Upset that the blue interface included in Civ4 doesn't feel Civ-like? Want to change it back to something more traditional? The HUD can't be modded to incorporate images, but we can change its color to tan. This graphics mod replaces all of the blue in the HUD with tan.

Screenshots:

Main map interface (http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/1192/tan16uh.jpg)
City screen (http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/8774/tan28dy.jpg)
The Civics Screen (http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9317/civics2kv.jpg)
Trading with Mansa Musa (http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9710/trade2ve.jpg)

Note that this will replace the original HUD. There is no known way to incorporate this through a mod.

How to install this graphics mod:

1. First, back up this file*:

[Civ4 Folder]/Warlords/Resource/Themes/Civ4/Civ4Theme_Common.thm

2. Download this file (http://forums.civfanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=114783&d=1138980349) for Vanilla Civ4 (1.52) or this file (http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/36639/Tan_Interface_Warlords_208.zip) for Warlords (2.08).
3. Unzip the download. Move the file that was inside the zip, "Civ4Theme_Common.thm," into this directory*, overwriting the existing file:

[Civ4 Folder]/Warlords/Resource/Themes/Civ4/

4. Restart Civ4, and enjoy the tan interface!

If you find any bugs, please report them here.

Thanks to Rayanth for his excellent guide (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=3270763&postcount=9) on modifying the HUD, and his invaulable live help. Without him, this mod surely would not have been possible.

Version history:

Version 0.5 BETA posted November 5th, 2005.
Version 1.0 posted November 7th, 2005.
Version 1.1 (for Vanilla 1.52) posted March 4th, 2006.
Version 1.2 (for Warlords 2.08) posted January 8, 2007.

Old files:

Version 1.0 (http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Tan_Interface_1.zip)

*Note: Vanilla users should ignore the gray text and put this in the default directory, while Warlords users should put their file in the Warlords directory.

Note that Step 2 is actually setting the color, and all of the changes after that are making the in-game screens use the new color. change the RGB values (and leave the final value at 217) if you want another color, in step 2.

The reason I did it this way was because changing just the RGB values for .BG will affect ALL Screens - including main loading screen, and many other things that, in my tests, I did not want to change. The above method creates a new entry that only gameplay screens use.

yay! now i can make the interface green.

That is pretty cool!

Very nice Gogf :goodjob:

Very well done. I think anyone can agree with you, your mod looks better. I think Sid Meir should hire some of u guys. Seriously!

Awesome!tnx

Oddly enough, afer implementing this little feature, I got this file appearing in my CIV4 folder. "ThemeParseLog.txt" which contains the following info below.

Is it normal to get this?


--------

[Nov 06, 2005 - 18:51:26] Messages while processing 'Resource/Themes/Civ4.thm'

Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_Custom.thm', Ln:4910, Col:47) Could not load bitmap 'Civ4/HUD/city_titlearrows.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_Custom.thm', Ln:4918, Col:47) Could not load bitmap 'Civ4/HUD/city_titlearrows.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_Custom.thm', Ln:4926, Col:47) Could not load bitmap 'Civ4/HUD/city_titlearrows.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_Custom.thm', Ln:4983, Col:47) Could not load bitmap 'Civ4/HUD/city_titlearrows.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_Custom.thm', Ln:4991, Col:47) Could not load bitmap 'Civ4/HUD/city_titlearrows.tga'
Error : File - ('Civ4Theme_Custom.thm', Ln:4999, Col:47) Could not load bitmap 'Civ4/HUD/city_titlearrows.tga'

--------

edit: Sorry, I think the above file has nothing to do with ur mod. It seems to appear even after a re-installation of the game, without your mod. So never mind! But on a side note, does anyone have a clue what those above errors are? I could only guess and be wrong.

Nice work, screenies look great!

I'll stick with the regular interface though, I like it as it is. :)

brento, your log file should have been appearing before you made any of these changes -- it's a bug in the THeme that shipped with the game, that is easily rectified --

COPY /Resource/Civ4/Custom/city_titlearrows.tga

place the copy in /Resource/Civ4/HUD

problem fixed.

(this doesn't actually seem to affect the game at all, the city title arrows show up regardless)

Looks good :goodjob:

Thanks for the positive feedback everyone :)!

Does anyone else want to upload the edited files here?

No need! The new version, 1.0, has been posted :)! Version 1.0 completely skins the entire game to tan, replacing any remaining blue areas.

Version 1.0 also allows the direct downloading of a file, rather than having to actually hack the file yourself.

Thanks Gogf. Nice job with that.
*downloads* :)

Thanks CR :)!

Two new screenshots:

The Civics Screen (http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9317/civics2kv.jpg)
Trading with Mansa Musa (http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9710/trade2ve.jpg)

Err... can somebody post the 3 previous files that we had to modify before?
I accidentally erased the backups and don´t want to reinstall the entire game just for those files :)

Downloading now. Thanks Gogf. :goodjob:

uhm... thanks people...

The files were:

Civ4Theme_Common.thm (205)
Civ4Theme_HUD.thm (170, 207,244, 281, 318, 355)
Civ4Theme_Custom.thm (1129, 1163, 1197,1985, 2047, 2082, 2110)

Just change "HudBG" to "BG" in the second and third files on the lines listed and you'll be set. Having the additional line of text in your first one won't have any effect on the game if it isn't referenced anywhere, but you can remove it if you wish.

Great work, Gogf!

I've been using this, and it's much nicer than the Windows blue color. It blends in very well. Thanks!

The files were:

Civ4Theme_Common.thm (205)
Civ4Theme_HUD.thm (170, 207,244, 281, 318, 355)
Civ4Theme_Custom.thm (1129, 1163, 1197,1985, 2047, 2082, 2110)

Just change "HudBG" to "BG" in the second and third files on the lines listed and you'll be set. Having the additional line of text in your first one won't have any effect on the game if it isn't referenced anywhere, but you can remove it if you wish.
I deleted the files ;). I tried running the game without them and got an interesting windows 2k look, sadly the gui didn´t work and I coudnt see the rest of the game.

I already reinstalled since the files are in a huge .cab file it´s impossible to extract them individually.

Looks really good ! Thanks exp the civics screen seems to have a "golden" glow to it !

Thanks
Joe

IMO, there is one thing that could use some improvement, changing the blue border around the unit action icons.

Waaaay better, looks good thanks.

Is there any way to modify this HUD so it's opaque rather than semi-transparent? I'm sure that would speed up the game somewhat.

Is there any way to modify this HUD so it's opaque rather than semi-transparent? I'm sure that would speed up the game somewhat.

Hmmm.. Or, if the interface was transparent (completely) while it wasn't displaying a unit's or cities' information, then the interface wouldn't be so much an obstruction. Right now, it hides away the lower part of the map even when it isn't displaying anything.

Even if I use ctrl-i to minimize the interface, it resets itself anytime I go to the city screen and exit.

Blah.
-cc

It's really good!:goodjob: It reminds Civ3 interface bit.

um...screenie??

um...screenie??

um....first post...!!

Is it possible for it to automaticaly take on the color of your Civ? Perhaps a python script that sets it at game start?

']Is it possible for it to automaticaly take on the color of your Civ? Perhaps a python script that sets it at game start?

At the moment we only know how to have one HUD installed on your computer once, so unfortunately not.

]Is it possible for it to automaticaly take on the color of your Civ? Perhaps a python script that sets it at game start?
that would be cool!

i'm lovin it!!!

Great, somehow gives a WWI feeling, I might put it in the next release of War of the Trenches! (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=147707)

Thanks, i very much appreciate your time for making the mod.

Very nice work.

Has this been updated for v1.52?

thanks alot for this one, looks much nicer. Works fine with v1.52

thanks alot for this one, looks much nicer. Works fine with v1.52I looked at the two files (modified for tan look) v (standard v1.52 version) and there are some non-tan changes. I don't have an original v1.00 file to compare the v1.52 file to but it *appears* that they deleted some items (actually commented them out) and included some comments re memory management.

So, I'm thinking, that some of the work they did on v1.52 re memory management affected this file. Yes, I expect that the tan interface adjustments would work under v1.52 but you will not get (all of) the memory management improvements. I don't know how to confirm this.

How strange! I downloaded it and unzipped in that folder, but it didn't change anything!

:bump: No help? I still have the blue interface.

Next time i get here i´ll post a version for 1.52, if it´s ok with the original author!?!
Maybe this will help solve your problems.

will be in one or two hours

Did you put in in the main cIV install directory? ´caus you have to, it overrides original files, as stated by the author.
Because there is no such directory in ...mygames\civilization4 (where the custom assets folder is).

keep on tryin' it´s definitely worth it, kind of changes the whole feeling of the game (exaggerated, but still somewhat true), i wouldn´t play without it anymore.

Faster then i thought i´m back online!

So here´s the file for the 1.52 patch.

114783

:nuke: REMEMBER::nuke:

It´s just a copy-and-paste of the files. All Credit goes to Gogf

@Mirc:
you´ll have to put it in the main cIV directory under Resources\Themes\Civ4

it will overwrite the file "Civ4Theme_Common.thm", so remember to backup the original file.

I hope i could help you solve your problem :p

BTW, exactly 1 minute after I posted it, I dl-ed again and it worked. Also my connection screwed up and I couldn't post.

Now, is your copy-and-paste variant better (for patched games)? Should I try it too?

I would try it,
because it´s the file that came with the 1.52 patch - and i´ve just pasted the thing Gogf changed into it.

Ok, downloaded. Not tried yet, because I'm a bit busy.

Duke van Frost: Thanks a lot for making the 1.52 version. I was holding out on updating it until the next patch came out, but that's taking a bit longer than expected. I'll make sure to update it when it does.

Opening post updated with the 1.52 version :).

Got it installed...Very Civvish and looks easier on the eyes!

:D

always glad when i can be of help!

especially when the community deserves such a great mod also for the 1.52 version!

This even works for 1.61! Brilliant! ;)

anyone knows how to implement the changes in interface to the mod?

adding foldder resources with changed files doesn't give result (i mean it doesn't work like .xml files in folder assets) - all you have to do is change orginal files what's rather nasty... not eweryone would like steel interface in game.... changing interface with replacing file in resources (i mean in orginal game folder) would change also interface for other games (also when playing without any mods)

what's your idea? - how to implement own menu to the mod without replacing orginal files?

anyone knows how to implement the changes in interface to the mod?

adding foldder resources with changed files doesn't give result (i mean it doesn't work like .xml files in folder assets) - all you have to do is change orginal files what's rather nasty... not eweryone would like steel interface in game.... changing interface with replacing file in resources (i mean in orginal game folder) would change also interface for other games (also when playing without any mods)

what's your idea? - how to implement own menu to the mod without replacing orginal files?

As Far as I know TGA is or at least has been working on this, the Problem is that you have to tinker around with python files, cause the gfx for the Interface are packed in .thm (??) files and the company who provides these didn´t release anything for modders to easily change the gfx in those files, you rather have to point to new files in python and I really have no clue how to do this.

You should have a look at TGA´s WH40K thread, there you can see, what he is able to do concerning Interface gfx.

This is a really nice, mod, i shall be trying this out once Civ IV arrives. Hopefully tommorow.

ok thx Duke van Frost I'll get eye on it :)

Hi! I've made an update to the mod to work in Warlords version 2.08 :).

wasn't aware of your work 'til now ! I must say it's great !

Great job!, this is going to be essential. Another lil nudge to get me off Conquests modded.

Takes some getting used to after over a year of having that horrible blue burning into my retinas :eek: , but I sure wish I'd noticed this thread sooner. It's funny how such a minimal change gives the game a whole different feel.