There are two types of icons in Kenshi: inventory icons and building menu icons.
Building menu and weapon icons need to be named like this: 5007346-your mod name.mod.png. This is the stringID name for the item in FCS, right below the actual name you gave to it. And YES both .mod and .png need to be there. The number part is the actual ID for the item. Linking to the icon inside FCS is not needed. It does nothing.
All other inventory icons can use the icon link in the file. Only mesh objects can have automatically generated icon image, like weapons or armor. Do note shirts are not mesh objects.
Buildings[]
- Size 256x256 or 128x128 pixels
- No partial alpha, just transparency at 100% for the background. Transparency is not mandatory. You can make a solid image if you want.
- Save the Mode as RGB and the Precision to 8 bit integer. (Under Image in Gimp). This is not actually required, but it is good practice to reduce the icon's data size.
- Export as .png
- You need to create icons folder inside your main mod folder. Lowercase.
- If you are making furniture or other buildings you need to make buildings folder inside the icons folder you made. Also lowercase.
- DO NOTICE: If you copied the item type from someone else's mod, you should go and change the stringID for your item in FCS to match your mod name. Just to be neat.
- Clothes and weapon icons in the icons folder, buildings and furniture in the buildings folder.
- When testing, remember to delete the old icon from the kenshi/data/icons folder. Otherwise you will not be able to see the new version icon you made in game. Kenshi does not load icons from a mod again if it already has a same named icon. Icons with links should work without deleting the old one.
- Remember, never use copyright protected images. It is always better to take a screenshot ingame if you can't create the image in Blender or Gimp. It is a grey area if you made a color variation to already existing item and use an altered icon for it. (If you intend to put the mod to Steam for everybody to download, that is). If you have a permission from the original maker, then it is ok.
Weapons[]
Building menu and weapon icons need to be named like this: 5007346-your mod name.mod.png. This is the stringID name for the item in FCS, right below the actual name you gave to it. And YES both .mod and .png need to be there. The number part is the actual ID for the item. Linking to the icon inside FCS is not needed. It does nothing.
You need to make an icon for each of your weapon types and model types (if you do not allow auto icon generation) for example if you have a Desert Sabre, a Katana and a Topper and you have three qualities: Rusted Junk, Mid-grade salvage, Meitou you need to make nine icons:
- Desert Sabre Rusted Junk
- Desert Sabre Mid-grade salvage
- Desert Sabre Meitou
- Katana Rusted Junk
- Katana Mid-grade salvage
- Katana Meitou
- Topper Rusted Junk
- Topper Mid-grade salvage
- Topper Meitou
The icon names are named thus weapon type string ID + Model type string ID
- Desert Sabre (52305-rebirth.mod) Rusted Junk (913-gamedata.base) == 52305-rebirth.mod.913-gamedata.base.png
- Desert Sabre (52305-rebirth.mod) Mid-grade salvage(918-gamedata.base) == 52305-rebirth.mod.918-gamedata.base.png
- Topper (474-gamedata.base) Rusted Junk (913-gamedata.base) == 474-gamedata.base.913-gamedata.base.png
For weapons it is best to let the automatic system to make the icons, if you are relying on the vanilla textures/manufacturers/quality system. If you want to make all your own textures for the weapons, then you must have manually made icons.
Sizes width x height squares
Main 10x2
Side 7x1
Clothing[]
Auto icons are taken from the male mesh. If you have no male mesh, you need to provide a manual icon. Shirt layer items do not get an automated icon. Not even if the item has a mesh item for men.
Sizes width x height squares
Armor 4x6
Backpack 5x3
Belt 2x2
Boots 4x2
Headgear 4x3
Legs 4x5
Shirt slot 4x2
Inventory items[]
Cannot have an automated icon. They are assumed to have no mesh where the automation can take a picture.