Woven AV Lesson #14

Making a Gamehead Frame
The lesson was written for PSP7.04
by Woven
The Bold writing are the keyboard shortcuts for each action.You may or may not need to have the [ F lock ] on your keyboard activated for these to work

finished AV      finished AV

Requirements for this lesson



Everything you need for this lesson comes in PSP.



Instructions

Making a Gamehead Frame
  1. Open a New Image>102(W) x 116(H) Pixels; Resolution 72.000 Pixels/inch; Background Colour Black; Image Type 16.7 Million Colours (24bit)>OK.
    New Black Image
  2. Colour/Materials Pallette>Styles - Foreground/Stroke Solid Colour Black;Styles - Background/Fill Solid Colour Left click on colour swatch and choose any colour but NOT black.
  3. Image>Add Borders>Symmetric Unchecked; Top 5; Bottom 15; Left 5 ; Right 5>OK.
    {{Write down the original mega image size of 102(W) x 116(H)pixels and the Top 5 and Left 5 ; as these tell you the number of pixels in from the left edge and down from the top edge that the mega avatar starts in the frame- and you will need them when you import the frame into Xion Headmaker Program to make your Gamehead.}}
    Borders added
    The Black Section will be replaced by your Avatar Mega when you open the Gamehead. The area we are interested in is the border area which will be your frame.
  4. Select you Magic Wand Tool>Tool Options Pallette> Match Mode RGB Value; Tolerance 0; Feather 0; Sample Merged Unchecked - NOW -
    Left click inside the grey border area to select it.
  5. Select your Floodfill Tool>Blend Mode Normal; Match Mode None; Opacity 100; Sample Merged Unchecked.
  6. Colour/Materials Pallette>Styles -Foreground/Stroke> Click on drop down arrow on the colour swatch and select Gradient[the 2nd choice button]; Left click on the gradient Colour Swatch - Angle 45; Repeats 1; Left click on gradient colour swatch dropdown menu and Select Metallic; Invert Gradient Unchecked>OK.
  7. Left click inside the selected border area of your image to floodfill it with your chosen metallic gradient.
    Bafter floodfill
  8. Effects>3dEffects> Inner Bevel>Column 1 - Row 2; Width 4; Depth 1; Smoothness & Ambience both 0; Shininess 40; Angle 315; Intensity & Elevation both 40; Left click on Light Colour Swatch and Select White>OK.
  9. Selections>Select None.
    after 3d effect
  10. Layers>New Raster Layer.
  11. View>Zoom In by 1 - to make next steps easier to do.
  12. Select Text Tool>Left click at top left of your image in the gradient border>Font Name Ariel Black; Script Western; Size 8; Kerning & Leadin both 0; Auto Kern Unchecked; Floating & Antialias both Checked; Styles/Stroke Null; Styles/Fill - Left click on colour swatch and select Black; Textures/Stroke and Fill both Null; Type a row of 28 dots in Text Box>OK.
  13. While Marquee wriggling around dots position them centrally in the top border 1 Pixel down from the top and 1 pixel in from each side.
    after top row dots added
  14. Selections>select None.
  15. Layers>Duplicate.
  16. Image>Flip - to place a row of dots along bottom of image.
    after bottom row dots added
  17. Layers>New Raster Layer.
  18. With Text Tool still selected>left click back on image again>In text box add 4 more dots to the row already there [32 in all]>OK.
  19. While Marquee still wriggling around dots
    Image>Rotate>Direction Right Checked; Degrees 90 Checked; All layers Unchecked>OK.
  20. Centrally align dots down left side 1 Pixel in from left edge.
    after left row dots added
  21. Selections>select None.
  22. Layers>Duplicate.
  23. Image>Mirror - to place a row of dots down right side of image.
    after right row dots added
  24. Layers>New Raster Layer.
  25. With Text Tool still selected>Left click in bottom border left side> Change size to 10; In text box type your name in lowercase>OK.
  26. While Marquee wriggling around letters position it as in image below.
    after name added
  27. Selections>select None.
  28. Layers>New Raster Layer.
  29. With Text Tool still selected> Left click in bottom border at end of your name>Change Size to 22; Styles/Stroke Black; Styles/Fill Null; Antialias Unchecked; All other settings as before; In text box type as many dots as you need to fill the gap from name to right border [ in my case it was 5 ]>OK.
  30. While Marquee wriggling around dots position them as in image below.
    finished AV      finished AV
  31. Layers>Merge>Merge All (Flatten)
    Now we have made and saved our Frame let's Make our Gamehead.
    You can download Xion Headmaker from a number of sites just enter Xion Headmaker into your browser's search engine.
  1. Open Xion Headmaker ( there is also another Headmaker Program called Genesis but I have not used it.)
  2. Click on game of choice from selection at top right I chose 'NONE'.
  3. Head Name - give your head a name.
  4. List Name - I use the same name as Head Name - The List name is the name that will appear in the games list in VP.
  5. Click on writing that says ' Click here to configure the head's layout.
  6. Click on GIF - top right of PopUp.
  7. In next PopUp navigate to where you saved your frame image and highlight it to select it>Open.
  8. Right Click in the black area under seat name>Click on Add Seat manually.
  9. X = 5; Y = 5; Width = 102; Height = 116>Done.
  10. Click on Done again.
  11. Click on Create OCX button at bottom right and in PopUp navigate to C:Programfiles/vplaces or vpyak double click to open it; double click on games folder; In File name put List Name you chose before>Save.
  12. In Head Created PopUp that appears>Click on YES to register the head with your system so that it will work in VP.

  13. Time to go play and experiment with the things you have learned today ....

    Have fun .... woven