Through some effort I managed to decypher how the game refereances areas of image files for buttons (hope that makes sense.)


using a example:

infoCardicon-ship.brushes
This file tells the game where on a specific image file a graphic resides.


brush
name "INFOCARDICON_FRIGATE_TECHCOLONY"
content "Simple"
fileName "Unit_Infocard"
pixelBox [ 1 , 139 , 22 , 22 ]

This is the card icon for the TEC colony frigate. The icon is located on the image file "unit_infocard." All image files are stored in the textures folder. pixelBox [ 1 , 139 , 22 , 22 ] tells the game the location and boundries of the icon. First coordinate, 1 in this example, is the X coordinate for the top left corner of the "image boundry." 139 is its Y coordinate. The third coordinate is how many pixels wide the image boundry is and the fourth is how many tall. So for instance 22,22 (as in the example above) is a perfect square fo 22 by 22 pixels.

To get the pixel coordinate of a pixel in a image, open it in photoshop.  In your navigator window click the "info tab."  There you will see a X:  and Y:  These are the coordinate locations of x and y.  next to that there is a + sign, click that and make sure "pixels" is selected


The "unit_infocard" image is a collection of images used for various hud elements.


Referance Sheet


Text File (Window folder) Image file (textures folder) Comments
picture-Ship.brushes ref--->Unit-picture Unit picture for "center screen"
HUDIcon-Ship.brushes ref--->unit_hud_normal buy menu icon
HudIcon-Ability.brushes ref--->buttons_research_disabled research menu icons
Hudicon-Action.brushes ref--->buttons_Interface main interface buttons, for example ping,
diplomact button
Hudicon-module.brushes ref--->unit_hud structure icons
HUDIcon-Planet.brushes ref--->Icons_planets planet icons
Hudicon-Research.brushes ref--->Research research hud elements
infocard_icon_module.brushes ref--->Unit_Infocard zoomed out unit icons, structures
infocard_icon_ship.brushes ref--->unit-infocard zoomed out unit icons, ships
Mainviewicon-ship.brushes ref--->Unit_main ranks and various unit icons
mainviewicon-modules.brushes ref--->unit_main various icons for structures
picture-ship.brushes ref--->unit_picture build icons


skin_tech hud skin


Also note many of the image files refereance as "normal" ; "disabled" ; "pressed" etc. This simply means its that version of the button. For example "unit_hud_pressed" is the image for a pressed unit buy/build button (such as the frigate button in the frigate factory..)

If you come across any other useful image files please add them to the list!