Tech Tree background image

[Ambreville]

I modified the background image of the tech tree by adding this file to my mod:

\Assets\Art\Interface\Screens\civilopedia\civilopediabg2-opaque.dds

Problem is that the new image appears totally distorted. I'm trying to find the image's correct attributes. Does anyone know this by any chance?

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Edit -- problem fixed...

 

[mourndraken]

your new background has to have the exact same size dimensions as the old one. So it needs to be 512x512. Areas that are black, need to stay that way.

 

[Ambreville]

your new background has to have the exact same size dimensions as the old one. So it needs to be 512x512. Areas that are black, need to stay that way.

The file that I "borrowed" in the original dds file didn't appear to have any black areas, which threw me off. Its size was 512x683. When I switched the image and resaved it, the image got screwed up probably because of the missing black space you are talking about. Someone mentioned elsewhere I should save without mip maps -- IIRC I think I did stumble across one of my images with a black stripe at the bottom, but I thought this was a mistake... and discarded it.

 

[mourndraken]

these file are found in the .fpk files in assets folder. You will need pakbuild utility to exract the files and view the originals that you may want to modify. I'm glad .fpk files were not carried through BTS. They exist only for vanilla and warlords. I'm not sure what a mip map is. I use Gimp 2.4 which is freely available.

1. Get GIMP 2.4
2. Get dds.exe and put it into gimp plugins folder
3. Make changes to textures until you're happy with the result.

 

[Ambreville]

Thanks. I'll play with that some more then!

 

[Ambreville]

The dds.exe plugin doesn't appear to work. If I run gimp and try to open a dds file, I get an error msg that the file type isn't recognized. If I exit gimp and try to launch dds.exe by itself from gimp's plug-ins directory, I get an error msg that it can't find its dll file.

 

[mourndraken]

put the dds.exe in plugins folder
it's not stand alone. dds.exe is the dll file
launch gimp

 

[Ambreville]

put the dds.exe in plugins folder
it's not stand alone. dds.exe is the dll file
launch gimp

I did all that. DDS.exe is in Gimp's plug-ins folder. My previous post was explicit, wasn't it?

 

[mourndraken]

mabey they made an application that works for everybody except Ambreville... It's a pity if they were so mean to you. Regardless, I use GIMP everyday and it's great. GIMP isn't the only option. It's the only free option.

That's it, I have no other advice.

 

[Ambreville]

Thanks for your time. I guess I'll send a letter of complaint about the Gimp folks being mean to me.

 

[Aranor]

Try paint.net It has a reasonable .dds capability.

 

[mourndraken]

@Aranor. Cool I just downloaded. I hope it has easy layer usage ...
edit- beut program. It's like a no frills JascPSP or retro Adobe. Selectable specific layers et al. No scecial dll for dds images ... Better and easier to use than GIMP24

 

[Shiggs713]

maybe thats the problem. were you using GIMP 2.4?