Creating a Custom Map Preview

[Xios]

This tutorial is to teach you how to make a custom map preview image, just like the ones you see on all your favorite games, it also gives some coolness to your map
this is mine:


over view
-Program(s) needed
-How to
-finished product


Program(s) needed:
a program that you can export TGA with,
i suggest
-The gimp http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/stable.html
the gimp is free and pretty simple to use.
for this tutorial i will show you how to do it in the gimp
although if you know how to use photo shop or other programs it should be fairly easy to follow.

How to

1. open up the gimp, and open the picture you want, whether copy and pasted from the Internet, or created using a paint program (you can use the gimp).

-for the purpose of this tutorial i have borrowed the wc3 campaigns logo.


-i have cropped out the part of the image i want. using the select rectangular region button circled in red on the tool bar, then copy and paste the highlighted part to a new canvas.


- i have added text to my image. i have circled the text button on the left tool bar for you


2. re-size the Image to 256/256 pixels using :
-image
-scale image
- then set width and height to 256, make sure to un-link the these by clicking on the chain beside the numbers you just typed in.


3. now save your custom Map preview as:
(desired name).tga
mine would be:
my map preview image.tga


if it comes up with an error message saying it cannot handle layers, then click export.
if it comes up with a box saying- RLE compression and Origin at bottom left ,then press OK

4. Import to your map.
go to import manager and press ctrl + I , then browse for the (custom map preview) .tga you just saved, open it into the importer, then double click the file and tick the box "use custom path" then type into the text box
war3mapPreview.tga
using all the correct capital letters.


5. save your map
save your map and open up Warcraft III, go to single player, and custom game, find your saved map and look at the cool custom map preview image you have created

Finished Product

[Vexorian]

It is a complete one and uses the gimp so I know it will eventually be helpful to someone, be patient

[ragingspeedhorn]

Well made tutorial, there is already alot of these but this one does just a little bit more than the rest :)

[illidan92]

I still sometimes have to go back and copy the "war3mapPreview.tga" so ty.

[Darkbloodking]

nice tut, btw can we get one for loading screens too?

[Tree-of-pain]

Mine says fatal error when i open the map. Can u help me?

[Vexorian]

That's often a sign of having alpha channels in the image.

[forsman]

Mighty Boosh!!! :D