How to make custom Portraits

[Rafkos]

 

It was the armor and color scheme of the portrait that made me think of Oblivion model. I didn't mean any disrespect.

This model was from Mount and Blade: With Fire and Sword

[H0RSE]

I posted this in another thread months ago, but figured I could link it here. I resized the portraits from Apostrophe's PaintBG portraits for use in PoE. These are all original works based off the NPC's in the Baldur's Gate games, as well as many PC portraits as well.  If anyone is looking for well done original portraits for use in PoE, this will make a great addition. Of course, Aumaua, Orlan, and Godlike portraits are not included. Link is also in my sig

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/67198-baldurs-gate-portraits-for-pillars-of-eternity/?p=1525732

Edited March 24, 2015 by H0RSE

[Azureblaze]

Here is a bunch a Reddit poster shared that they collected:

 

http://imgur.com/a/eOhqV

 

Mostly female but there are some male ones if you scroll down.

 

Source: http://www.reddit.com/r/projecteternity/comments/307o79/looking_for_some_decent_custom_portraits_for_your/

Edited March 25, 2015 by Azureblaze

[Tort]

1. What is the format used by the in-game portraits, 24-bit .PNG ?

 

2. Where the image should be stored? In the OP there is a long direct path, is there a simpler override path e.g. my documents\pillars something ?

Edited March 25, 2015 by Tort

[Styger]

I've posted my Chanter below, for anyone who's interested! Got it from the post on /r/projecteternity, found in a gallery here: http://imgur.com/a/eOhqV

 

 

 

[Bryy]

Here is a quick little tutorial for custom portrait guru's!

 

Each portrait is 210 x 330 pixels.  The smaller in game UI portraits are 76 x 96 pixels. 

My customs look wrong in that size for small. Are you sure? They look fatter.

[Karkarov]

 

Here is a quick little tutorial for custom portrait guru's!

 

Each portrait is 210 x 330 pixels.  The smaller in game UI portraits are 76 x 96 pixels. 

My customs look wrong in that size for small. Are you sure? They look fatter.

Yeap I am sure.  The reason is they may look a little off is because Obisidian is scaling the portraits based on the size of the party window in game which is actually larger than the portrait.  It should be fairly subtle though.

[mutonizer]

Not really quality but since the more the merrier, here are about 50 portraits ready for PoE, humans males and females mostly, with big picture being full body on white background, small being zoom on face. They are numbered but just dump the ones you want (both _lg and _sm) in either the male or female folders (doesn't matter) or whatever it is for the release version.

 

Preview | .rar Download link

 

Small sized ones look a blurry on preview but when playing in x1080, they're just fine usually.

Edited March 26, 2015 by mutonizer

[Zwiebelchen]

Not really quality but since the more the merrier, here are about 50 portraits ready for PoE, humans males and females mostly, with big picture being full body on white background, small being zoom on face. They are numbered but just dump the ones you want (both _lg and _sm) in either the male or female folders (doesn't matter) or whatever it is for the release version.

 

Preview | .rar Download link

 

Small sized ones look a blurry on preview but when playing in x1080, they're just fine usually.

 

... wait ... is that ... Katara?

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hrV2NLG64Sc/VRPMZqpg-5I/AAAAAAAAD74/izuVzH667T8/w210-h330-no/05_lg.png

[Rangoon]

Thanks for this helpful tutorial!

I have a question which I don't think was addressed yet. I would like to take screenshots of my characters in game, then make portraits from those. But since the characters must already be created (especially for NPCs who join your party) and already have an assigned portrait, is there some way to assign a new portrait file to them? I would rather not replace the files, but just add them to the folder and reassign through a save-file edit or something through the game UI, ideally.

 

Or, and I'm only just starting the game, so don't know entirely what to expect with party joins and created charaters, but I assume you only make one character per game and the rest join. Does anyone know if multiple NPCs share the same portaits? I mean if an NPC can join your party, would you ever find another joinable NPC who has that same portrait? If not, then I'd feel better about replacing the files for the NPCs. 

 

Then I suppose it would work to create a character twice: once to snap the screenshot and twice (make identical) to assign the portrait. Or, replace the file, but that could cause issues.

 

Also, if there is a way through a save-file edit or the like, you could update your character portraits througout the game to match their current armor, etc.

[Rangoon]

I'm too new to edit posts, so I apologize for the double-post. 

 

I am having good luck using in-game screens and making my own character portraits. However I cannot seem to get them working for companions. I have one companion and I have renamed the original portraits and gave my replacement files the original ones' names. They are in the companion portrait folder. My character portrait is replaced in game, but the companion's is not. I searched the game folder for other instances of that name, can't see where else it would still be pulling the old portraits from, but it is. I even moved the originals, renamed, to my desktop. Still calling the originals. I'm using the same procedure as for my created character, other than the folders (companion vs player).

 

Any idea why this might be happening?

[Cantousent]

I don't think there's a real problem with double posts as long as you don't habitually do it to nakedly to get attention, Rangoon.  ...And at least your question is timely.

[Karkarov]

I'm too new to edit posts, so I apologize for the double-post. 

 

I am having good luck using in-game screens and making my own character portraits. However I cannot seem to get them working for companions. I have one companion and I have renamed the original portraits and gave my replacement files the original ones' names. They are in the companion portrait folder. My character portrait is replaced in game, but the companion's is not. I searched the game folder for other instances of that name, can't see where else it would still be pulling the old portraits from, but it is. I even moved the originals, renamed, to my desktop. Still calling the originals. I'm using the same procedure as for my created character, other than the folders (companion vs player).

 

Any idea why this might be happening?

I would try just making a copy of the portrait you chose, naming it something slightly different, then porting in the portrait you want and name it it identically to the portrait you orginally picked.  It should resolve the issue.

 

Alternatively the unfortunate only other option I can come up with off the top of my head would be to save before making the new character, go into a new game cycle, create them as you want, screen shot it, quit out, make a custom portrait per usual, then make the character in game and choose the correct portrait.

[Cluas]

Thanks for this helpful tutorial!

I have a question which I don't think was addressed yet. I would like to take screenshots of my characters in game, then make portraits from those. But since the characters must already be created (especially for NPCs who join your party) and already have an assigned portrait, is there some way to assign a new portrait file to them? I would rather not replace the files, but just add them to the folder and reassign through a save-file edit or something through the game UI, ideally.

 

Or, and I'm only just starting the game, so don't know entirely what to expect with party joins and created charaters, but I assume you only make one character per game and the rest join. Does anyone know if multiple NPCs share the same portaits? I mean if an NPC can join your party, would you ever find another joinable NPC who has that same portrait? If not, then I'd feel better about replacing the files for the NPCs. 

 

Then I suppose it would work to create a character twice: once to snap the screenshot and twice (make identical) to assign the portrait. Or, replace the file, but that could cause issues.

 

Also, if there is a way through a save-file edit or the like, you could update your character portraits througout the game to match their current armor, etc.

Edit: Karkarov beat me, but anyway, like he said....

 

The game have to be exited (to main menu) in order for new portraits to show up. So that means you have to make the character twice like you say. It works, but takes some time, and the screenshots are very low-res, so they might look a little pixelated.... You can do this at every lvl up, just replace the image without changing the filename.

I don't think there is any CNPC's that use the portraits you can choose (There is a girl that looks just like Calisca, though)

Edited April 13, 2015 by Cluas

[Rangoon]

 

I'm too new to edit posts, so I apologize for the double-post. 

 

I am having good luck using in-game screens and making my own character portraits. However I cannot seem to get them working for companions. I have one companion and I have renamed the original portraits and gave my replacement files the original ones' names. They are in the companion portrait folder. My character portrait is replaced in game, but the companion's is not. I searched the game folder for other instances of that name, can't see where else it would still be pulling the old portraits from, but it is. I even moved the originals, renamed, to my desktop. Still calling the originals. I'm using the same procedure as for my created character, other than the folders (companion vs player).

 

Any idea why this might be happening?

I would try just making a copy of the portrait you chose, naming it something slightly different, then porting in the portrait you want and name it it identically to the portrait you orginally picked.  It should resolve the issue.

 

Alternatively the unfortunate only other option I can come up with off the top of my head would be to save before making the new character, go into a new game cycle, create them as you want, screen shot it, quit out, make a custom portrait per usual, then make the character in game and choose the correct portrait.

 

 

Thanks for the reply. I'm actually not having any problems with the main character portrait. It's only the companion portraits. Calisca's portrait won't change. I've read every guide out there, including this one, and I'm doing everything correctly, to my knowledge. For her portrait, here is what I've done:

 

Screenshot her inventory screen

Photoshop to select the area I want and set the dimensions to 210x330 and 72ppi, run a filter, etc.,

Save as PNG

Moved the default Calisca portrait files to another folder. 

Moved my new PNGs into the companion portrait folder.

Copied the names of the original files, and pasted them over the names of mine (portrait_calisca_sm and portrait_calisca_lg dot png)

Renamed the originals to include the word BACKUP in the filename.

 

I opened PoE, loaded my save game. I see my own character's portrait changed correctly, but hers is not. I've tried starting a new game after doing the PNG stuff and same thing. I also tried putting her default portraits into the recycle bin where I know the game can't access them. I don't see how the game is calling the original portraits; they should effectively not even exist as far as PoE is concerned. 

 

I have compared my PNGs to the others in the companion folder. All the same dimensions, ppi, roughly the same file size, etc. All PNGs. I can see those images and my own, and NOT the original Calisca ones in that folder. It all looks correct. But the game still calls her old portrait somehow. I also tried saving into a new save slot, quitting out of PoE, then launching PoE and loading the new save. Same.

 

Perplexed.

[Rangoon]

 

Thanks for this helpful tutorial!

I have a question which I don't think was addressed yet. I would like to take screenshots of my characters in game, then make portraits from those. But since the characters must already be created (especially for NPCs who join your party) and already have an assigned portrait, is there some way to assign a new portrait file to them? I would rather not replace the files, but just add them to the folder and reassign through a save-file edit or something through the game UI, ideally.

 

Or, and I'm only just starting the game, so don't know entirely what to expect with party joins and created charaters, but I assume you only make one character per game and the rest join. Does anyone know if multiple NPCs share the same portaits? I mean if an NPC can join your party, would you ever find another joinable NPC who has that same portrait? If not, then I'd feel better about replacing the files for the NPCs. 

 

Then I suppose it would work to create a character twice: once to snap the screenshot and twice (make identical) to assign the portrait. Or, replace the file, but that could cause issues.

 

Also, if there is a way through a save-file edit or the like, you could update your character portraits througout the game to match their current armor, etc.

Edit: Karkarov beat me, but anyway, like he said....

 

The game have to be exited (to main menu) in order for new portraits to show up. So that means you have to make the character twice like you say. It works, but takes some time, and the screenshots are very low-res, so they might look a little pixelated.... You can do this at every lvl up, just replace the image without changing the filename.

I don't think there is any CNPC's that use the portraits you can choose (There is a girl that looks just like Calisca, though)

 

 

Thanks for the reply. I also replied to Karkarov, but here as well because you bring up some different points. I get the impression from your statement that you get the same character creation style screen (with the image of your character that is larger than the the one in the inventory screen), at every level up, which is great. It didn't take too much time for me to create my portraits with the method described in my above post. So might be worthwhile doing it at each level up if there is an armor change etc. (I have yet to hit a level up...been obsessed with addressing this portrait situation first). 

 

So I think I'll just plan on doing that process, including for the inn-created characters and the NPC companions who join. I just need to now solve my problem with the companion portraits not updating like in my post above....

Edited April 13, 2015 by Rangoon

[Cluas]

^^ Yes you get the screen at every level up. I haven't changed my portrait at every level though, too much work.

I must admit I never tried to change any companions portraits, but if I've got the time I'll look at it... It could be some "temp" file somewhere? Got no clue, just guessing...