Team Blog - Icon showcase

[Pureon]

As some of you may have noticed, we've created some new structure and technology icons over the past few Alpha releases. Below we'll give you some insight on how these icons come to life.

The icons themselves are created at 128x128 pixels or larger, but must remain recognizable when scaled down to 40x40 pixels when used on the game's user interfaces. This need for scalability means the full size icons must have high contrast colours and sometimes include exaggerated shapes, otherwise they will fade and blur too much when scaled down.

A few of you have asked how I create icons, so above is an image showing how they can develop from a concept sketch to the finished icon. The handcart technology icon started as a very simple 3D model created in Blender, with texturing applied to a render of the model using Photoshop (GIMP can easily achieve the same result). The Military Engineers icon (above right) started out as a quick rough sketch on a piece of paper which was then scanned and then textured over using Photoshop.

Above are some of the new structure icons we've created over the past few months. Many of these are simply higher-definition versions of icons that have been in 0 A.D. for many years, while others are for new buildings or have been redesigned completely.

Technology icons such as those above could eventually appear in Tech/Structure trees. Here's a Structure Tree design concept:

Ideally this will evolve from a static design concept into an online interactive Structure Tree that updates itself whenever changes are made to 0 A.D.

Last but not least, here are some animal and special object icons:

I'm not very good at human faces, so some of you may recognize the couple in the above image from the 0 A.D. main menu illustration Another reason for showing these animal icons is because we still need around 40 or more icons for animals, and we need someone with good illustration skills to take on this task.

If you'd like to comment on any of these, or have any questions for me, please do so below.

[Lion.Kanzen]

I love your Work, im happy for see a Tech tree in 0AD. i suggest put as link in Webpage , to People can see it and other and Track Manual Tech as attached file. i hope see in game [Game session UI], and the last Icons are very beautiful. Congrats Pureon.

Post data if you give me a PDS file i can paint it and bush details and give a Illustration look ,

Edited January 26, 2013 by Lion.Kanzen

[MishFTW]

Nice post Pureon. We defintly need more of the

Ideally this will evolve from a static design concept into an online interactive Structure Tree that updates itself whenever changes are made to 0 A.D.

Wow, that seems interesting. I also like the blend of colors that really match with the tiles. It could also be achieved in game with a UI revamp.

[plumo]

Has this been posted on facebook and twitter?

[Pureon]

Has this been posted on facebook and twitter?

Twitter yes, but not on Facebook

[Sighvatr]

Is there a list of missing icons?

[forekko]

I write some posts on Vkontakte (vk.com) social network. But it's in Russian.

If you are registered VK user, welcome to http://vk.com/0ad_game :-P

[Jeru]

Twitter yes, but not on Facebook

This has been rectified.

[mo0n_sniper]

Congratulations! The icons look really good.

[Pureon]

Thanks

[majapahit]

Nice, more animal icons please.

Peacock and snake my fave.

Cant wait to see those icons as clickable buttons in webpage as an informative reference system for buildings and units.

Edited February 6, 2013 by majapahit

[forekko]

I translated the full-size article into Russian here. Now I'll localize many of your blog articles, at least, will try to do it. Maybe someone will notice your need.