Unit graphics switch with era-change

[Takeo]

Hey modders,
Does anyone have experiance with having normal units change their graphics when going into the next era? Like the worker and settler change their graphics with each new era. I really dislike being in the ind/mod era and seeing an AI spearman that has not been upgraded, because it has not been in a city and it has been guarding a resource for 2000 years. Before I go into the pediaicons and insert all the needed info to do this for hundreds of units in my mod, I wanted to see if anyone has run into any problems doing this or if there are any tips I should know.

Thanks for any info,
Takeo

 

[_ghost_]

as far as i know there are no problems to do that. just compare the worker order and also the pedia entry for the worker and do same with any other unit

 

[Ares de Borg]

It's working very well and goes like this in the Pediaicons.txt:

[this is the basic unit with all entries]

#ICON_PRTO_Western_European_Worker
art\civilopedia\icons\units\CelticWorkerLARGE.pcx
art\civilopedia\icons\units\CelticWorkerSMALL.pcx

#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Western_European_Settler
Western European Settler

[this defines what units are to be used in the later eras]

#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Western_European_Settler_ERAS_Middle_Ages
European Medieval Settler
#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Western_European_Settler_ERAS_Industrial_Age
Euro Settler 1812
#ANIMNAME_PRTO_Western_European_Settler_ERAS_Modern_Era
Settler Modern Times

[this defines what unit icon should be shown (you get the number by clicking through the uniticons in the editor)

#UNITICON_PRTO_Western_European_Worker_ERAS_Middle_Ages
254
#UNITICON_PRTO_Western_European_Worker_ERAS_Industrial_Age
2673
#UNITICON_PRTO_Western_European_Worker_ERAS_Modern_Era
73

 

[Takeo]

Ares... In your post I saw a uniticon of 2673, so how many units do you have in your mod?

 

[Civinator]

Thre are different ways to achieve eraspecific unitgraphics in Civ 3 Vanilla and in PTW /C3C: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=844309&postcount=1

For C3C there are two ways to do such a setup: The settler- and the leader-template.

Has anybody found a way to change the civilopedia graphics large and small according to the eraspecific graphics, too?

 

[Yoda Power]

In AnthonyBoscias mod pretty much all the units change graphics when they switch era. As far as I remember, haven't played it recently.

 

[Ares de Borg]

Ares... In your post I saw a uniticon of 2673, so how many units do you have in your mod?

Not enough yet, just over 2300.

 

[Vuldacon]

Civinator... As Ares posted above on Post #3, you can change Unit Icon Graphics by ERAS in the PediaIcons.txt.

Regarding Graphics and just to let you all know... you can change the "box trans color.pcx and box trans alpha.pcx files so they will align better with the Bottom Right unit window "Box Right". The box trans color and alpha is used to show units in a Transport and pops up above the Box Right in game. These files are in the interface Folder.

Pounder posted about this quite some time ago but I wanted to help clarify the problem and what you can do to correct it either for the original Graphics or a new one you make.

The dimensions of the files need to be kept basically the same ( W 294 x H 137 ) but you can place the graphics for the box trans within the file as you want it.

The Original Files are off 5 pixels and the box color and box alpha need to be moved to the left 5 pixels.

You can experience seeing 3 pixels of the right side of the box trans constantly in a game if it is not adjusted and some of you may find that anomaly a little frustrating.

When you make your own box trans file be sure to leave 5 pixels of space on the right side of the box trans color.pcx and box trans alpha.pcx.

Here is a section of a screen shot using the Original left and right Boxes and the original box trans to test in my game... note that I did not exchange the Buttons or light for this test. You can see that the box trans on the top right is not aligned and off by 5 pixels.

Hope this helps some of you... I have been "Tweeking" Graphics and details of EFZI2 Complete that I did not get to before the Release and have seen Many Errors caused from following or using Original CIV Files...MOD on

 

[Civinator]

Civinator... As Ares posted above on Post #3, you can change Unit Icon Graphics by ERAS in the PediaIcons.txt.

Yes, this setting of the era-specific uniticons was still done in the last versions of CCM for some units.

My question is, if there is a way to see the eraspecific units when looking in the civilopedia with eraspecific images. Per example when a unit has the settler ancient graphics and you look in the civilopedia in era1, you see that unit with the era1-graphics, when you look in the civilopedia for that unit in era2, you see the unit with the era2-graphics (and so on).

The general hint about graphics is, as always, very useful.

 

[Etain]

.....

 

[Ares de Borg]

My question is, if there is a way to see the eraspecific units when looking in the civilopedia with eraspecific images. Per example when a unit has the settler ancient graphics and you look in the civilopedia in era1, you see that unit with the era1-graphics, when you look in the civilopedia for that unit in era2, you see the unit with the era2-graphics (and so on).

I tried, but it didn't work. Looks like we're limited to one set of pictures.

 

[Civinator]

I tried, but it didn't work. Looks like we're limited to one set of pictures.

That´s a pitty. I also wasn´t able to find a solution.

 

[Vuldacon]

I tried, but it didn't work. Looks like we're limited to one set of pictures.

Too Bad Ares... Appeared to be reasonable but as we have all found... Programing is Hard Coded and we just have to find another way around it.

 

[timerover51]

Too Bad Ares... Appeared to be reasonable but as we have all found... Programing is Hard Coded and we just have to find another way around it.

Comments like this make me more and more tempted to go after the source code and at least figure out a patch for the resource bug problem, along with building limits and unit limit issues.

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

Comments like this make me more and more tempted to go after the source code and at least figure out a patch for the resource bug problem, along with building limits and unit limit issues.

...and comments like this reminds me of that lengthy thread we had about the source code . What a shame it's not available. Would have liked to have had more civs (and maybe multiple leaders) too.

 

[timerover51]

...and comments like this reminds me of that lengthy thread we had about the source code . What a shame it's not available. Would have liked to have had more civs (and maybe multiple leaders) too.

Based on the fact that most of the limitations are powers of 2, the guys that I have talked with think that the changes needed for the resource bug, units, buildings, and also civilizations are basically modifying a few lines of code with the restriction. I suspect that multiple leaders would require more than that.

My assumption is that the limitations were based on the computer capability of the time, and no allowance was made for computer improvements.

Has anyone tried to contact Firaxis and see if they would at least put out a patch which would allow people to modify the limitations on the number of resources in the game, along with the ability to adjust the building and unit limit?

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

Has anyone tried to contact Firaxis and see if they would at least put out a patch which would allow people to modify the limitations on the number of resources in the game, along with the ability to adjust the building and unit limit?

Oh yes. Here's the thread I was speaking about. I recall at the time of CivIII conquests coming out, they were talking of upping the limits - specifically of Civilizations from 31 to 63 - but that would have meant reprogramming everything, so they didn't do it.

 

[clamel]

I´m a bit confused on this issue.

First (and that might explain everything) when doing this ERAS specific changes to a unit, will it be ONLY your units that will be changed not other Civs??
I tried it out with Briton Spearman in CCM, changing it to Industrial for a Rifleman unit. It worked perfectly.
However seeing the German Landsknecht outside my city in the 20th century made me change these Landsknecht to a musketmen for Germany.

All things was exactly as the Spearman, and what has been explained in this thread.

NOTHING, the Landsknecht-animations still in the game while my spearman attacks him with his new musketman-animation. Now I´m 95% sure the germans are also in the same ERA as me, since I can´t offer him any Tech that he hasn´t got already.

With this these questions comes up.

Your units are OK , it works.
BUT what about other civs units. Doesn´t they change, and if so will you (as the gamer) see the animation for the ERA you are in, OR the ERA that the other Civs is presently in ????

 

[Etain]

.....