Adding Textures to Ace Add-Ons

What Is "Ace AddOns"?

• The "World of Warcraft" community created Ace to make building "WoW" AddOns easier for individuals who make modifications to the various user interfaces of the game. Ace provides developers with a common set of tools which allow them to create their modifications without having to figure out how to do repetitive tasks like poll the system for information or display it on the screen. Because Ace uses a unified, consistent file structure, users can make simple modifications to all aspects of the user interface, including look and feel.

Preparations

• Changing or adding textures to an add-on is easier using the original textures as a guide. Before undergoing this process, you need to know what the modification will look like in place. You can take a screenshot of the unmodified add-on by pressing the "Print Screen" button for a reference. You can find find the original mod textures in the "World of Warcraft\Interface\AddOns" folder and load them with a graphics editing program which supports transparency, like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP or Sai.

Modifying/Creating Textures

• Using the original texture dimensions as a guide, you can create a texture for your add-on. For buttons, you will not need transparent regions, so you can create an image with the scale of the reference image. For frames or user interface (UI) elements with holes in them, however, you will need to ensure that the transparent sections remain unchanged with your new design. In all modifications or additions, take care to use themed elements or textures with common hues to maintain consistency in design.

Helpful Tips

• When choosing textures for add-ons, make reference to "color theme" tools to ensure your colors complement each other in a fashion that does not create eyestrain. Limit your selection to a few, similar hues. Place your images over your reference in-game shots to ensure that your textures are visible against the game backgrounds but do not distract from the game aesthetic. Natural textures, such as stone, wood or grass, make exceptional choices when adding textures to an Ace AddOn.