How would I get started adding art for a unique Governor

[isau]

Hi all,

I've been successful at adding a unique Governor and unique promotions to the game. It's easy to reuse existing Governor art. But adding new art to the game is a total mystery to me. I don't even know what tutorials I should be looking at.

I do know that I need to add references in an Icons file, and that the existing Governor art appears to be storedin a blp file. (The art for the unique Ottoman governor appears to exist in Sid Meier's Civilization VI\DLC\Expansion2\platforms\windows\BLPs\UI for example).

• What tool do I need to be looking at to add the required art?
• Are there any mods that do something similar I can look at for reference?

 

[Zugaikotsu]

Governors are a bit of a rarity in the modding community, from what I've seen, which is a bit of a shame, as I feel like there is so much potential here, and personally represent something I want to pursue in the future. In my search (which I'll admit isn't that extensive as I'm not to that point yet), I've only ever seen 红衣膜王's LiuBei (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1697016314) that has one with art. I haven't used that mod or explored more fully into its design. so I can't vouch too much on it, but perhaps it can help you on the right track. SpartaqS's Spymaster Governor (https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/the-spymaster-governor.643717/) also seems to have quite the makeup, although I do not believe that one is to the point of having unique art itself, but may help as a reference, despite it seeming like you've already made it to that step.
Anyways, I'll be keen to keep an eye on this, and your progress. I still have a bit of other items I want to look at before stepping up to a Governor myself, but if you find anything unique with the process, please share.

 

[isau]

Governors are a bit of a rarity in the modding community, from what I've seen, which is a bit of a shame, as I feel like there is so much potential here, and personally represent something I want to pursue in the future. In my search (which I'll admit isn't that extensive as I'm not to that point yet), I've only ever seen 红衣膜王's LiuBei (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1697016314) that has one with art. I haven't used that mod or explored more fully into its design. so I can't vouch too much on it, but perhaps it can help you on the right track. SpartaqS's Spymaster Governor (https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/the-spymaster-governor.643717/) also seems to have quite the makeup, although I do not believe that one is to the point of having unique art itself, but may help as a reference, despite it seeming like you've already made it to that step.
Anyways, I'll be keen to keep an eye on this, and your progress. I still have a bit of other items I want to look at before stepping up to a Governor myself, but if you find anything unique with the process, please share.

Wow, thanks! I was actually able to figure quite a bit of it out by looking at that first example.

 

[isau]

I spoke too soon. I haven't been able to get this working.

I can see by looking at the example mod that an xlp file, a DDS file, and a TEX file are all involved in loading art into the game. However, up to this point I have never added any art to the game myself and am not really sure where to start. I suppose the process is similar to creating a new civilization? I haven't attempted that (been put off by how difficult it seems to add icons).

 

[kingchris20]

I spoke too soon. I haven't been able to get this working.

I can see by looking at the example mod that an xlp file, a DDS file, and a TEX file are all involved in loading art into the game. However, up to this point I have never added any art to the game myself and am not really sure where to start. I suppose the process is similar to creating a new civilization? I haven't attempted that (been put off by how difficult it seems to add icons).

I have Governor art in my mod (still wip), I can help you with getting your Governor working and getting art in general to show up in game. Let me know what you have now and exactly what its doing.

 

[isau]

I have Governor art in my mod (still wip), I can help you with getting your Governor working and getting art in general to show up in game. Let me know what you have now and exactly what its doing.

Thanks kingchris20.

I'm totally unfamiliar with how to bring art into the game. I've never used ModBuddy or similar tools. I do a lot of modding with Notepad++ (mostly database stuff).

I've added references in the Modinfo file <Files> section and created a .xlp file, but couldn't get it working. Could it be because the things have to be done using certain Firaxis tools?

 

[kingchris20]

Yes, every piece of art has to be brought into the game by using ModBuddy, and Asset Editor (which is a tool within ModBuddy). Asset Editor "cooks" the art file, which makes it come out looking different (color is reveresed or something) when viewing outside the game, but the colors looks correct in game.

Its a process, but becomes much easier after you've done a few.

In short, afaik, you must use ModBuddy/Asset Editor to bring textures in game.

 

[Infixo]

Yes, every piece of art has to be brought into the game by using ModBuddy, and Asset Editor

Not true. UI elements like icons, images, simple 2D textures, etc. can be included in the mod directly as .dds files and used within a game. No AssetEditor needed for that.

 

[kingchris20]

Not true. UI elements like icons, images, simple 2D textures, etc. can be included in the mod directly as .dds files and used within a game. No AssetEditor needed for that.

Hmm didn't know that, how do you do that without baking-in the color through AE?

 

[Infixo]

Hmm didn't know that, how do you do that without baking-in the color through AE?

I honestly don’t understand the question
Like I said - simple things, nothing fancy. I use paint.net and save the files in a default .dds format.
You can see effects in e.g. Real Building Upgrades - all icons with plus signs, Real Great People - all pictures are done that way, Better Loading Screen - pink and blue arrows are new font icons I created.
All with not touching Asset Editor.

 

[isau]

I honestly don’t understand the question
Like I said - simple things, nothing fancy. I use paint.net and save the files in a default .dds format.
You can see effects in e.g. Real Building Upgrades - all icons with plus signs, Real Great People - all pictures are done that way, Better Loading Screen - pink and blue arrows are new font icons I created.
All with not touching Asset Editor.

Can you explain the series of linkages that are required in the mod project to make the artwork show?


Here's where I am at now. I created references to the DDS and TEX files, as well as an XLP file, in the modinfo:

In the XLP file, I set up the atlas:

In the TEX file I reference the DDS (NOTE: I did this by hand. Does this have to be done through the AssetEditor?)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<AssetObjects:TextureInstance>
 <m_ExportSettings>
  <ePixelformat>PF_R8G8B8A8_UNORM</ePixelformat>
  <eFilterType>FT_LANCZOS6</eFilterType>
  <bUseMips>false</bUseMips>
  <iNumManualMips>0</iNumManualMips>
  <bCompleteMipChain>false</bCompleteMipChain>
  <fValueClampMin>0.000000</fValueClampMin>
  <fValueClampMax>1.000000</fValueClampMax>
  <fSupportScale>1.000000</fSupportScale>
  <fGammaIn>2.200000</fGammaIn>
  <fGammaOut>2.200000</fGammaOut>
  <iSlabWidth>0</iSlabWidth>
  <iSlabHeight>0</iSlabHeight>
  <iColorKeyX>64</iColorKeyX>
  <iColorKeyY>64</iColorKeyY>
  <iColorKeyZ>64</iColorKeyZ>
  <eExportMode>TEXTURE_2D</eExportMode>
  <bSampleFromTopLayer>false</bSampleFromTopLayer>
 </m_ExportSettings>
 <m_CookParams>
  <m_Values>
   <Element class="AssetObjects:BoolValue">
    <m_bValue>false</m_bValue>
    <m_ParamName text="IsScalable"/>
   </Element>
   <Element class="AssetObjects:IntValue">
    <m_nValue>2</m_nValue>
    <m_ParamName text="TexturePadding"/>
   </Element>
   <Element class="AssetObjects:BoolValue">
    <m_bValue>false</m_bValue>
    <m_ParamName text="IsStandalone"/>
   </Element>
   <Element class="AssetObjects:BoolValue">
    <m_bValue>false</m_bValue>
    <m_ParamName text="IsTiled"/>
   </Element>
  </m_Values>
 </m_CookParams>
 <m_Version>
  <major>4</major>
  <minor>0</minor>
  <build>260</build>
  <revision>754</revision>
 </m_Version>
 <m_Height>1080</m_Height>
 <m_Width>1920</m_Width>
 <m_Depth>1</m_Depth>
 <m_NumMipMaps>0</m_NumMipMaps>
 <m_SourceFilePath text="C:\QUO_GOVERNOR_MARINER_NORMAL.dds"/>
 <m_SourceObjectName text=""/>
 <m_ImportedTime>0</m_ImportedTime>
 <m_ExportedTime>3852769202</m_ExportedTime>
 <m_ClassName text="UserInterface"/>
 <m_DataFiles>
  <Element>
   <m_ID text="DDS"/>
   <m_RelativePath text="QUO_GOVERNOR_MARINER_NORMAL.dds"/>
  </Element>
 </m_DataFiles>
 <m_Name text="QUO_GOVERNOR_MARINER_NORMAL"/>
 <m_Description text=""/>
 <m_Tags>
  <Element text="UserInterface"/>
 </m_Tags>
 <m_Groups/>
</AssetObjects:TextureInstance>

And of course there is the actual DDS and TEX files in the structure:

In game, I get this. I'm not familiar enough with art assets to know which logs to check or where to look to see if something is failing to load. I don't see anything about it in Modding.log but maybe don't know what I should be looking for.

 

[isau]

If it helps, although I am completely unfamiliar with how new civs are created (at least in terms of the custom artwork) the Governor screen appears to be closely related to the Leader screen.

 

[isau]

BTW, this is almost certainly a known issue for those in the know, but I am not sure how I would resolve an issue like this in the Asset Editor tool. This error prevents me from opening the tool.

 

[Infixo]

@isau The whole point of my posts was that some simple images and icons could be used without using AE, .xlps, mod.art, all that shenigans. I don’t use them, so I can’t answer your questions, sorry.

 

[kingchris20]

BTW, this is almost certainly a known issue for those in the know, but I am not sure how I would resolve an issue like this in the Asset Editor tool. This error prevents me from opening the tool.

View attachment 522222

This just means that the folder path has not been setup in ModBuddy for Asset Editor to know where to look for pantry assets. So it will not open without having that folder path setup.

Should be somewhere around here ...Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization VI SDK Assets

 

[isau]

This just means that the folder path has not been setup in ModBuddy for Asset Editor to know where to look for pantry assets. So it will not open without having that folder path setup.

Should be somewhere around here ...Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization VI SDK Assets

Ah I see. Is that the separate download from the Steam library in the Tools section? Downloading it now to see if I can get it working.

 

[kingchris20]

ahhh, LeeS's guide is here, that may be of some assistance https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/lees-civilization-6-modding-guide.644687/

 

[LeeS]

Not on that issue, unfortunately

 

[Deliverator]

The XLP file is only for cooking assets into BLP files using Modbuddy. I would advise importing your textures using the Asset Editor if you are going to cook them into a .blp library.

If you want to import your dds files without cooking them into a BLP library you need to include them in ImportFiles in your .modinfo (which is generated from your Modbuddy project settings unless you do it by hand).

 

[JNR13]

I used this guide for learning how to add icons to the game. Since governors seem to be made up of only textures as well, it should work very similarly:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fFGEAJwyFaLmY31b6JnkI1rmu8Q07zlhuJU_2DcJ4dE/edit#