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---
title: Modding_graphics
---
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::: {#toc .toc aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading" role="navigation"}
::: {.toctitle dir="ltr" lang="en"}
## Contents {#mw-toc-heading}

[ ]{.toctogglespan}
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-   [[ 1 ]{.tocnumber} [ Grayscale pictures in HoI2
    ]{.toctext}](#Grayscale_pictures_in_HoI2)
-   [[ 2 ]{.tocnumber} [ Some troubleshooting advice
    ]{.toctext}](#Some_troubleshooting_advice)
-   [[ 3 ]{.tocnumber} [ SKIF (Scytth & Kristoff Icons Factory)
    ]{.toctext}](#SKIF_.28Scytth_.26_Kristoff_Icons_Factory.29)
-   [[ 4 ]{.tocnumber} [ DMP (Design Mod Projekt)
    ]{.toctext}](#DMP_.28Design_Mod_Projekt.29)
:::

## [ Grayscale pictures in HoI2 ]{#Grayscale_pictures_in_HoI2 .mw-headline}

The grayscale pictures in HoI2 like the leader, minister or techteam
pictures are not really grayscale pictures. Instead the first two colors
are reserved for transparency. See the picture for an example. The left
picture uses a normal grayscale palette, the right picture uses a
grayscale palette were the first two colours are reserved for
transparency.

[Same picture without and with correct
palette](/wiki/index.php?title=Special:Upload&wpDestFile=Greyscale_transparency.png "File:Greyscale transparency.png"){.new}

The easiest way to handle transparency problems is by just using one
picture which comes with the vanilla game (and thus has the right
palette) as a template for your graphics. Just prepare your graphic with
a normal grayscale palette and when it is finished, copy & paste it into
the your picked template picture. Then save the picture under a new name
and you are done.

You should also note that all the grayscale pictures have a white margin
of one pixel width. This margin isn\'t necessary, but it usually
increases the contrast.

## [ Some troubleshooting advice ]{#Some_troubleshooting_advice .mw-headline}

Right now this will only be a truobleshooting section, because you\'ll
really need to know quite a bit about graphics before you can make your
own graphics to a degree.

The important things to know are these:

-   Try to get a good graphics editing program. It\'s extraordinarily
    hard to do things like blend and create colour gradients with Paint.

```{=html}

```
-   Learn about the different graphic types BMP, JPG and GIF, their
    advantages and disadvantages. Especially BMP, because that is the
    graphic that Paradox uses 100% of the time. A very basic image
    format description can be found at [WikiPedia:Graphics_file_format
    Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_file_format_Wikipedia "wikipedia:Graphics file format Wikipedia"){.extiw}
    .

**In-game, my graphic looks roughly like what I did, but it\'s all in
funny colours!**

-   You have the wrong palette. In the GFX\\palette directory, you\'ll
    find the palettes used for most of the graphics. You have to either
    change these palettes or adopt them yourself in order to get your
    graphics looking right.

See [Modding Palettes](/wiki/Modding_Palettes "Modding Palettes") for
more detail.

**In-game, my graphic is in all random coloured dots and looks NOTHING
like the graphic that i made!**

[Screwed up Image
File](/wiki/index.php?title=Special:Upload&wpDestFile=Problem1.gif "File:Problem1.gif"){.new}

-   If it looks something like the picture above, then your issue is
    that the size is incorrect. You\'ll need to change the graphic to
    the right size.

**Why do some of my graphics have bright green or bright pink borders
around them?**

-   Paradox has two values for .bmp information. Bright green (RGB color
    0,255,0) signifies transparent data. Information in this color will
    be clear, allowing you to see items behind the image such as skins.
    Bright pink (RGB color 255,0,255) signifies opaque data. Information
    in this color will function as a dark screen, such as can be seen in
    the diplomacy screen. Note that if you change these colors they will
    appear on screen.

**In-game, my province images aren\'t showing up.**

-   Province images will ONLY appear in provinces with urban terrain. To
    change a province into urban terrain, you\'ll need to edit the
    province.csv file.

**Where do I get the HoI2 Skin Template?**

-   Right here:
    [https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/hoi2-skin-template.180563/](https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/hoi2-skin-template.180563/){.external
    .free rel="nofollow"}

## [ ]{#SKIF_(Scytth_&_Kristoff_Icons_Factory)} [ SKIF (Scytth & Kristoff Icons Factory) ]{#SKIF_.28Scytth_.26_Kristoff_Icons_Factory.29 .mw-headline}

A fantastic little graphics touch-up to the in game unit icons.

[Paradox Interactive Forums SKIF
Thread](https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/skif-icons-for-hoi2-dd.236771/){.external
.text rel="nofollow"}

[SKIF
Website](http://www.star.net.pl/~scytth/hoi2/page/index.html){.external
.text rel="nofollow"}

## [ ]{#DMP_(Design_Mod_Projekt)} [ DMP (Design Mod Projekt) ]{#DMP_.28Design_Mod_Projekt.29 .mw-headline}

A big Modproject with alot of new sprites and graphics for alot of
countries.

[DMP Website](https://www.designmodproject.de/){.external .text
rel="nofollow"}
:::