How to make RO skins

[Melfina]

I have to add some images to the tutorial so that it's easier. I'll update it as soon as I have the pictures ^^  *RO=Ragnarok Online*

How to make Ragnarok Online skins

Here it goes!

For this, you're supposed to know some basics, like how to create new layers on a image (if not, go to: http://celestialstar.enemie.net/tut...-ps-tvlines.php and read the tutorial because one of the steps I wrote there is how to make a new layer).

What you need:

- Template skin
- Skin maker
- Adobe photoshop or paint shop pro or similar (but make sure you can use layers). Note that I use Adobe photoshop 7.0.
- Skin viewer (optional). This is just to check the progress of the skin.

>>>>> The template and skin maker is here: http://www.roempire.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101
>>>>> You can get a free trial version of Photoshop here: http://www.adobe.com/support/downlo...latform=Windows

Let's get into the work itself.
Open the bmp template in photoshop. Press ctrl+A to select all the image, and copy it with ctrl+C, then press ctrl+N to create a new image and ctrl+V to paste the image. Name the layer "template". Make a new layer and name it "transparency" for example, then go to "Select > Color range" and select "mangenta" from the drop down menu. Click ok. You'll get some little selections, press ctrl+c to copy them and paste them (ctrl+v) on a new layer. Name it "transparency" for example. Again, make a new layer and name it "black" for example. Go to "Select > color range" and select "shadows" from the drop down menu and copy the selection with Ctrl+C. Make a new layer and press Ctrl+V to paste what you copied before. Once again, go to "Select > Color range" and select "highlights" from the drop down menu. Press Ctrl+X to cut the selection.

If the template layer is transparent where it shouldn't be (for example, on buttons) make a new layer just under them (never put other layers between this one and the template layer), select the brush tool and paint those parts until you've finished with the non-desired transparencies.

Now you've done that, you can save the image as a psd document to use it everytime you want to make a skin. At the template layer.

Open the image you want to use as a background. Now is when your part comes, use your creativity. Open the image you want to use for the skin and paste it under the template image. Don't forget that the text is always black! so don't use an image that's too dark... (you can always use the Hue/saturation or Brightness/contrast properties to make it lighter!).

If you want, you can change the template color by selecting it at the layers window and going to Image > Adjustments > Hue/saturation. There you can move the arrows until you're happy with the color.

If you want you can also change the letters. To make this, type text above the template layer IN THE EXACT PLACE of the word or whatever you're going to change (otherwise, the skin will look weird). Once you've placed it on the exact place, I duplicate it and rasterize one of the layers, then change the text of the new one and place it on the correct place again. Duplicate the text layer again and rasterize one of them, then pres ctrl+E to merge it down with the first layer you rasterized and once again change the text layer's text, duplicate it... etc. It's all the time the same steps. When you've wrote all the text in the correct place, take the eraser tool, change the type to pen and select a square eraser. Select the template layer and erase the text (not the one you've typed!). This part takes much more time than the other ones... (at least for me) so what I do is once changed all the text, I save the psd and use the text for other skins. You can change that text color by changing the hue/saturation.

Supposing that you've finished your skin, what you have to do now is flatten the image. Click on the arrow at the upper right corner of the layers window and click on "Flatten image", then go to "Archive > Save as" and save it as a bmp. Bmp only!

Go to the folder where you have the skins maker and open it. Click on browse at the top field and select your bmp image. At the middle field you have to select your RO folder. It will normally be something like C:/Program Files/Gravity/RO (no you don't have to select the skins folder! only the ro folder!). Type a name for your skin at the bottom field then click on "Create skins" or something like that.

You're finished!  if you downloaded the RO skin viewer you can view it there or you can prove it at ro itself!

I hope you found this tutorial useful ^-^

[Frozen]

I got to install RO sometime, and try making some skins.
Nice tutorial btw...I'll use it when i someday install RO.

[Twilight's Khori]

This is a very helpful tutorial ^^. I read it over at ROempire and I now have a half-finished Skin. I still need to work out what a few things are on the template.
I will be sure to put the skin up once it is done.

I have a question though:
where is the experiance bar for changing on the template?

[Melfina]

Thanks I really don't know that :S someone asked me that before and really couldn't found it :/ maybe it's just made from the colors at the colorchip? I don't know *_*

[Asphodel]

Where can I get RO ?
It looks fun I'd really like to try it during the holidays ...

[Melfina]

http://iro.ragnarokonline.com

Free game, but paid server u_u. There are 15 day trial frequently, so you can give them a try :P

There's also an european server

http://www.euro-ro.net/

and several "private" servers... hehe

[Twilight's Khori]

If your gona play on an official server I suggest you go with euRO, being in France and all, also I hear the general community is alot nicer ~ less KSing n00bzors! :P.

[Melfina]

Yep, I miss the times at euRO ;_;  most of people were german, but there were quite a lot of french people too :P

[Twilight's Khori]

lol, on the English Priston Tale Galantia Server there are a whole lot of Dutch people. More people speaking Dutch than english lol. (The other language versions are like Korea, Japan ect).

[Melfina]

same happened there you couldn't speak to some people because they only spoke german =_=uu And I absolutely have NO idea about german ><

[Asphodel]

What do you mean "free game but paid server" ???

How much will it cost me to play for ... let's say ... a month ???

[Melfina]

I think it's about 10 euros a month... more or less

It means, it's free to get it (you don't have to buy it, and you can download it for free) but you'll have to pay if you want to play on an official server ... :/ and you can't play if you can't connect to a server ^^u

[Why^Me]

But u can try to play at private server for test.... theres alot out there... But, BEWARE if you get caught by GRAVITY, u will be sue for sure..... coz u will need to modified the client.... and one of the GRAVITY rule is Cannot modified or decompile the client.....

*Sory for advert*