99% done with new shadow skin

Neomega · Dec 31, 2009

Problem solved: Skins/button is here:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=238864&d=1262268332

Just one little problem, the button isn't displaying the alpha channel correctly. I have been spending hours trying to figure out how to alter those damn 150 or so pixels. :mad:

If anybody can point me to a place that explains how to make that silver border go away (either in GIMP, Paint.net, or even PSP 9), when displayed in the civilopedia, I'd be soooo happy.

The old shadow icon is in the screenie because I took it before I edited the button.

Oh yeah, and my textures' file sizes are twice as large as the originals. I am compressing DXT3, btu there must be another compression I am missing.

admtanaka · Dec 31, 2009

Can't help you, but it looks awesome.

arcticnightwolf · Dec 31, 2009

looks great
good job

odalrick · Dec 31, 2009

If you're using GIMP you probably have a lot of layers in the original image. I think the step you missed is number two, if you just save directly to .dds GIMP only flattens the image.

Flatten the image. (Rightclick menu: Image->Flatten Image) This removes the alpha channel from the image.
Restore the alpha channel. ( Layer->Transparency->Add Alpha Channel )
Select the areas that should be transparent. (If you're using the button workshop that floats around this forum, there is a useful channel stored. It's in a tab of the same window layers are shown. Or Windows->Dockable Dialogs->Channels)
Press Delete.
Save as .dds I use DXT1 .

I think the "1" in DXT1 means only one bit is used for the alpha channel, so transparency is either full or none. DXT3 would be useful if you want graded transparency.

For buttons, don't check the Generate mipmaps box. It makes the file larger and more importantly can cause the button to become blurry when the game is set to low graphics. I don't know anything about textures so I can't say what the trade-off is for them.

[to_xp]Gekko · Dec 31, 2009

looks great!!

Neomega · Dec 31, 2009

Thank you Odalrick, I knew about mipmapping, but it was using DXT1 which reduced the textures back to normal filesize.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=238864&d=1262268332

Neomega · Dec 31, 2009

I want to put this in wildmana, ( I tested it in regular FFH2, and unpacked the fpk in that mod), and the chanter model is showing up... but in chanter skin. I thought this must be because it was pathing through the FPK first, but then I realized, why would it be using chanter skin and model if it were pathed in civ4artdefinesunit through a different file? Do I need to clear the cache, or something like that?*

I mean it is very odd, It pathed correctly through religions/council of esus/shadow, and got the model right (no more great engineer)... but then it decided to go all the way back in the FPK and use the skin for the chanter!

*if so, how do I do that?

crazy_achmed · Jan 1, 2010

This looks fantastic, how can i use this for in my FFH2 (unmoded) games? Which files do i have to replace? And is it planed to replace this in the vanilla FFH2 with a patch?
At least, can someone tell me where the unit files are stored? Iam using windows vista.
I looked in the Beyond the Sword\Mod\Fall from heaven 2
files but there are not all unit files, it seems that there are just a few. Where are the others? Do i have to look in the C:\users directory?

Neomega · Jan 1, 2010

crazy_achmed said:
This looks fantastic, how can i use this for in my FFH2 (unmoded) games? Which files do i have to replace? And is it planed to replace this in the vanilla FFH2 with a patch?

You have to go to assets/art/units/civs/amurites, and copy all those files
then paste them in assets/art/units/religions/council of esus/shadow
then paste all these on top of those you just pasted in the shadow folder

then you have to put the button in assets/xml/interface/buttons/units (I think thats the correct path)

then you have to go into civ4artdefines_unit.xml and replace the shadow with this

Code:

        <UnitArtInfo>
            <Type>ART_DEF_UNIT_SHADOW</Type>
            <Button>Art/Interface/Buttons/Units/Shadow.dds</Button>
            <fScale>0.46</fScale>
            <fInterfaceScale>1</fInterfaceScale>
            <bActAsLand>0</bActAsLand>
            <bActAsAir>0</bActAsAir>
            <NIF>Art/Units/Religions/council of esus/Shadow/aztec_jaguar.nif</NIF>
            <KFM>Art/Units/Unique/Aztec/Jaguar/Aztec_Jaguar blood.kfm</KFM>
            <SHADERNIF>Art/Units/Civs/Amurites/Chanter/Aztec_Jaguar_fx.nif</SHADERNIF>
            <ShadowDef>
                <ShadowNIF>Art/Units/01_UnitShadows/UnitShadow.nif</ShadowNIF>
                <ShadowAttachNode>BIP Pelvis</ShadowAttachNode>
                <fShadowScale>1</fShadowScale>
            </ShadowDef>
                <fBattleDistance>0.4</fBattleDistance>
                <fRangedDeathTime>0.31</fRangedDeathTime>
                <bActAsRanged>0</bActAsRanged>
                <TrainSound>AS2D_UNIT_BUILD_UNIT</TrainSound>
            <AudioRunSounds>
                <AudioRunTypeLoop/>
                <AudioRunTypeEnd/>
            </AudioRunSounds>
        </UnitArtInfo>

there are a couple of other things too:

Here is a tutorial thread.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=139721

crazy_achmed said:
I looked in the Beyond the Sword\Mod\Fall from heaven 2
files but there are not all unit files, it seems that there are just a few. Where are the others? Do i have to look in the C:\users directory?

They are in a file called something .fpk. You need a utuility to unpack them, and it will make civ run slower, from what I hear.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=8762291&postcount=1431

crazy_achmed · Jan 1, 2010

Ok thanks for your help i think i can to the rest.

blade117 · Jan 1, 2010

This should be merged universally in all modmods and base FFH, it's that good.

crazy_achmed · Jan 2, 2010

blade117 said:
This should be merged universally in all modmods and base FFH, it's that good.

i definitely agree

Valkrionn · Jan 2, 2010

I think I'll be using this in RifE, nice work! :goodjob:

blade117 · Jan 2, 2010

Thank [diety], Valk.

WarKirby · Jan 5, 2010

blade117 said:
This should be merged universally in all modmods and base FFH, it's that good.

I disagree.

I'd like to see it used for some civs and not others. I personally like the current shadow look for a few Good Human civs. he looks less malevolent than this one.

esvath · Jan 5, 2010

Current Shadow is too skinny IMO

crazy_achmed · Jan 5, 2010

esvath said:
Current Shadow is too skinny IMO

The main problem is, that he has no attack animation.

mimic · Jan 6, 2010

Not a problem, just turn quick combat on

crazy_achmed · Jan 6, 2010

mimic said:
Not a problem, just turn quick combat on

I do not do such things

admtanaka · Jan 6, 2010

WarKirby said:
I disagree.

I'd like to see it used for some civs and not others. I personally like the current shadow look for a few Good Human civs. he looks less malevolent than this one.

Although I do think this shadow is quite good, I agree with WK that it fits some civs better than others. I can't imagine a Banner or Malakim shadow to look like this.

99% done with new shadow skin

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