Cabal SEA - Misc Guide - Making Cabal skins with GIMP

_The Ultimate Guide to making

This is how you install the skins - Skin Changing guide by bor3dom
This is where you download skins - *~The Ultimate collection of Cabal skins!~*

THIS THREAD IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR TECHNICAL NOOBIES.

Hey guys! After my 1st completion of skinning, I have decided to share how to make Cabal skins!


1st, you will need a DDS reader. Cabal skins, cursors and many other parts of the User Interface are saved as DDS files. You will need Windows Texture Viewer (WTV) to view DDS files like any ordinary PNG or JPEG file.

Windows Texture Viewer (When viewing images you might see a coloured background. This is not a bug or error, WTV cant read transparency.)
DDS Thumbnail viewer(Optional, for easier skin browsing)


I recommend that skinners should use GIMP 2.0. It's free and easy to use. It can't read DDS files yet, but I'll give you a link to enable it.

GIMP 2.4
DDS Plugin(extract to C:\Program Files\GIMP-2.0\lib\gimp\2.0\plug-ins)




Here is a preview of what you will be looking at when you start skinning.



Basic Image skin

Example :

All you have to do is get a template to help you get a basic shape of the skin.
This is the best template. Download


Open the template and create a layer below the main surface. This layer is meant for the picture you are going to place.


For me, I'm going to put a picture behind the "Skill" window. So I will have to cut the picture down to fit the window.


So basically it's just putting pictures behind each window.


Advance UI Skin

Example :

This method of skinning is tedious and complicated. You have to get the shape you want, while making sure that it's still in allignment so that the game can read it properly. To colour it, just use whatever brushes you want, or if you feel for comfortable with paint bucket, go ahead. You can cut out the UI for your own use.



Tips :
Save files 2x bigger than the original for better quality.
Do not forget to watermark your creation. (Put a signature at the login screen or something)
Remember to keep to your theme! If you put random pictures everywhere, you skin will end up awful!

Skinning is about as simple as that. You just have to get used to GIMP, which is not very hard.

SO GET SKINNING!


Credits to the skin makers from the Cabal Europe forums, The Black Stars Clan forums and the Cabal Database forums. And ESPECIALLY Alfarjamie who made the Photoshop guide on skinning.



Basic Guide

Open up your skin by clicking File > Open and look for it.


Usually it will be named as one of these, so select the one you want to edit or modify.


You can just cut and paste windows or components of other skins into the one your editing. For this example, I will change the square minimap window into a circle minimap window.



You can edit any part of a skin you like, as long as it stays in its position. If it's not aligned properly, the game won't read it right.You have to figure out the grids yourself.


Once you're done editing, just save it by clicking File > Save As. Save it as .DDS.


The DDS saving window will pop-up, save it at this settings.


AND YOU ARE DONE!


My skins :






*~The Ultimate Guide to Making Cabal skins with GIMP!~* - Written By Khal - Contributed By Khal
http://forums.playpark.net/showthread.php?t=371429