jpg

[Quietus]

Do you (or anyone) know how to create frames with The GIMP? It would be good to know for future reference before submitting further batches

[EDIT:]The ones from the first batch are mtw1.jpg, mtw3.jpg, stw1.jpg, stw4.jpg, stw6.jpg, stw7.jpg, rtw1.jpg

I do. I made those from the GIMP.

1) I can upload the frames (in .XCF file) to TOSA and give instructions how use them with the GIMP if anyone else is interested.

2) I can post how to make the frames in GIMP. It's a step by step procedure. :)

[Seasoned Alcoholic]

2) I can post how to make the frames in GIMP. It's a step by step procedure. :)

If you could please post a guide / tutorial on how to do this, it would be greatly appreciated! I've been searching through all the plugins / filters etc, but couldn't find anything that inserted / created frames.

[R'as al Ghul]

Well, the easiest way is perhaps to just copy an avatar with frame
to your harddisk. Open it with gimp. Paint everything black/ cut out
everything that's not the frame and voila you have an empty frame
that's 96*142. Now measure the inside, it's ca 86*132, and take that
as a reference for your selection tool. Make a fixed selection on any pic
you like and copy the selection into your empty frame. It should fit nicely.

I've messed it up a little for Uesugi Kenshin's avatar. That is, one pixel column
on the left is still black.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Looks fine to me....

Thanks a lot for making it BTW, I'm not sure I thanked you before.

[R'as al Ghul]

Looks fine to me....

Thanks a lot for making it BTW, I'm not sure I thanked you before.

You're welcome.
I've convinced myself that the one pixel black line is the shadow of the frame.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Works for me!

[Quietus]

If you could please post a guide / tutorial on how to do this, it would be greatly appreciated! I've been searching through all the plugins / filters etc, but couldn't find anything that inserted / created frames.

Based on the Golden Text tutorial on the net.

For GIMP 2.2.10 (not guaranteed for other versions).

Part 1

1) Open a new file>142x96>advanced option>RGB color + Transparency (fill with)

2) Filter>Render>clouds>Solid Noise>ok

3) Tick Turbulent, Tile, detail: 1, X: 3, Y:3

4) Click the seed until you see a consistent cloud>ok

5) Layer>colors>auto>stretch contrast

6) Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur> V: 1, H:1>ok

7) Click the Gradient tab and pick your gradient

8) Filters>colors>Map>Gradient Map.

9) Image>flatten Image

Part 2

1) Open a new file>132x86>advanced option>RGB color + Transparency (fill with)

2) Script-fu>decor>add border>X: 5, Y:5, color: black.

3) Image>Merge visible layer>clipped to image>ok

4) Layer>duplicate layer

5) Go to the layers tab and click the “eye” on the “background” layer to inactivate it.

6) Layer>new layer>142x96>advanced option>RGB color + white (fill with).

7) Lower the white layer so is it is below the “background copy” by clicking the arrow button.

8) Image>Merge visible layer>clipped to image> ok

9) Layer>colors>invert

10) Filters>Blur>Gaussian Blur>V: 1 H: 1>ok

11) Left click, drag & drop that layer to the Window of the file in Part 1 ( that layer should appear on the layer tab of the Part 1 file)

12) Layer>New layer>142x96>RGB color + Transparency

13) Filter>Light Effects>Lighting Effects

14) Environment Map tab>enable>Choose the layer with the color gradient

15) Bump Map>enable>Choose the layer with the black background>Max Height: .05

16) Options tab>tick transparent background.

17) Left click and drag the blue dot to the center of the screen>ok

Part 3

1) Go back to the file in part 2

2) Click the “eye” to deactivate the “new layer” and click the “eye” to activate the “background” layer.

3) Layer>duplicate layer (background)>deactivate the background again.

4) Choose the duplicate layer>Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur> V:1, H:1

5) Repeat part 3, step 4 (3-4 times)

6) Drag and drop this (shadow) layer to the Window of the part 2 file.

7) Arrange the layer so that the frame is on top and the shadow layer just below (and both active)

8) deactivate all the rest of the layers.

9) SAVE AS frame.xcf

9) File>open as layer>Pick the picture you want to frame>ok

10) Right-click the picture layer>scale layer (scale and move the layer as you want to frame)

11) Remember the order of the active layers:

Frame
Shadow
Picture

12) SAVE AS as a .jpg file>export>preview> save as less than 10 kb

13) Exit the file BUT do not save the changes so the original .xcf file is preserved

:)

[Seasoned Alcoholic]

Guys, thanks for both of you tutorials.

Quietus, I managed to create an image with a frame from your tutorial, but the final frame was a blurred black colour without the frame (background?) effects. Think I must have missed a step or gone about a stage in the wrong way.

Tbh, I'm a complete novice when it comes to art and design, your tutorial has opened up many unrecognised areas to me. I'm not the best at layers and stuff like that, I'm not really an artist so its all a bit confusing

You've probably already noticed that because in my mod I've had to request help (thanks to Marly ) with the new unit and unit info cards. Wouldn't really know where to start when creating completely new ones, unit info bases (EG dirt, grass, scrub etc). I'll leave it to the professionals in other words

I'm going to keep creating JPG custom URL avatars and upload them to the pool, but these will be without frames. At least we will know whose is whose!

Thanks.

[Seasoned Alcoholic]

Added another small batch of Shogun, Medieval and Rome related avatars to the pool.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Hmm. I just uploaded an avatar and figured I'd bump this thread instead of starting a new one. It's the one with the knight and lightning and says 'CR_avartarv1' or something similar.

If it got approved, that'd be great.

Thanks,
Crazed Rabbit

[naut]

*Bump*

Uploaded this:



Is it acceptable?

[TosaInu]

Hmm. I just uploaded an avatar and figured I'd bump this thread instead of starting a new one. It's the one with the knight and lightning and says 'CR_avartarv1' or something similar.

If it got approved, that'd be great.

Thanks,
Crazed Rabbit

Sorry Crazed Rabbit, this may have slipped. A knight and lightning/'CR_avartarv1'?

[TosaInu]

*Bump*

Uploaded this:



Is it acceptable?

It will be added Rythmic. Is this intended to be added to the public pool, or personal?

[naut]

Personal I guess.

Cheers.

[TosaInu]

You mean Crazed Rabbit?

[Lord_Tamerial]

Here is an Aztec Avatar I made. It was quick and simple.

[Motep]

wait....im confusd here. Can you have a custom avatar?

[sapi]

Only if it is in the org url avatar database.

[Ars Moriendi]

How long does it take for uploaded custom avatars to become available ?
I don't want to be pushy, but it's been two months since I've uploaded some pics (the ones numbered AM_###), and they're still in the "preview" area - it's getting tiresome to check weekly if they're still there.
Will they ever be ok ? If not, can I at least have one of them ? I've kindof started to become attached to old brodar Dominic (AM_006)

[Crazed Rabbit]

You mean http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pics...zed_Rabbit.jpg Crazed Rabbit?

Actually, I meant this one:


http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pics...R_Avatarv1.jpg
Similar, but a later version of my knight with lightning series, intended to be a personal avatar.

Sorry for the delayed reply, and thanks for the help.

CR

[Kralizec]

I assume custom avatars have to be TW themed?

[TosaInu]

It's a bit broader than that Fenring. It has to be a ~historical figure. So it can be a person from NTW. Don't think WW1 soldiers are allowed.

Don't know actually. It's custom, it was decided by the users to be themed but noone knows what the limits are. That's why there's a review section. I can see what matches what is set so far and for real new stuff we await user feedback.

Thank you for uploading Ars Moriendi. Please drop a note here or PM me. I check it every now and then, but it slips.

[Ars Moriendi]

Thanks a lot for making the avatars available, Tosa !

I didn't announce the upload because I assumed it's some kind of automatic process (if no one raises an objection in a certain amount of time - they'd become available...)

[Caius]

It's a bit broader than that Fenring. It has to be a ~historical figure. So it can be a person from NTW. Don't think WW1 soldiers are allowed.

Don't know actually. It's custom, it was decided by the users to be themed but noone knows what the limits are. That's why there's a review section. I can see what matches what is set so far and for real new stuff we await user feedback.

Thank you for uploading Ars Moriendi. Please drop a note here or PM me. I check it every now and then, but it slips.

Soldiers will be aviavable

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

When CA releases WW1:TW

[Caius]

How to upload much avatars?

[TosaInu]

Hello Caius Flaminius,

You can load up to 5 files at a time. This can also be ZIP or RAR up to 2 mb. Just drop me a PM or post in this topic and I'll unpack them.

[Mailman653]

Continued from https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=93767

They are under 10kb and 96x142.
Preview shot

What I have so far:

(Continental) Army
Andrew Jackson
George Armistead
George Washington
Marquis de Lafayette
Baron von Steuben
Tadeusz Kosciuszko
Charle Armand Tuffin
Jean-Baptiste Donatiende Vimeur
Jean baron de Kalb
Kazimierz Pułaski
Marquis de Lafayette
Winfield Scott
William Hull
John Wool
Henry Dearborn

Navy
Isaac Hull
John Paul Jones
Joshua Barney
Stephen Decatur
William Bainbridge
Isaac Chauncey
Oliver Perry
Thomas Macdonough

(Continental) Marines
Samuel Nicholas
Presley O'Bannon

Presidents
James Madison
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
JohnAdams

I've uploaded the folder onto the server.

[TosaInu]

That's very nice Mailman653.