Making Custom Flags

[RulerOfDaPeople]

How do you make custom flags with several colors? The kind that you can just photoshop and image and then convert that image to the files to put into the game... just like real life national flags... how do you make those custom flags?

I've checked the tutorials index thread but all they show are buttons and decalics... nothing with a step by step guide on pictorial (picture) flags.

Is there any guides that walk you through making these types of flags?

I'm working on a mod right now, so I'm hoping somebody can show me the way.

 

[MadmanOfALeader]

You don't post an alpha channel, instead you post the flag on the image itself.

 

[Shiggs713]

its pretty easy really. Thats probably why there's no guide. Make a DDS (Direct draw Surface) at 128x128 pixels and save it as DXT3 w/ no mipmaps. If you have problems with it showing up as all white, bucket paint the alpha channel all black.

I use DXTbmp, it is the easiest program to make flags.

 

[The_J]

And then you have to set in the ArtDefines_Civilization

<bWhiteFlag>0</bWhiteFlag>

to 1.

 

[RulerOfDaPeople]

You don't post an alpha channel, instead you post the flag on the image itself.

What do you mean?

its pretty easy really. Thats probably why there's no guide. Make a DDS (Direct draw Surface) at 128x128 pixels and save it as DXT3 w/ no mipmaps. If you have problems with it showing up as all white, bucket paint the alpha channel all black.

I use DXTbmp, it is the easiest program to make flags.

I downloaded that program, but I have never used it and have no clue how to use it. I also have Photoshop which I am way better with so is there any way I can make the image with Photoshop? I'm still confused. What do you mean by no minimaps, and the alpha channell stuff? Say I edited together, or downloaded a normal Jpeg pic that I wanted to put on the flag in the game by using Photoshop. Then what do I do? Would you mind doing a simple structuerd quick step by step if it's easy?

 

[The_J]

The differenz in DXTBmp:

That's what you want to do:





And normal flags look like this:

 

[RulerOfDaPeople]

Still clueless. How do I get the colored pic in Dxtbmp? And what do you do in Dxtbmp after that?

You'll have to forgive me but I have absolutely no familiarity with that program and this process. I may as well be a kid at the first day of school in the first grade when talking about making these flags.

 

[The_J]

file -> open.

But you have to cut it first to the right size.

edit:
I've also been unfamiliar with this programm, but it is really the simpelst to use, because it can not much more than creating .dds-files.

 

[RulerOfDaPeople]

I resize it in Photoshop. It's a jpeg. It's open in Dxtbmp. I still don't understand what you were telling me in your pics post. I see the "what" part (that I want to do), but there's no "how" part in the post.

Also, did you leave out a pic where you typed "The differenz in DXTBmp:"

Thank you very, very much for you help, by the way. It is much appreciated.

 

[The_J]

Sorry, i thought, it would be easy to see.

What you want to do:
You've opened the picture (it's better to save them in .bmp for DXTBmp).
Now you have to import the alpha-channel:
alpha -> import alpha channel, and just select a totally black picture (it seems, that to auto-create a black alpha dosn't work).

And then: Save it.
File -> Save -> dds-texture, and save it as DDS DXT3 (normal DDS DXT1 is selected, and it won't remember, that you've chosen DDS DXT3 last time).

The end .

 

[RulerOfDaPeople]

Thanks! I think I got it now. Now to put it to use and see if it works in the game.

 

[RulerOfDaPeople]

Thanks guys! I got it working in the game. However, I am still unclear how the stretching/cropping works. I have read Raize's thread about it, but that doesn't seem to work (it actually is way too small and doesn't even show up on the flag). So I have one more question...

What is the proper size to make your logo (that you want to paste into the overal 128x128 flag pic) so that nothing gets cropped off, or leaves any extra borders either?

 

[Shiggs713]

I usually do a combination of sketch/skew and cropping, to try and keep the flag proportional. Also keep in mind that the flags will look weird if you designed them to be a rectangle and your using it in the early era's. Flag shapes change with ages. If you want them to always be rectangular, you can make it use the modern (or industrial, I forget) flag for all era's. Asioasioasio even wrote somewhere on how to change its orientation, to make them look like real flags, rather than more like a vertical banner.

the flag shape is most likely your problem.

you should try it with an industrial start and see if it looks better.