Help ! How do I create icons for models in my library ?

[a.quaihoi]

Help ! How do I create icons for models in my library ? - Ok I've add the models so how do I get icons to show ? Do I render, the models and create the icons, then what do I do with the image - save as jpeg and put where ??? ? Help !

[a.quaihoi]

Help ! How do I create icons for models in my library ? - Ok I've add the models so how do I get icons to show ? Do I render, the models and create the icons, then what do I do with the image - save as jpeg and put where ??? ? Help !

It's OK Folks, just figured it out !!

[Rodney]

It's OK Folks, just figured it out !!

 

Hey! If you figured out how to do it... then you've got to pass the secret on to me!

How else am I suppose to learn!?!

 

Glad you figured it out.

[a.quaihoi]

Help ! How do I create icons for models in my library ? - Ok I've add the models so how do I get icons to show ? Do I render, the models and create the icons, then what do I do with the image - save as jpeg and put where ??? ? Help !

It's OK Folks, just figured it out !!

 

Hi Rodney,

 

 

just open the model in Am ( Any project ) then have a look in the properties window to look at the models properties, you will see the icon ( usually a "thomp" icon ) , clicking on this icon will take you to the windows interface to select a thumbnail icon - yes you have to render the model out and create a 125 x 125 jpeg image of it. Keep you library of models organized, so in your models folder you should have a thumbnails folder where you keep the thumbnails, in this way you can continue to build and create you own custom libraries and keep everything organised - also makes AM more stable when all the default material and models are not loaded into it. ( Not really a newbie - just haven't used AM for ages )

 

Hope that Helps !

 

A.

[a.quaihoi]

Help ! How do I create icons for models in my library ? - Ok I've add the models so how do I get icons to show ? Do I render, the models and create the icons, then what do I do with the image - save as jpeg and put where ??? ? Help !

It's OK Folks, just figured it out !!

 

Hi Rodney,

 

 

just open the model in Am ( Any project ) then have a look in the properties window to look at the models properties, you will see the icon ( usually a "thomp" icon ) , clicking on this icon will take you to the windows interface to select a thumbnail icon - yes you have to render the model out and create a 125 x 125 jpeg image of it. Keep you library of models organized, so in your models folder you should have a thumbnails folder where you keep the thumbnails, in this way you can continue to build and create you own custom libraries and keep everything organised - also makes AM more stable when all the default material and models are not loaded into it. ( Not really a newbie - just haven't used AM for ages )

 

Hope that Helps !

 

A.

 

 

Hey. . . wait a minute . . .lol . . .

[Rodney]

Thanks A.

If even one A:M Users reads your explanation on Library Icons it could change the course of history.

Revolutions may start small but once they gain momentum...

[NancyGormezano]

just open the model in Am ( Any project ) then have a look in the properties window to look at the models properties, you will see the icon ( usually a "thomp" icon ) , clicking on this icon will take you to the windows interface to select a thumbnail icon - yes you have to render the model out and create a 125 x 125 jpeg image of it.

 

Warning - when just testing this - be careful about changing images used for icon if the model shortcut is already in your A:M lbr (and I assume the library is open) - I just corrupted a test model .... luckily it was just a test.

 

What I wonder - Is there a way to save (or get access) to the icon image created when invoking the "create icon" cmd... Very nice - don't have to render anything. But it looks like that is embedded in the model data? It would be nice (for lazy twits such as moi) to have that image (ico? jpeg?) external to the model...just wondering ...not requesting anything.

 

For as long as I've been using A:M - I have to shamefully admit, I've never really fooled with the library feature, as I have my own system. Its called guessing.

[HomeSlice]

when invoking the "create icon" cmd... Very nice - don't have to render anything.

Hey! Where is the "Create Icon" command? I still make my icons by rendering a small image of the model and loading it via quailhoi's method. Would love to have a way to make icons without the extra rendering step.

[NancyGormezano]

Hey! Where is the "Create Icon" command? I still make my icons by rendering a small image of the model and loading it via quailhoi's method. Would love to have a way to make icons without the extra rendering step.

 

Right click in the model window - and voila! select "create icon" (after Create shortcut in Library) - ver 15e

[Rodney]

Warning - when just testing this - be careful about changing images used for icon if the model shortcut is already in your A:M lbr (and I assume the library is open) - I just corrupted a test model .... luckily it was just a test.

 

In what way is the model corrupted?

I ask as I've never seen a problem with Library Icons before.

Is it possible you are mistaking the additional image information added to the model as corruption?

I must assume by corrupted you mean to say it won't open.

I've never seen that before.

 

What I wonder - Is there a way to save (or get access) to the icon image created when invoking the "create icon" cmd... Very nice - don't have to render anything. But it looks like that is embedded in the model data? It would be nice (for lazy twits such as moi) to have that image (ico? jpeg?) external to the model...just wondering ...not requesting anything.

 

The Preview Image (Library Icon) data is stored in the resource in all cases but one that I know of (Tut files reference an external image). Projects, Models, Chors, Actions, Materials... all of those... maintain their data between the .../ tags. This can be found near the end of the file.

 

As the Preview Image is added to the file the file will change. It will grow in size by the size of the Preview Image assigned.

 

To answer your question then... this is where one could access the image data in Base 64 or whatever. Vern and I investigated using this data years ago with the Extra CD but... we weren't smart enough to make it work.

 

 

I should have read A.'s response a little more carefully or at least linked to another Library Icon topic. One of the reasons to use the File Info properties Icon assignment is that the Right Clicking 'Create Icon method isn't always available for every resource. If its there however the Right Clicking method works much quicker and you usually get better image quality.

[NancyGormezano]

In what way is the model corrupted?

I must assume by corrupted you mean to say it won't open.

 

You betcha - model file won't open.

 

I was just randomly getting images to use as the preview image (testing only) - and had picked random, probably large tgas, not sure if they had alpha channels - I had not realized that they should probably be small jpegs.

 

I had added the shortcut of model to A:M's library. So I was also seeing how librarys worked. I was changing the preview image to test to see if the image in the library would also change - it did, but only after I saved the model (or so it seemed). Eventually A:M crashed, and when I restarted A:M, I found that I was not able to reopen the saved model file. Corrupted.

 

We Dumb Monkeys are the best stress testers.

[Rodney]

I had added the shortcut of model to A:M's library. So I was also seeing how librarys worked. I was changing the preview image to test to see if the image in the library would also change - it did, but only after I saved the model (or so it seemed). Eventually A:M crashed, and when I restarted A:M, I found that I was not able to reopen the saved model file. Corrupted.

 

Interesting. Odd too. (Not you... the corruption!!!)

 

I've used some pretty big images so I don't think its that.

Try another test!

 

We Dumb Monkeys are the best stress testers.

 

If Dumb Monkeys have the right... I plead the 5th Amendment.