Help Please!

Ploeperpengel · Mar 8, 2006

Whiteflagproblem

I made a couple of Civs for the upcoming WOT-Mod but I can't make the flags showing up in the game. I followed all the tutorials about Civadding and the refering threads but still don't get a clue. As I am a newbie in xml that's no miracle.

Can anyone please have a look at this and tell me what I mist? It's only one placeholder flag for the ANDOR Civ in this file now. I'd have more and better ones but it's no use including them if it doesn't work.
Could it be the alpha channel? Everytime I reload the Flag in DXTBmp the alpha is white again.

PLEASE have a look someone! It slowly drives me mad! :cry:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads11/WOT-Pre-Alpha.zip

p.s.: Could be the boolean is zero in the Artdef, don't remember now, but if I put it to 1 the flags still only black.
Just install as usual the Maps starts the Mod automatically if you wanna see the civs. Play ANDOR Civ to see what I mean.I got a problem applying working alpha channels on flags. I followed the Tuturials

Kael · Mar 8, 2006

Did you try adding an alpha mask to the dds file?

Ploeperpengel · Mar 8, 2006

Kael said:
Did you try adding an alpha mask to the dds file?

A thousand times now I think. I even tried out renaming working flags of other mods but that still didn't work!

Ploeperpengel · Mar 8, 2006

Cleared the Cache now, but still no effect. Does anyone have an idea?

Dual · Mar 8, 2006

Are you using the DXTBmp program to create the .dds files? I had a problem getting the alpha mask to stick on my flags at first, because I wasn't saving the alpha correctly.

First to edit it you double click on the white alpha square, which brings up a paint program to create the alpha. Just fill the whole alpha with black, and then make sure you save it by selecting File -> Save in the top toolbar. (This sounds like what you're not doing.)

Then, back in DXTBmp, use its toolbar to select Image -> Reload After Edit. Now save the file as a .dds file, making sure that you save it as type DDS DXT3.

And you probably will need to set the <bWhiteFlag> tag to 1 in the XML.

Ploeperpengel · Mar 8, 2006

Dual said:
Are you using the DXTBmp program to create the .dds files? I had a problem getting the alpha mask to stick on my flags at first, because I wasn't saving the alpha correctly.

First to edit it you double click on the white alpha square, which brings up a paint program to create the alpha. Just fill the whole alpha with black, and then make sure you save it by selecting File -> Save in the top toolbar. (This sounds like what you're not doing.)

Then, back in DXTBmp, use its toolbar to select Image -> Reload After Edit. Now save the file as a .dds file, making sure that you save it as type DDS DXT3.

And you probably will need to set the <bWhiteFlag> tag to 1 in the XML.

That's exactly what I did. But doesn't work. As Editor I used Adobe Photoshop 6.0. Maybe that Version's too old? The Gimp I downloaded doesn't work properperly with the DXT it says it can't find some dll. It overwrote two dll files during install. Could it be that caused the Photoshop not to work properly? But I don't get any Error message for that one.
Anyway the problem still remains as above noticed I can't use renamed otherwise working Flags of other Mods (Used the Bulgaria Flag of NextlevelMod for that which also has set the boolean to 1 for it).

Dual · Mar 8, 2006

I use Microsoft Paint to do the simple alpha for the flags. You should have that program if you are using Windows.

So try having DXTBMP use that by choosing Prefs -> Select Editor and selecting mspaint.exe. I don't know where the .exe is at on the computer off hand, so you might have to search for it.

EDIT: Oh, and yopu might try increasing your graphics settings in Civ4. I remember someone posting that they were getting blank flags when the settings were too low.

Ploeperpengel · Mar 8, 2006

Dual said:
I use Microsoft Paint to do the simple alpha for the flags. You should have that program if you are using Windows.

So try having DXTBMP use that by choosing Prefs -> Select Editor and selecting mspaint.exe. I don't know where the .exe is at on the computer off hand, so you might have to search for it.

EDIT: Oh, and yopu might try increasing your graphics settings in Civ4. I remember someone posting that they were getting blank flags when the settings were too low.

The Settings are high, so that's not the problem. I might try the MS Paint but that still wouldn't explain why I can't use other flags in the Mod.

Kael · Mar 8, 2006

Ploeperpengel said:
The Settings are high, so that's not the problem. I might try the MS Paint but that still wouldn't explain why I can't use other flags in the Mod.

I loaded your mod and saw the problem, loaded the flag with Photoshop CS2, added a black alpha layer, and saved it. Then had the same problem just like you said. And as you said I grabbed one of the flags from my mod that works correctly and it was also broken when I replace your flag with it.

So it has to be something about the xml defines. But I looked through everything I could think of and I couldn't find a problem. It is a weird one.

Ploeperpengel · Mar 8, 2006

Kael said:
I loaded your mod and saw the problem, loaded the flag with Photoshop CS2, added a black alpha layer, and saved it. Then had the same problem just like you said. And as you said I grabbed one of the flags from my mod that works correctly and it was also broken when I replace your flag with it.

So it has to be something about the xml defines. But I looked through everything I could think of and I couldn't find a problem. It is a weird one.

Damn looks like I have to start all over then. Thanks a lot for looking into it Kael!

Dual · Mar 8, 2006

Don't start over just yet, it seems to be working for me.

Is that how it's supposed to look?

It worked the first time with no changes, but the flag was completely red. So then I set the <bWhiteFlag> tag to 1 and got what you see in the pic.

EDIT:
It was working on the units too, I guess I just zoomed in too much when I took the pic. I don't know why it's not working on yours or Kael's game. Maybe an option setting needs to be changed o something.

ANOTHER EDIT:

I just reread your first post and saw that you wanted us to use that map you included to start things. I think that must be the source of the problem. I got the flag to work by starting the mod in the game menu like you normally would. Somehow, the custom map cannot find the flag .dds file.

Ploeperpengel · Mar 8, 2006

Dual said:
Don't start over just yet, it seems to be working for me.

View attachment 118956

Is that how it's supposed to look?

It worked the first time with no changes, but the flag was completely red. So then I set the <bWhiteFlag> tag to 1 and got what you see in the pic.

EDIT:
It was working on the units too, I guess I just zoomed in too much when I took the pic. I don't know why it's not working on yours or Kael's game. Maybe an option setting needs to be changed o something.

Yeah, cool. well the Figure has to be centered a bit. But that's near to what I wanted! But I have no idea what OptionSetting I should change for that.

Ploeperpengel · Mar 8, 2006

Dual said:
I just reread your first post and saw that you wanted us to use that map you included to start things. I think that must be the source of the problem. I got the flag to work by starting the mod in the game menu like you normally would. Somehow, the custom map cannot find the flag .dds file.

I'll try that!

Edit: Okay this seems to be it. The Bulgarian Flag works with the Mod. My problem seem to be reduced to the adding of the alphachannel now. I'll try the MS Paint for that.

Another Edit:

Hm still doesn't work! Everytime I reload the alphachannel it's white again. sigh. Why???

Ploeperpengel · Mar 8, 2006

Say Dual,

could you try out these two files and say if they work on your Computer?

Thanks alot for helping!

Dual · Mar 8, 2006

Ok, I tested them out, and the flag looks good.

But the civ button doesn't show up. Did you cover the entire button in alpha mask? That would make it invisible in the civiopedia screen. For the buttons you want to only add a mask around the border, to give it more depth.

This is the alpha I use for the buttons:

View attachment CIV4_BUTTON_ALPHA.bmp

Hm still doesn't work! Everytime I reload the alphachannel it's white again. sigh. Why???

Hmm, I loaded one of my flags into the program and the alpha doesn't show up. But I know it has one. Maybe you are putting it on the flags (because this one does work), but it just isn't showing in DXTBmp.

Ploeperpengel · Mar 8, 2006

Dual said:
Ok, I tested them out, and the flag looks good.

View attachment 118975

But the civ button doesn't show up. Did you cover the entire button in alpha mask? That would make it invisible in the civiopedia screen. For the buttons you want to only add a mask around the border, to give it more depth.

This is the alpha I use for the buttons:

View attachment 118976

Hmm, I loaded one of my flags into the program and the alpha doesn't show up. But I know it has one. Maybe you are putting it on the flags (because this one does work), but it just isn't showing in DXTBmp.

Thanks for doing this. Yes I used the wrong alpha for the button. I changed this now. Also I need to resize the flags before converting to center the Symbols. So my flags are working this is the good news. The bad news is they still don't work on my game and I still don't Know why...

Edit:

Ok the Buttons work fine now, but still don't get my Flags on screen. I will post them all too you Dual so there's at least one Player who can put them to use. Damnit!

Ploeperpengel · Mar 9, 2006

If you liked the Flag Dual have a look here

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=162406

My Problem still continous though...

Ploeperpengel · Mar 9, 2006

Ok this is truly a weird bug. What I did now is the following:

I used the Flag with two other Mods Nextlevel and Harry Potter renaming it properly for each Mod. What happened is the same effect that I had with my own Mod. The Flags were just plain white both of the times. Strange is even the other Flag I didn't rename were just plain white now!
Renaming the Flags back again and clearing the Cache the restarted NextlevelMod worked again but weird thing is the Potter Mod Flag don't work anymore!!!

Any Ideas???

Edit: Ok even tried deinstalling and reinstalling the game now believing in corrupted gamefiles. Nothing... :mad:

Dual · Mar 9, 2006

Thanks for the flag download, I'm sure I can find a use for those flags somewhere in my game.

Sorry, but I don't have any idea about how to fix your problem. I'm completely puzzled. I was going to suggest re-installing, but it looks like you already tried that.

Ploeperpengel · Mar 9, 2006

Could you post some screenies of them. As I can't play with them I'd really like to see them at least. Would be very kind.

Thx in advance

edit best would be a small working mod with just that flags, but this maybe too much to ask for. just kind of a small last hope I have for working on that three days in a row not being totally in vain...

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