How to use a custom image or portrait in Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition

This guide shows you how to easily use a custom portrait, even when you have already begun a game.
It also introduces other easy editing tools that work also with BG:EE, BG2:EE, etc.

Simple online tool to transform an image into the right format

There is a cool web site (online tool)[www.notra.fr] that transforms any image you like into the right format and size for Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition, Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, Baldur's Gate (original), Pillars of Eternity and other CRPGs!

http://www.notra.fr/portrait

TIP : in some browsers, the drag and drop method will not work well (the next step will fail). Use the upload method if that happens.

Format details

In case this site fails or dies one day, here is the portrait format required for Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition...

• Bitmap image (.bmp)
  
• 24 bits maximum
  
• The optimal size is 420x660 pixels (it can be bigger: the game will adjust it automatically). Keep it at a minimum of 169x266, to prevent blurred images.(source: JuliusBorisov on the official forums*)
  
• You can choose to use only one larger image, but the game offers the option of a smaller face portrait.
  
• File name(s) : NO spaces ; Between 1 and 7 characters, ending with the letter L or M (for a total of 8 characters maximum). imageL.bmp will be the larger image and imageM.bmp is the smaller face portrait.
  
• Both the "Large" and "Medium" bitmap images must use the exact same name (see example below). Again, you can also choose to use only one image ending with L (as in "mcpor_L.mbp").
  
• Custom portraits should be placed inside the following folder :
  ...:\Users\[Windows_username]\Documents\Icewind Dale - Enhanced Edition\portraits

Example :
C:\Users\Baraz\Documents\Icewind Dale - Enhanced Edition\portraits\LadyPalL.bmp
C:\Users\Baraz\Documents\Icewind Dale - Enhanced Edition\portraits\LadyPalM.bmp

* Source : https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/36241/heres-how-to-use-custom-portraits-in-iwdee

Changing your portrait in a current playthrough (and dubugging)

If you have already begun a game or playthrough, here is how to change a portrait ...

The simple way ...

• Once your saved game is loaded, select the character and open the Record window (default hotkey is r), where you will see a Customize button ;
  
• Next, choose the Appearence menu ;
  
• Your custom portraits will be available at the end of the default portraits (or navigate the pictures starting from the left :P).

This of course presumes you added at least one custom portrait in the folder ...\Documents\...\portraits (see above for exact path and example).

Alternative method that opens many other options ... and debugging

There is a nifty, and easy to use, free software I recommend that allows you to edit either a saved game and your pregenerated characters.

This is very useful to correct some eventual bugs. A common example is the Medium (smaller facial) portrait not showing up.

It is called EE Keeper and was created by Aaron O'Neil.
EE as in Enhanced Edition, as it works for all the following games :

• Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
  
• Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear
  
• Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
  
• Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
  
• Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
  
• Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal

https://eekeeper.sourceforge.io/

This save editor can of course be used as a quality of life tool for many other reasons. You can edit all your characters, including their names and stats, XP, etc. To enjoy the game, I do not suggest using it to "cheese the game" as they say, but to each their own. It can be used simply to fix some minor issues or quirks along the way.

Extra portraits already in the right format for IWD:EE

Ineth, on the official forums, offers over 300 extra portraits that are already formatted and sized for the game ...

Preview them (and download links) :
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/46782/ineths-collection-of-icewind-dale-style-portraits/p1

Also, Ineth's themed collections of Baldur's Gate II style portraits :
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/54685/ineths-themed-collections-of-bg2-style-portraits/p1
__

[Baraz]

@ShellGhost101 : oh, and otherwise you can use any picture with the site-tool http://www.notra.fr/portrait

[Baraz]

@ShellGhost101 : hmm, true that almost all links for those portraits are now dead (strange). The links below these work though (Ineth's themed collections of Baldur's Gate II style portraits):
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/54685/ineths-themed-collections-of-bg2-style-portraits/p1

[ShellGhost101]

And of course that last site with the portrait downloads isn't working. At least nothing happens when clicking any of the download links.