Wesnoth units graphics specifications

[nonobots]

Now on the wiki

Here's the information needed to start doing units for Wesnoth. Post corrections, suggestion and comments in the thread, or post it on the wiki page.

Basic unit image specifications

• Final format is PNG, 72 x 72 pixels
• the units should be contained in the hex (the white in the attached template)
• Normal Units (humans and elves) are about 40px tall
• Small Units (dwarves and goblins) are a bit over 30px tall
• Tall Units (drakes and great trolls) are a bit under 50px tall
• Light comes from a specific direction (for shadings and highlights)
• Unit must look in the lower right direction
• Units are centered horizontally
• Units feets are positioned around 55 pixel from the top, lower for taller units
• Shadows at 60 opacity, black color.
• Outlines should be used, made with a darker, but similar colour to what they're surrounding, this makes the unit feel bigger then the amount of pixels you'd use for the same with a black outline.
• Use a consistent nomes for your files, beginning with the unit name, so that they are kept together when browsing the files.

Unit animation specifications

• You can have as many frames for animations as you like. It depends on what you want to get accross
• Images and animations must be done for:
  • normal image (1 frame)
  • attack for each type (at least one frame - 2 is good)
  • directional attacks (spear and ranged)
  • defense
  • death frame
  • magical attacks should have 'special effects'
• You can also have multiple defense animations (like the thief.)
• Defense can be split into ranged and melee animations.

Additional Notes

• Test early with different background. Go to your game terrain files, pick say 3 terrains preferably different colours, and have a look what they look like against the background, because that way if you have used alpha channels, it may look better in game then as the average standard sprite.
• Test your unit early in the game. Replacing an existing unit graphic with yours is the fastest way (be sure to make a copy of the originalsso you don't lose them.)

Edit: I'm keeping this file up-to-date with the comments.

[Disto]

I'll soon reach the point where I'll try creating new units. Trying to find documentation on unit size and other specifications There's no place that collect this information together (that I know of).

Here's what I found by browsing the Art forum and looking at official units:

- Must fit in the Hex (72x72)
- Normal Units (humans and elves) are about 40px tall
- Small Units (dwarves and goblins) are a bit over 30px tall
- Tall Units (drakes and great trolls) are a bit under 50px tall
- Light comes from top right
- Unit must look in the lower right direction
- Units are centered horizontally
- Units feets are positioned around 55 pixel from the top, lower for taller units

Please help me correct this info or point me to where I can find it. I think there is a lot of coherence in between unit size and such - with a couple of exceptions - and that writing it down can make it more evident and easier to respect for newbies.

Thanks!

P.S. Is it possible that the bowman is a dwarf spy?

Mostly right except the light can come from anywhere above, personally all the light comes from the top left. And i just put the units feet wherever, if it looks bad i just paste it into a new file and let it be.

[nonobots]

[edit: stuff moved to the first post]

[Disto]

Just edit the first post with the new stuff and then see if it gets posted as a sticky.

[nonobots]

Just edit the first post with the new stuff and then see if it gets posted as a sticky.

I did just that. Now I'm wondering what else is pertinent and nice to know up-front for a beginner? I am a beginner - and here is some of the hints that I noticed here and there in the Art Development forum. Those all helped me understand what I was getting into...

• Testing your units on different backgrounds (is there one good way to do that?)
• Testing your units early in the game
  - create a faction and start a hotseat game (I don't even bother to create a unit/faction - I change the graphics on an existing one)
• The way the files are named (unit-attack.png, unit-defend.png, etc)
• The list of the minimum images to do to consider a unit complete
  - normal
  - attack
  - defend
  - die
• The comprehensive list of possible animation (those I'm not sure)
  - different attacks
  - attacks in different direction
  - magic effects
  - (I'm sure there's more)

Once this second list is corrected/completed, I think it will make a really good primer. This primer would be Wesnoth-oriented, with no mentions of art technique, or what application to use. Just the specific unit stuff for Wesnoth.

Would this go on the wiki or in a sticky on the forum?

[wayfarer]

...
...
[*] Testing your units on different backgrounds (is there one good way to do that?)
...

Replace an existing unit graphic with yours that is the fastest way (make an copy of the original one if you want to keep it)

[Disto]

Just edit the first post with the new stuff and then see if it gets posted as a sticky.

I did just that. Now I'm wondering what else is pertinent and nice to know up-front for a beginner? I am a beginner - and here is some of the hints that I noticed here and there in the Art Development forum. Those all helped me understand what I was getting into...

• Testing your units on different backgrounds (is there one good way to do that?)

Go to your game terrain files, pick say 3 terrains preferably different colours, and have a look what they look like against the background, because that way if you have used alpha channels, it may look better in game then as the average standard sprite.

• Testing your units early in the game
  - create a faction and start a hotseat game (I don't even bother to create a unit/faction - I change the graphics on an existing one)

Stats aren't necessairily essential as they are easy to make, but its good to test the graphics out in game. Just do a ai v human game.

• The way the files are named (unit-attack.png, unit-defend.png, etc)

The way the files are named doesn't matter as long as your config file has the right files linked but it's how much people name them.

• The list of the minimum images to do to consider a unit complete
  - normal
  - attack
  - defend
  - die

1 normal image, 1 attack generally 2 though, it just depends on what you want to get across, but depends on attack, if a spear, 4 directional, but with ranged attacks Jetryl specified at least 4 frames for each of the 4 directions, defend would normally be 2 or more but you can just have 1, you have a ranged defence and a normal defence but with as many frames as you like, and 3-4 death frames.

[*]The comprehensive list of possible animation (those I'm not sure)
- different attacks
- attacks in different direction
- magic effects
- (I'm sure there's more)[/list]

As many needed to get what you want across for a sword/mace/hammer/axe, 1 or 2, for a spear 4, but each in a different direction, bows 4 in each of the 4 directions, any ranged attacks go in the different direction but that hasn't been implemented for most units (lacks the different animations), for magic effects you can knock yourself out, as much as you like, you can give them a halo which can be animated, the shyde has a glittering halo i believe and a mage of lights halo shows the illumination... I think thats all you want.

Once this second list is corrected/completed, I think it will make a really good primer. This primer would be Wesnoth-oriented, with no mentions of art technique, or what application to use. Just the specific unit stuff for Wesnoth.

Would this go on the wiki or in a sticky on the forum?

[Boucman]

a couple of things to add

shadows. there are rules about how shadow should be done (colour, transparency) but I don't know them

outlines. there are also some rules about the outlines of unit. again ask a real artist about them...

you can also have multiple defense animations (like the thief) and different defense animations for ranged and melee attacks...

[wayfarer]

Shadows I think 60% opacity, outlines make them or not but not black I hate black outlines.
(I almost never make some outlines)

[Disto]

a couple of things to add

shadows. there are rules about how shadow should be done (colour, transparency) but I don't know them

outlines. there are also some rules about the outlines of unit. again ask a real artist about them...

you can also have multiple defense animations (like the thief) and different defense animations for ranged and melee attacks...

- Shadows at 60 opacity, and the colour is just good old black.
- Oulines should done with a darker, but similar colour to what they're surrounding, this makes the unit feel bigger then the amount of pixels you'd use for the same with a black outline.
- You can have as many frames for animations as you like.

[nonobots]

I'm gonna keep the first post up-to date, it will be way more useful.

As I see it the goal is a good primer on unit creation. I had problems finding this information and keeping it all together might ensure new artists will have better a better grasp of how to make unit that respect the look and feel already in place.

Suggestion, please post:

- Links to existing information
- Name of units that can easily be build upon - either simple, but complete units, or more complex "Here's what's possible to do" units.

P.S. I'm very new here - and not an accomplished artist, if someone is better equipped to maintain this, don't hesitate to take control...

[wayfarer]

Hmm time for a commercial break.

http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/viewtopic. ... ca77fbeae0
For those who want to make horse based units an easier way to animate them.

[turin]

The thief is a very good example of what can be done. It has basically all possible animations. I doesn't use the multidirectional ranged images, though, since it's not a ranged unit.

PS: Much more useful than keeping this post up to date would be starting a wiki page on it. Preferrably linked to from the page Create -> Art and Music.

[nonobots]

The thief is a very good example of what can be done. It has basically all possible animations. I doesn't use the multidirectional ranged images, though, since it's not a ranged unit.

PS: Much more useful than keeping this post up to date would be starting a wiki page on it. Preferrably linked to from the page Create -> Art and Music.

done

http://www.wesnoth.org/wiki/Creating_Unit_Art

Keep posting example your stuff, but do it on the wiki ... or onm this thread if your not sure.

[ILikeProgramming]

*Use transparent around unit
*No transparent unit body; exception is ghosts