2D Artist Guidelines

A collection of sources, tips, and styles for 2D Artists.

Documenation

• GoA Artwork, a list of artworks used, their authors and status.

Tools

• Game Icons, a site with free game icons of any kind! Very useful!

CoA Workflow

1. Open the work directory, Warcraft-Guardians-of-Azeroth-2\gfx\coat_of_arms\colored_emblems.
2. Create a image file, .dds format, 512x512 pixels.
3. Every CoA has 3 colors: blue, cyan, and magenta defined in HSV format, NOT RGB. You're free to change V, the value, it will allow you to create shadows and light.

• Blue, 240H, 100S, 50V, the 1st color.
• Cyan, 150H, 100S, 100V, the 2nd color.
• Magenta 330H, 100S, 100V, the 3rd color.

Example

4. To make sure your CoA is visible, try to fit (so it touches the black borders and a few pixels beyond if you want) it in this mask. At the same time, it should be centered around the image center.

Mask

CoA Tips

• Coat of Arms Modding, a full guide to adding new CoAs for dynasties or titles.
• To make a title CoA work in-game you should add this template in common\coat_of_arms\coat_of_arms\00_wc_landed_titles.txt:

Template

k_gnomeregan = { #Put title name from common\landed_titles\01_landed_titles.txt
	pattern = "pattern_solid.dds" #Plain background
	color1 = rgb { 80 60 125 } #Background color
	colored_emblem = {
		texture = "ce_gnomeregan.dds" #Name of image file
		color1 = rgb { 210 155 115 } #"Blue" color
		color2 = rgb { 75 55 65 } #"Cyan" color
		color3 = rgb { 120 80 110 } #"Magenta" color
	}
}

• To make a dynasty CoA work in-game you should add this template in common\coat_of_arms\coat_of_arms\wc_dynasties.txt:

Template

10000 = { # Put dynasty ID from common\dynasties
	pattern = "pattern_solid.dds" #Plain background
	color1 = rgb { 80 60 125 } #Background color
	colored_emblem = {
		texture = "ce_gnome_eagle.dds" #Name of image file
		color1 = rgb { 210 155 115 } #"Blue" color
		color2 = rgb { 0 255 144 } #"Cyan" color
		color3 = rgb { 120 80 110 } #"Magenta" color
	}
}

• You can force specific cultures or faiths to use specific colors (like green for Kul Tirans). First, declare new named colors in common\named_colors\wc_colors.txt. Go to common\coat_of_arms\template_lists\color_lists.txt. You will see 2 big blocks, normal_colors (colors used for backgrounds, usually dark ones) and metal_colors (colors used for emblems, usually bright ones).

Trait Icon Guidelines:

• Trait background are in Warcraft-Guardians-of-Azeroth-2\.artist_resources\icons\traits.

Save Formats:

• .dds, 3D textures: DXT5 compression, with mipmaps
• .dds, transparent: DXT5 compression, without mipmaps
• .dds, non transparent: DXT1 compression, without mipmaps
• .dds, small images, 80x80 and less: no compression, without mipmaps

Styles:

Lifestyle Tree Background

In GIMP choose Colours > Levels...

Images

Click Auto Input Levels, set White Output to 125.

Images

Open Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur, set Size to 15.

Innovation Icon

In GIMP choose Filters > Artistic > Oilify.

Use Default resettings except for Mask Radius set to 2.

Images

Doctrine Icon

In GIMP choose Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur....

Set Size X and Size Y to 2.5.