"Static" Pack
CIV+Warlords+BtS

http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads/wonders36_1200_rd7_thumb.jpg (http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads/wonders36_1200_rd7.jpg) http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads/leaders52_1200_qo3_thumb.jpg (http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads/leaders52_1200_qo3.jpg) http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads/religions7_300_8ia_thumb.jpg (http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads/religions7_300_8ia.jpg)
Click to enlarge

Still better than nothing :goodjob:


I. Static Leaders. This pack replaces all 52 animated leaderheads with static ones. I hope it will help those players, who have video problems with animated LHs or just dont like them. Images of the leaders based on in-game screenshots. Components: 53 .dds images + СIV4ArtDefines_LeaderHead.xml.

II. Static Wonder Movies.This pack replaces wonder and project movies with static .bik images, based on original movies. Components: 36 .bik images.

III. Static Religion Movies. This pack replaces 7 religion foundation movies with static dds images, based on original movies. Components: 7 .dds images + СIV4ReligionInfo.xml + CvWonderMovieScreen.py.


Static Pack Downloads: Leaders (http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=6628) || Wonders (http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=6627) || Religions (http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=6626)


Installation Instructions

It's possible to use any combination of these three " static" packs. UnRAR (http://www.rarsoft.com/rar_archiver.htm) the files to appropriate CustomAssets. And that's all for BtS installation.

Vanilla & Warlords

You need these files to be unpacked after main installation!

- Leaders: 124680 (CIV 1.61-1.74), 136601 (Warlords 2.00-2.13)
- Wonders: no additional files required
- Religions: 124681 (Both for Vanilla and Warlords)


Welcome to "One Frame Movies" Cinema! :D

Love this idea - been thinking about doing it myself.

But I'd like to see static pics that authentic, real pics/portraits so that they integrate well with new mods.

Many complain that statics do no mesh with 3D, and that we have to wait to bring all up to 3D.

Well....why not bring them all down to static?

Very nice !!! :)

I was really surprised this was never done before...Look forward to using them..

hmmm,, not sure why but the game is still using the animated leaderheads and not the static ones,,, you did say in Custom Assets right ? :confused:

oooops,, on my 2nd Startup everything is working fine now..:)
once again thanks for your effort...

Love this idea - been thinking about doing it myself.

But I'd like to see static pics that authentic, real pics/portraits so that they integrate well with new mods.

Many complain that statics do no mesh with 3D, and that we have to wait to bring all up to 3D.

Well....why not bring them all down to static?
I'd certainly use a mod like that if someone made it :). I'm already using the static leaderheads, as they completely prevent the technical issues I was having before, from serious slowdowns to crashes to weird blackness out of nowhere. And I've got a system that is substantially above the recommended specs... oh well.

It works in SP but when I am try it in MP it crashes


I get to the "Staging Room" but when I hit "launch" the game crashes


anyone have any ideas how to fix this?

The reason I am using Static Leaderheads is that MP the game disconnects human players around the 1500 AD (normal game speed) when AI Diplomacy contacts a human player

NOTE: in single player I dont need static leaerheads... it works fine... only in MP is the lag bad...then goes to disconnect

Updated. The pack now compatible with patch 1.61. Get patch for this patch ;)


Officer Reene,
Unfortunately, I have no idea about this issue. :confused: Never played MP.

good... but I need is a Model for LH to 3dMax... because I have a problem when a try export a custom...

Is it possible to make static pictures with the religion movies and can u make a modpack for this

Well, I think it's possible, but why don't you like the in-game option "No movies"?

Well, I think it's possible, but why don't you like the in-game option "No movies"?
Some of us modders want to quickly put up a religion / wonder movie that doesn't require a studio of artists to produce! :). (I suppose the answer is quite easy to find, since the Holy City movies are static).

Do you, offhand, recall what the pixel dimensions of the leaderheads should be? I noticed when using static leaderheads that the engine will auto-resize them. I'm sure something can be done in Python to resize what size graphics is expected, too.

I love your sig :D

The reason that i dont want to disable all the movies is that its only the leader head and religion aniamtions that are causing me problems and thx to u i have fixed the leaderhead problem:goodjob: so all i need to do is fix the religion movies. im not to good with graphics:confused: so can someone make a mod or show me what to do.

Well, Static Religion Movies Pack is ready. alexpro14, you can get it from the 1st post.

Also I made Static Wonder Movies Pack. :cool:

Do you, offhand, recall what the pixel dimensions of the leaderheads should be? I noticed when using static leaderheads that the engine will auto-resize them. I'm sure something can be done in Python to resize what size graphics is expected, too.


I used 512x618 as a base image for leaders in my Rulers of Russia mod. It looks ok. But, while making screenshots for this static pack, I noticed that leaders images on Diplomacy screen are 343x451. I guess that should be the starting point before dds conversion.

I ve problems with videos in the game.(Never seen some of the wonder movies since i brought the game). With this pack at least images are visible(still better than nothing)

Thanks...

...still better than nothing

lol I'll add these words to the first post.

It works in SP but when I am try it in MP it crashes


I get to the "Staging Room" but when I hit "launch" the game crashes...


This is FYI, in case it helps anyone else that is having the MP crashing issues with the static pack...

I am still having lag issues... so I decided to make a beta type static leaderheads by researching the forums here...

granted I am not an expert coder/modder and I am not positive what I did to fix the MP crash problem:

but I did 2 different things:


1) DDS files - I am not sure but it may be the "alpha" channel in the dds

I tried to open your static leaderhead pics with "dds coverter 2" (trying to get the pixel size frame) and I couldnt do it... I have had problems in the past with opening some DDS files... and I think it could be the format or alpha file...

therefore I created (crude) bmp pics of the leaderheads for testing purposes and using the coverter to make them dds (no alpha channels in any of the new dds files)


so this may be the problem

2) XML Format

I followed Charcoal's tutorial (thx Jak08 too for his help)

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=148507

where he wrote:

Now open up CIV4ArtDefines_Leaderhead.xml, again scroll to the bottom.
And where is something else to copy and paste into it: <LeaderheadArtInfo>
<Type>ART_DEF_LEADER_YOURLEADER</Type>
<Button>,Art/interface/LeaderHeads/leaderbutton.dds</Button>
<NIF>art/interface/LeaderHeads/Leaderhead.dds</NIF>
<KFM/>
<NoShaderNIF/>
<BackgroundKFM/>
</LeaderheadArtInfo>

(my boldface to point out the differences)

notice the difference with your coding and the his? He doesnt use the last 3 references to those graphic/shader/background files...

I followed that format too


First I did not get the original crash when "Launching" from MP LAN room (this was a sure sign I did something right)

then in the game it work in MP (it also worked in SP but I never had problems with your mod in SP)


So I am not sure... but it may have to do with the two changes (or at least one of the two) help the crashing issue in MP upon startup


NOTE: I played about 6 turns in MP with no crashing or disconnecting but I will keep you posted if I have any other problems...
(and maybe I'll make better pics for leaderheads)



Like I said, Im no expert modder/coder... but I wanted to give you my results in case it helps out anyone else with this crashing issue...

I may be wrong... but as long as my own fix works... Im not gonna sweat the small stuff...

Hope this helps...


PS: I am still using the 1.52 patch.... the new patch may correct this.....

May you please add a screenshot for the 7 Religions?

Thanks
Houman

Sure. A Religions picture added to the 1st post.

Hi Nevermind,

I am planning to add the Static religions to the Realism Mod. Since we have Zoroastriansm as an additional religion I would be able to make a dds file for that. Unfortunatelly I cannot open your dds file with the DDSConvert. I need to know the exact size of these pictures, so that my dds has the same size as well.

Many thanks,
Houman

Hi Houman,

I use DXTbmp utility (http://www.mnwright.btinternet.co.uk/download/dxtbmpx.EXE) for dds conversion and consider it more suitable than DDS Convertor.

As for static religion images, here is my plan.

1. Get the basic picture (in my case it's a 720x480 crop of in-game screenshot).

2. Resize it to 768x512, and then bump it to 512x512. Note: Simple 720x480 to 512x512 resizing makes a less quality picture after dds conversion, I have no idea why.

3. Convert 512x512 image to DDS format. I used DXT1 (no alpha) and I prefer DXTbmp but DDS Convertor also can do the trick.

Hope, it will help. And good luck in making your mod. ;)

What do you mean with bump it in 2) ?

Resize it again to 512x512?

Thanks
Houman

Oh, yes. Exactly.

The Static Pack updated for Warlords! :cool:

link for warlords version is broken

:confused:

I checked all the links. Everything works fine for me.

WOW this is the best Good job I'ts true it it is better then noting =)))

I like consistency between Original/New materials and Enjoyed SMAC leader portraits which were static, I quite like this idea. It would be good if this static content could be included with everything and switched to using a high level game option (rather then the 'turn movies off' option) which is the only current option.

"Static Pack" updated for Beyond the Sword. :)

I am at a loss as to where to put the dds files in the CustomAssets of Beyond the Sword. No matter where I put them I still get the distorted leaderheads.

Since no one is here anymore, I decided to keep trying different places and I finally go the static leaderheads to work. The only thing I didn't count on was it made all the animated leaderheads static. I hope that was the intended effect.

Don't completely understand, what are you doing? Trying to make Final Frontier Leaderheads? Easy, take the ArtDefines_Misc.xml from the final frontier scenario and plug it in your mod. Still not sure what your doing though...

Don't completely understand, what are you doing? Trying to make Final Frontier Leaderheads? Easy, take the ArtDefines_Misc.xml from the final frontier scenario and plug it in your mod. Still not sure what your doing though...

I had down loaded the BtS Static Leaderheads for the standard game. My video card can't handle the animated ones. This was not for any scenario.

So, does this boost in-game performance? Because my BtS is VERY sluggish. Even on Tiny maps!

And I'm running a 2.6 Ghz A64 dual-core, 1GB RAM, 2600XT.

I installed this thinking it would help me with the lag I encounter when an AI sends a trade request, or some other type of diplomacy.

Nothing has changed at all aside from the obvious static leaderheads I now encounter, the game still lags when their window pops up and now I can't play online games without my game crashing every ten turns.

I have no idea how to uninstall this mod. I completely uninstalled the game and all the expansions and the static leaderheads still exist, does anyone know how to uninstall this?

I didn't find any information on how to do so on any of the download pages and I'm a bit frustrated....

I installed this thinking it would help me with the lag I encounter when an AI sends a trade request, or some other type of diplomacy.

Nothing has changed at all aside from the obvious static leaderheads I now encounter, the game still lags when their window pops up and now I can't play online games without my game crashing every ten turns.

I have no idea how to uninstall this mod. I completely uninstalled the game and all the expansions and the static leaderheads still exist, does anyone know how to uninstall this?

I didn't find any information on how to do so on any of the download pages and I'm a bit frustrated....

Well as it turns out, I'm dumb.

Windows had saved the mod into the "Games" folder, and when I deleted that the mod went away. Sorry if I came off as irate

I did not manage to get this pack loading with the mod I use (RFC). No matter where I place it, animated leaderheads still load. Is installing static leaderheads any different when running a mod?

I did not manage to get this pack loading with the mod I use (RFC). No matter where I place it, animated leaderheads still load. Is installing static leaderheads any different when running a mod?

I'm having the same problem. It'd be nice to get an answer to this.

While I have downloaded this mod, the file only unpacked 1 leaderhead, that of Alexander. Is there an updated version of this mod somewhere? The animated leaderheads continually make my game crash.

Unpack it again. There are more in it ;).