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Quick and easy guide to making Backpack Icons

By Primrose

With the recent importer update and blog post asking for resubmitted items, everyone's in a bit of a scramble to resubmit their items in hopes that they go ingame with the next update, myself included. Though part of the recent importer update was the requirement of backpack icons, which has left a few people confused and befuddled as to how exactly this works. Here, we'll discuss the proper way to make backpack icons with ease.

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Created by

Primrose
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Category: Modding or Configuration, Walkthroughs

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

13 Jun, 2013 @ 2:31am

13 Jun, 2013 @ 2:12pm

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Guide Index

Overview

Needed Files

Using the template to make an icon

Upload to your workshop contribution through the importer

Comments

Needed Files

Backpack icon creation is a very simple process, and doesn't require far too much work to do thanks to the importer. You will only need one template file to work off of as your needed file, I will include a link in just a moment which will link to the png of the template

Just click here and you'll be taken to the proper template.[dl.dropboxusercontent.com]

Using the template to make an icon

1: Shown is the template, with the red being 92 pixels tall, and the brown being 328 pixels tall, both 512 across
2: Using a program which has alpha channels, such as Photoshop, you need to take a screencap of the item you wish to make the backpack icon of, in the ideal position for a good backpack icon.
3: With the picture taken, crop it down to the proper size, and do any other needed modifications for a proper and acceptable backpack icon, use ingame icons as refrence when doing your own.
4: Then, Take the icon and place it inbetween the 92 pixels tall red guiding areas and put it inside the brown section, making sure it doesn't go outside the designated area, and make it as centered as possible.
5: Next, take your item and select it, then go to your alpha channel and make sure the area the icon occupies is completely whited out, and anything that isn't is pure black
6: Finally, go back to your RGB channel and remove the red and brown template, and put a plain #000000 in it's place, then make sure everything looks correct and save the 512x512 picture as a .tga

Upload to your workshop contribution through the importer

And through those few easy and simple steps, you will have an icon ready for valve to pick up and use ingame without any issues whatsoever! Have fun, and make your icons responsibly

12 Comments

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Grovesimus 3 Jul, 2013 @ 12:23pm

I think Photoshop CS2 is free.

Bombzopple 2 Jul, 2013 @ 10:03pm

Can u explain how to do this for gimp cuz it still stays black in gimp

Yes 2 Jul, 2013 @ 5:01pm

Photoshop

Bombzopple 2 Jul, 2013 @ 4:57pm

wait was those instructions for gimp?

Bombzopple 2 Jul, 2013 @ 4:54pm

all right ill try that next time

Primrose [author] 2 Jul, 2013 @ 4:53pm

@Bomb, by default, the alpha channel will appear black, what you have to do is take the cut out image that you're using as the backpack icon, select it, and then go back to your alpha channel and delete the section, and that spot should turn white, if not, then use the eraser tool and just remove it manually.

Bombzopple 2 Jul, 2013 @ 3:35pm

When i go to alpha channel my item appears black any help?

Primrose [author] 28 Jun, 2013 @ 11:19am

oh! I mean a pure black backround in its place, which has the numerical code of a bunch of zeroes, six to be exact. Sorry for any confusion!

Yes 28 Jun, 2013 @ 10:51am

Thank you! But what do you mean by "put a plain #000000 in it's place"? how?

Primrose [author] 16 Jun, 2013 @ 3:20am

@Grumpskin, it's really just a matter of using the lasso tool and doing it by hand, that's how I did it for the coat right there, though if you use SDK, you can just make the backround a bright lime-green, sort of like a green screen, then use the magic wand tool to select everything green and delete it, but that doesn't always work. When in doubt, do it manually.

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