Umm.

Do use save in DXT3 or DXT1?

DXT1 is suitablie for plain Icons with a circle. But DXT3 is the one who can export multilayer use of Alpha in that case.

I am using what I believe is the latest version of the Nvidia texture tool (along with the latest version of Photoshop). Exporting on "BC2 RGBA 8 BPP | explicit alpha", Kaiser box for the mipmap options...
it works totally fine for traditional icons, but not if I want a unit icon with the team colour behind it (= and I am assuming that the icon must contain some alpha within it to show the team colour behind the unit picture, I am purely assuming this is how the game code works).

I have tried to modify the Alpha Layer in the Photoshop file itself, by actually painting in black the whole Alpha layer but now what it does is it prevents the icon picture to even be displayed in the DDS export (basically, there is nothing being shown... which is kinda puzzling because all the RVB channels are on top of it so they should be displayed, but heh welcome to computer science).
If you have any kind of advices or help about that, thank you very much in advance..
The best would be if a dev could answer because this is fairly precise technical question.

https://aow.triumph.net/forums/topic/icon-creation/

Then find the official aow mod tutorial document.

I'm unsure what you are doing right or wrong. However you also need to export alpha layer from photo shop and make sure you capture all layers in the Nvidia tool.

You mean the circle behind units and the "black" you mentioned that should be from your image? If you unsure you could neat pick and remove it by "hand" around the unit if you are unable to export alpha layers.

I am actually pretty sure my struggle is actually a pretty silly thing I am not doing right to be fair. I already read the aod mod tutorial content about it. I will continue testing stuff on my own up to the point I understand it...

Experiment is the key the success. Although its quite easy solution, but I might write down a guide later when I start fiddle with Photoshop again.

I'm supposed to recreate all units icons for Nomads and Lizardman, but lacking time so only done like 4 out of 50 or something

that would be awesome :)

1. Save picture and alpha layer that is linked “side by side” in the photoshop.
2. “Save as” Choose DDS + “Alpha Channels” square box
3. Choose BC2, Color Map. Generate Mipmaps
4. Mipmap Options: Choose Kaiser, Gamma correct, Override filter 2.0 and premultiplied alpha blending.
5. Very bottom choose “Export Premultiplied Alpha”
6. If done correctly, icons should be displayed correctly when choosing “Color” our of the three options in the upper right corner.

I dont think there is anymore to it.

And by doing so, you do see the team colour behind the unit picture within its icon?

There are definitely some variation in your export options compare to what I am used to do, I will test right now.

To be fair could you give a bit more precision on your first point 1. ? I am not sure I understand how to link "side by side" my alpha layer with the different pictures which my photoshop file contain, and I kinda believe this is where the problem comes from- I am using an old photoshop file provided by the developers to create icons and when I display the alpha channel of my photoshop file, it's like a grid filled with holes but it does not fit the pictures of my icons.

Yes if that how you define team colours that you hide the black by making it alpha/transparent.

I'm just using this PSD template for reference. I'm by no means an expert on Photoshop.

But when I have file open, there is a symbol looking like a "camera" that extends the layer to separate alpha layer. Then you paint the black and white separatly in a new alpha layer that becomes multi layer.

The "separate alpha" in the "layer" section then is to the right of your image. Like 2 mini boxes if that clears things.


This is very basic I believe all of much found where you use "Layers", Channels, Paths""

So I am definitely a step closer to the solution- my issue is definitely the Alpha channel of my photshop file, which is basically a grid filled with holes (one hole for one icon, but the alpha WITHIN the hole is not taken into account, and that's my problem).

I did check some stuff on the internet, it seems that I need to create my alpha channel based on the picture I used in my document, or to draw myself the alpha channel with some kind of selection tool.

This is certainly basic stuff like you said, but I am a big beginner too, so... ^^')

Yeah so I did it, kinda. Had to delete the current alpha channel and I did "cut" pixel by pixel my picture within the icon to obtain the alpha channel mask I want to have. Took 30 minutes for just one icon haha.
I am absolutely certain there is a way to do the same in 30 seconds by just being better at photoshop, and I will figure it out eventually.
At least I understand where the problem was coming from now, another big thank you Gladen for helping me.

Yeah you will become better in time. First generation of icons I did was in paint.net and I cut pixel by pixel around a print screen. They become decent.

The mask processing is essentially less than 3 minutes depending on how good you are on your trigger finger.

But it's practice and experience through experimental results that gained my knowledge. My girlfriend is an artist and illustrator so naturally a free Photoshop was a side bonus for me for only this purpose

All right, not sure if this the easiest way but it's definitely easier than selecting pixels one by one;
You do :
selection -> selection based on a colour
you click on a black area so that it will select all black pixels
You then intervert your selection (selection>intervert) otherwise it will apply alpha exactly where you do not want (that's why you intervert, you want the opposite)
You go into the Layer/ channel tab and click on the bottom right, the dot within a square; it will create an alpha layer based on your selection a.i all the pixel which do not contain a colour other than black. Does not work that well if there are some blacks pixels that you do not want to be alpha, obviously, but it's a start.
The team colour will appear within the icon where you originally had black pixels once imported in the engine.
It's still takes a few minutes to do, but it works for the entire set of icon (5*2 in my case).

Seems legit.

I just take a small brush and mask out the things in the image I dislike with very low strenght. Especially screenshots with grey background from mod editor etc.

But yeah anything goes.

I added a guide for this matter. Feel free to read and learn.

https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2871248438