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Completed Custom CSS Backgrounds 101

captainganon

Smash Rookie
Joined
May 2, 2015
Messages
7
Welcome!

This thread is going to teach you how to insert any image as the background for your CSS.
Note that this is relatively simple in its applications, as it does not include animations or other dynamic effects.
I will provide an already edited file for which you only have to replace the texture.

Steps in Spoilers are only for those who wish to know the entire process from scratch.

As it follows a somewhat similar process to creating custom Shines, I will be reusing several steps from this thread.

Step 0 - Setup

Downloads:
For questions: The Melee Workshop Discord


Step 1 - Download an image

The image should be no larger than 512x512 pixels, so resize if necessary. Note that this is the safe resolution that I have tested, experiment beyond with caution.
Ensure the image is a png, so that any transparency is kept. To resize, use an image editing program or the 4th option only at https://resizeimage.net/, making sure to uncheck “Keep Aspect Ratio,” check "No Fill," then click the “Resize image” button at the bottom of the page.



This simple pattern will be used as an example.



This will be done in Blender.

Open blender and delete the default cube (Delete key or right click > delete)
Go to Edit > Preferences in the top left
In Addons, search “image” and enable "Import Images as planes"



In the top left, File > Import > Images as Planes
Select your resized image



Your model should look something like this:



To see the actual texture, turn on rendered view in the top right (don't worry if nothing shows up, the texture is still there)



On the right size of the screen, make the X, Y, and Z rotations 0 degrees, and the X and Y scale 128.0 (This is a starting point, and can be adjusted in HSDRaw later)



Export the model as a .dae and save it somewhere easily accessible


This will be done with DAT Texture Wizard (DTW).
This file contains the CSS information, and we will import the model into it later.

In DTW, open your vanilla melee ISO.



Click on Menus (CSS/SSS), select MnSlChr.usd (NOT MnSlChr.dat), and click Export. Save MnSlChr.usd somewhere easily accessible.


Step 2 - Importing the file

This will be done in HSDRaw.

In the top left, File > Open, select the MnSlChr.usd you downloaded from ssbmtextures.com.



Press the + next to MnSelectChrDataTable. Double click Child. A dark square should pop up.



In the editor, click File > Import Model from File (not the very top left File)



Select your previously exported .dae model. A menu should pop up in HSDRaw.
Change Flip Faces and Flip UVs to True (double-click, or click the arrow on the right). Click confirm.



Your image should have replaced the dark square in the editor.
Close the Child editor.



Double-click BackgroundModel so that it opens in the editor.



Select JOBJ_21 on the left of the editor. In Parameters, change the flags to XLU



In the Objects tab, ensure the MOBJFlags for JOBJ 21 are CONSTANT, TEX0, NO_ZUPDATE, XLU.


Step 3 - Changing the background image

Double-click BackgroundModel so that it opens in the editor.



In the Objects tab, select JOBJ 21, click Material, and select Edit.



This window will open.



Click the texture, and click replace.



A File Explorer will open, allowing you to navigate to and select any other texture to replace the current one.
Once you do, another window will open. Change the image format to RGB5A3, click Done, and close the MOBJ Editor window.



Next, you can customize the background in a few different ways.
First, you can adjust size. This is done by editing the SX and SY values in the parameters section of JOBJ_21. This can be used to adjust distorted images (like importing a rectangular image)



The optimal size to fill out the entire CSS looks like this, but that's optional.



In the Objects tab, you can adjust the Alpha (transparency) and brightness of the background.
For Alpha, fully opaque is 1 and invisible is 0.
For Ambient, values closer to black (0, 0, 0) make the texture darker, and values closer to white (255, 255, 255) make the texture brighter.



Save the file. This is the same file from the end of Step 2, now with your custom css background.

Step 4 - Importing MnSlChr.usd

This will be done in DAT Texture Wizard.

Open the ISO you want to add the custom CSS to, click Menus (CSS/SSS) and locate MnSlChr.usd.
Select MnSlChr.usd and click Import. Select the saved file from Step 3.



Step 5 - Save and Finish

Save the file in DTW. It should say Rebuilding ISO in the top right. Once it’s finished, this window will pop up. Choose either, as you can now close DTW.



Your completed custom ISO will be saved as <name> - Rebuilt, v1.iso, in the same folder as the original ISO.



Done!
 
Last edited:

ItsYaBoii

Smash Rookie
Joined
May 4, 2020
Messages
11
I added the texture to Blender and created an animation but when I export the .dae it's just a blank white square. Will you be doing a tutorial on how to make animated backgrounds?
 

captainganon

Smash Rookie
Joined
May 2, 2015
Messages
7
I added the texture to Blender and created an animation but when I export the .dae it's just a blank white square. Will you be doing a tutorial on how to make animated backgrounds?
If you check out my thread about animated textures, you should be able to apply that method to the CSS background. I have no experience with animation outside of HSDRaw, and I likely never will, so I don't feel qualified to make such a guide.
 

captainganon

Smash Rookie
Joined
May 2, 2015
Messages
7
Let's say you open a CSS in HSDraw and there isn't any texture to begin with. Where would one go from there?
The imported MnSlChr.usd doesn't have a texture?
If you mean the default CSS, it doesn't actually have a texture, and the optional steps in spoilers show how I gave it one. You can use the file from ssbmtextures.com to bypass this process.
 

captainganon

Smash Rookie
Joined
May 2, 2015
Messages
7
Last edited:

FrenchFriesGaming

Smash Rookie
Joined
Oct 11, 2024
Messages
1
Hi there - I noticed that the images for the guide aren't there anymore, along with some of the stuff for the advanced guide needing a bit of a touch-up for those trying to follow the steps. I'm currently trying to work on an animated CSS with a GIF, but ran into memory issues using the CSS file you posted, so I'm trying to see if I can follow the advanced steps(in particular, the importing model step) to lower the file size to below 4 MB to get it to work in-game. However, when I try to import the image model I have from Blender into the CSS file in HSDRaw, while trying to follow the step for importing, in trying both the BackgroundModel node and its main Child node, I notice that it just wipes out all the other JOBJs and doesn't work properly when I try to import the model. What would be the current way to be able to properly import my model into the CSS file? Not sure if this changes anything, but I am using Akaneia's CSS/m-ex enabled CSS for this.
 
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