Amateur Guide: Simple way to make custom tiles AND use them (on Windows 11)

[Felis_Citrus]

The purpose of this guide is to show new modders an easy way to make custom tiles using little to no external apps, as well as how to use them when making their own mods. If you've done the backups and mods folders step already, and already know how to use custom tiles in your recipe mods, then skip straight ahead to Step 4 to Step 8.

Step 1: Open your UnReal World local files

This is typically done through steam by: Library > Right click on UnReal World on the list > Manage > Browse Local files


Step 2: Create a backup for all your UnReal World files

This is an important step since you'll want a copy of the original files to quickly fix stuff in case something breaks. To do this, open a folder in your general storage and name it as you please. Then, select all of the files in the UnReal World folder, ctrl + c to copy, go to your backup folder and ctrl + v to paste

While you're at it, right click the UnReal World folder (the whole folder) and pin to quick access


Step 3: Create a folder for your mods

Just open a folder in your general storage or hard disk and name it as you please, this is where your mods and custom tile files will go


Step 4: Grab a "template"

Open the "truetile" folder from your local UnReal World Files and choose a picture, I personally went for one of the bones. Copy it and paste it (do not just drag it, this might cause it to be moved instead of copied) in your backup folder, and rename it "template".

You'll need a template to get the correct tile size.


Step 5: Make your custom tile

To do this, right click on template and edit in MS Paint. On the bottom right, drag the zoom in slider to max as the tile files are usually small. This is where you'll be making your own tiles. Some basic tips for MS Paint:

i. Make good use of the eyedropper tool, its the one next to the eraser. If you have pencil selected, using the eyedropper will allow you to copy colors and then use them instantly. I typically use this by eye dropping the default "green" background of the template, adjusting brush size (slider on the left) to large and blotting out the whole thing.

ii. ctrl + z to undo instead of clicking the undo button. This saves time since its less exhausting than moving your mouse back and forth from the undo button whenever you make a mistake.

iii. The smallest brush size and draw dot by dot. Usually you'll end up doing this with custom tiles anyways since they're so small, but drawing pixel by pixel makes it easy to control the shape of an object.

Note for those who don't have artistic skills: drawing pixel by pixel with some reference material makes it much less intimidating and difficult. References for pixel art items can be found on google.

Step 6: "Save as" your custom tile

Once you're done, click file>save as .png and go to your mods folder. Name the custom tile as you please as long as it isnt the same name as another custom file and click save.

Step 7: Remove the background

If you're on Windows 11, click the image and it should open in photos. There should be an edit button on the top left. Click that and choose the tab that has the image of a person on it. You should be directed to the background remover. Click the parrot with remove and enable the brush option. Scroll down and set brush size to smallest.

Adding mask removes a pixel, removing mask keeps a pixel. Typically, when you click the remove parrot, most of the green background should be gone, but also some of your image too. Use add or remove mask until all the green is removed, and all your image pixels are retained.

Click remove again and you should get your image without a background. If there's some green left, or some of your pixels are masked/discoloured/missing, enable the brush option again and repeat until you get the desired results.

Once you're done with the background, click save > save. During this process, you should see your image in photos, and that it doesnt have a green background anymore.

Step 8: Put the image in your UnReal World files

Copy the image, go to UnReal World > truetile, then paste


Step 9: Actually using the custom tile

When you make a custom recipe or mod, whether its the vanilla or modded diy, cookery, or biy variety, you can make an item use a certain time by using the [TILEGFX:<name>] function. <name> is the name of your custom tile character for character. For example, I have a custom tile named venom-cup, so the recipe/item that will use that tile will have the [TILEGFX:venom-cup] function on the last row of the recipe. Remember to save your .txt file if you edited it, or else the changes won't be applied.

Step 10: Testing and troubleshooting

Sometimes, custom tiles don't work; recipes using that certain tile are missing the graphic. This could be due to many reasons such as:

You pasted the file into the truetile folder while your UnReal World was running.
fix: close your UnReal World. To be safe, rename the file and name it back, then save your altered/modded recipe.txt file. Open your UnReal World and craft the item again, drop it and see if the graphic returned.

You have a file in the truetile with the same name
fix: pick a different name

There was a typo either in your TILEGFX function or the name of your custom tile

You forgot to save your .txt file after you edited it to add in the TILEGFX function.

And thats the end of the guide. I hope this helps aspiring modders.