So, if you didn’t know, Roblox tools have a property called “TextureId”. I suppose most of us know this and this topic seems redundant but people seem to neglect the difference between not providing a tool’s TextureId and providing a tool’s TextureId. What dumbfounds me the most is how easy and quick it is. Instead of trying to describe what your tool is, you can use an image. After all, they say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Item thumbnails aren’t just good for tools either. They can also be used to increase performance from a ViewportFrame to an ImageLabel (if you don’t know what that means, don’t worry).
Anyway, before I start this tutorial, here are the prerequisites, if you don’t know how to do one of them, just click on it and it’ll bring you to some tutorial on how to do it (except for the indexing one, wasn’t able to find a tutorial for it):
You must:
- Know how to index (find) an object in the workspace through scripts, which is just:
workspace.Model.Part
- Know how to type something in the command line (see Command Bar)
- Know how to insert an object into the workspace
- Know how to use the explorer
- Know how to assign a part’s property
- Know how to upload a decal
- Know how to get an item’s ID
Step 1: Setting up
Okay, for this tutorial I’m going to be using a cube. Just put your item into the workspace:
Next, you have three options:
Option 1, select the object and over in the explorer right click (or for Mac it’s called secondary click which is control + click) this selection, then press group
Option 2, press control (command for Mac) + G
Option 3, insert a model into the workspace and drag the part into the model
It should look something like this, your object should be a child of the model:
Now, it’s crucial that you name this object something unique, nothing in the workspace should have something with the same name as the model:
Step 2: Positioning your camera
The easiest way, in my opinion, is to select the object, then press F. This focuses your camera onto the object and you can move your camera around to adjust if you need.
The perspective you see the object from is how it’s going to be “rendered”.
Here’s what it should look like. You’re just looking at the object.
Step 3: The technical stuff
I say “technical” but it’s pretty basic.
Insert a camera into the model from step 1.
It’ll probably be greyed out but trust me, it’s going to work.
It should look something like this, with the camera at the top:
Now, you must set the camera’s name as “ThumbnailCamera”. It must be exactly how I wrote it. Same capitalization and no spaces.
Now, in the command line, index the camera (look for it in the workspace). Autofill should help you if you don’t know how.
Basically, start out with workspace. then look for the model’s name, and then the camera. It should look something like this:
Now, after ThumbnailCamera, type “.CFrame = workspace.CurrentCamera.CFrame” exactly how I wrote it. You don’t have to know what a CFrame is, just trust me.
So basically it should look like:
Now, press enter. It shouldn’t output any errors (red text), but if it does then it was very likely unsuccessful. Ensure you’ve put the proper names, capitalization and whatnot. If it’s still erroring, post a reply and I’ll help you out.
That’s it for the technical stuff.
Step 4: Upload the model
In the explorer, select your model, right click it, then press “Save to Roblox”. This button should be near the bottom:
After clicking Save to Roblox, this window should show up:
The icon in the top-right acts as a preview for the final “render” which is done by Roblox automatically. If you’re unhappy with the positioning of the item, you can just reposition your camera and paste the thing you wrote in the command line, no need to create a new camera.
You can overwrite an existing model, or create a new one. I like to call mine “ThumbnailModel” but it can really be whatever you want. Also note that things like particles won’t be rendered in this preview but will be in the final render (after the model is submitted).
Once you named it, press “Submit” in the bottom right.
Step 5: Saving the render
Now, click on the link in blue that’s on the “Successfully Submitted!” page.
It should take you to the model’s page:
Right click the image, then press “Save Image As…” and select a good location where you can easily retrieve the image.
Now, upload the image as a decal and you’re done. The final render should look something like this:
Step 6: If you’re using a tool
If you’re using a tool, you can copy the image’s ID and paste it into the tool’s TextureId property.
That’s it. You took your tool from
to
I suppose it looks a bit small and I could have zoomed in a bit more but I think it gets the point across.
