Creating a custom UI?

I've been wondering how to make a custom UI and I did a lot of searching but I still can't find how to make a custom IU.

I think I know how to do it. Like I import them in parts and then go to games play contents then replace the original UI parts with my imported ones.

But the problem is that I'm trying to base it off of the human UI but when I try to extract the image like I would a skin and save it as a .tga. All I get is a empty transparent image. I was wondering if there is anyway around this.

I use the WC3 image extractor 2 to save it as .tga and tried to extract them from it but it I got a empty image. So I tried using a model editor's MPQ to find the image and convert it to a .tga. I don't think that the Image Extractor is the problem because it worked well when I do it with skins.

i do it the same way. (unsing wc3 image extractor2 to extract the ui elements...)
the only problem i have noticed that the ui files have a completely black alpha layer.
so there are two options:
1. your exporter hates you
2. your drawing program shows the image corect, but in reason of the black alpha layer you get "empty" as result. so you have to change something on the display-style or whatever.
3. its something different and i have no idea...

what painting program do you use?

I use GIMP which is nearly the same as Photoshop. And you are right about the alpha layer being completely black. Is there anyway to fix it?

Edit: Ok I found a way to see the actual parts of the UI but they are in black and white. Should I just go from that and overlap it? What I did is go to Image -> Mode -> Decompose. Tell me if I did it wrong and please tell me the correct way to do it.

hrm... i have no idea how gimp works.
but it seems as if you have put on just one color layer/channel.
there should be three (rgb) and they all together will make the final picture...
about the alpha. i dont know why it is broken. i would make a new one. you know how an alpha layer works? (black=invisible white=visible)

finally you shuld have an rgb image and an alpha channel to make it work.

thats not the way gimp works. unlike photoshop where the rgb image is composed of a red layer a green layer, a blue layer and an alpha layer (for .tga's) in Gimp it is all one background layer and You can only build off of it, not within it. In gimp the way you see alpha'ed regions is as a checkerboarded nothing, and to alpha a skin one simply erases the part that is not desired, and if it is anywhere near the alphaed regions it cant be done and your screwed.

Oh and Akatsuki I used to use Gimp and now I use Photoshop CS2 while when painting they are similar (even that statement will probably get me shot) after one gets past basic recolors, smudging, dodging and burning, Gimp becomes inadequete fast, however one doesnt realize this till they have tried photoshop. Once you have tried photoshop the onlything youll use gimp for is quick alphaing that you would then follow up with Photoshop

I really wish I could use Photoshop but it's just too expansive for me. GIMP is free which is the reason why I use it. Well I was able to at least get it to be visible. I can work from there. Good things comes with practice and I'll just live with what I have. And because this makes it a little harder for me. It will make the final product(no matter how horrible) a greater reward. Thanks for your help.

Hey I got it. All I have to do is make the alpha channel white. I was playing around the alpha channel so I just decided to color it white because you said black makes it look like nothing while white shows the image. And it worked.