Adding custom loading and diplomacy screens for a Civilization

[Firebug]

Even with a tutorial i'm so utterly frustrated. I've got a fully functional civ working right now, all the traits and uniques. But i just can't do the artwork. It's madness. I didn't expect the artwork of all things to be the harder thing in Civ6.

 

[DavDarkelf]

Thanks ReichAdler, I'll give this a go next week when I have time. At the moment I'm busy with work and as I do some odd shifts I don't really get a lot of spare time apart from my days off. That's what I really meant.

I do also try and share what I've learnt but my knowledge of modding is fairly basic. All I've written before is a couple of Tropico 4 mods...

It's also very annoying that we've got some things working and then it get's broken by a game update.

I couldn't believe just how hard creating Icons and Artwork for a game is. If I could just select a JPEG for my leader and diplomatic screens and then get it included into the game without going through what seems like a plethora of steps I'd be ecstatic!

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

I've actually just cracked it. OMG - it's one of those straightforward things.

If you save your .dds file (in GIMP) as Compression: none and Format: default, then modbuddy accepts the format and will happily build your mod and "cook" the assets. Then when you run the mod, there's no Cleo to be found!

 

[ReichAdler]

Be careful using that way... unless you are doing the import as I described a few posts up. A number of mods toast all leaders in all diplomatic screens & I don't think they have noticed.

 

[Firebug]

Has anyone figured a way to get rid of Cleopatra? i noticed lots of mods managed it, but i still can't.

 

[ReichAdler]

Did you follow my posts instructions?

 

[mrc2022]

So I've added the DDS trough the AssetManager and sucessfuly created the TEX and XLP files

However they don't show up in the project explorer and when I build the mod they aren't added to the mod folder. They are however in the ModBuddy project folder...

Every single time

 

[Firebug]

Did you follow my posts instructions?

I did. I've got all my other icons working, including the leaderscreen background. But it's just Cleopatra standing in place of my leader.

 

[PonderThis]

So I'm trying to follow ReichAdler's directions. I get to the part where I select the source file I want to import and I get this dialog:
================
Sync Source Files
-----------------
The following source files are out of date. Sync them to continue with export?

C:\Users\usernameDocuments\Firaxis ModBuddy\Civilization VI\myciv\Art Source\Icons\LeaderName32.dds
================
Click [Yes] *or* [No], I get the same result:
================
Export Failure
--------------
The following entities failed the export process.

ICON_LEADER_LEADERNAME_32: Entity (ICON_LEADER_LEADERNAME_32)'s source file (same as above) is out of date. Sync the source file before reimporting it!
================

Now if I navigate to the assets directory and use, say, CivAztec32.dds it works fine. That implies something's wrong with my .dds file. I first tried creating it as A8R8G8B8 since that seems to match the dds files in the asset pantry. Then I tried DXT3, same result.

I used paint.net to create my dds files, so I figured maybe paint.net wasn't doing something right. Upthread gimp is mentioned, so I downloaded and installed gimp and recreated my dds files.

The same thing happened. So now I am totally lost. Anyone have any idea on how a source file could be "out of date"?

 

[ReichAdler]

So I've added the DDS trough the AssetManager and sucessfuly created the TEX and XLP files

However they don't show up in the project explorer and when I build the mod they aren't added to the mod folder. They are however in the ModBuddy project folder...

Every single time

If you are getting that happening, you haven't added the things to the modart file. You need to do that manually.

I did. I've got all my other icons working, including the leaderscreen background. But it's just Cleopatra standing in place of my leader.

What .bpl files do you have? If you don't have Fallbacks that could be your problem, that means you need to edit the modart file. If you have done something with the UILeaders.blp, that could be your problem. I deliberately didn't use that so I could have different portraits on the selection menu.

@PondreThis... You seem to have missed the bit in my post where I said "
****VERY IMPORTANT**** Don't put things in to the textures folder manually. Don't change things in there. If you need to change an image, delete both the .tex & .dds via explorer with mod buddy closed, then reimport as above."

I am going to repost my tutorial into its own post, it is lost in this one.

 

[PonderThis]

Reich, I swear, I didn't put anything into the textures folder, everything is coming from a folder outside of the project itself that I called "Art Source". So far there's nothing in the textures folder besides the default stuff that the template itself put in there.

 

[Firebug]

I fixed the Cleopatra issue. There were two areas in the mod art file that i needed to enter the leaderfallbacks into. I didn't realise this, and forgot the second one.

 

[ReichAdler]

Reich, I swear, I didn't put anything into the textures folder, everything is coming from a folder outside of the project itself that I called "Art Source". So far there's nothing in the textures folder besides the default stuff that the template itself put in there.

Very very odd. To fix it, remove the file, then run the import again, with the same name. It happens when the .tex file was made for another graphic. Even if you save the exact same file over it, it knows. That should fix it.

 

[mrc2022]

If you are getting that happening, you haven't added the things to the modart file. You need to do that manually.

But when you add the art files through the asset editor do they appear in your project explorer?

PS:

You were obviously right, I had something missing from the ModArt.
However my question remains. All files I manipulate through the AssetEditor don't show on the Solution Explorer (inside ModBuddy) and when I build the mod, in it's directory the XLP folder is also not present, however art does seem to work...

 

[PonderThis]

Very very odd. To fix it, remove the file, then run the import again, with the same name. It happens when the .tex file was made for another graphic. Even if you save the exact same file over it, it knows. That should fix it.

Thanks for trying. This is such an odd problem I'm going to give it its own thread in the Help subforum.

 

[CivilizationAce]

I added the following section to my modinfo and the two GCOInGame files and couldn't start a new game. Am I missing something?

<Components>
<UserInterface>
<Properties>
<Context>InGame</Context>
</Properties>
<Items>
<File>GCOInGame.xml</File>
</Items>
</UserInterface>
</Components>

 

[greyTiger]

Do you have your GCOInGame.xml listed in the <Files> section outside of the <Components> tags?

 

[CivilizationAce]

Do you have your GCOInGame.xml listed in the <Files> section outside of the <Components> tags?

Thanks for getting back to me. I'll look into it later.