Utilities

[Hunter]

This is just a small thread (until I die or they make something better) to discuss and share tools for graphic and eventually 3D work.

Graphics are located here:
C:\Program Files\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\Assets
in a file called: Art0.FPK

They can be extracted with:
http://www.2kgames.com/civ4/support_ati.htm

The image format is in DDS and can be viewed with this:
http://developer.nvidia.com/object/windows_texture_viewer.html

The image can be converted with:
Photoshop plugin:
http://developer.nvidia.com/object/photoshop_dds_plugins.html

Or with:
http://eliteforce2.filefront.com/file/DDS_Converter;29412#Download
A program I have had some luck with and is based on the Nvidia converter as I understand it.

The image can be changed with:
Gimp (like photoshop but free, Remember to download the proper version for your OS)
http://www.gimp.org/

More to be added as they appear.

 

[Hunter]

Graphic locations

structures(Contains: Cities, improvements and buildings)
Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\Assets\Art\structures

terrain
Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\Assets\Art\terrain

Unit Locations
Once unpacked unit files can be located in Assets\art\units
UU's are found in Assets\art\units\unique
Extra and some of the senario units are in Assets\art\units\senario
Mod units are found under C:\Program Files\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\Mods

 

[Paladin]

Good job on blazing that trail for us!

 

[WildWeazel]

Hunter! Good to see you working on Civ4

 

[Hunter]

Life is very busy but there is always time for CIV

MMMMMM CIV

 

[Hunter]

Just to try and keep this thread comprehensive (and alive).

More units have been found in the assets/art/senarios folder which can be found fter you unpack the Art0.FPK file.

 

[PointlesS]

how exactly do you replace the content with your own?

 

[Hunter]

What I am doing now is coping the original graphics files to a storage folder then replacing them in the original folder with the new graphic file.
Example file name: infantry_128.dds

However soon I want to have a way to add units and create mod folders. I hope to learn this tonight.

 

[Hunter]

Can anyone recomend a free 3d program? (if such a thing exists)

 

[PointlesS]

blender...maya personal learning edition...milkshape...all pretty decent

 

[LlamaGod]

How do you modify DDS files in Gimp?

 

[LlamaGod]

Alright, I am able to load DDS files into Gimp, but how the crap do I simply resize the image?

This is rather confusing.

 

[Hunter]

Ok first off which files are you working on, unit, building so on...
Second did you use some sort of DDS converter?
Lastly Im unsure why you would "resize" them as they are texture maps and once changed in size tey would not fit the 3D model any more.

O I will be able to help more with GIMP after work today.

PS: if your using the GIMP DDS plugin I would recomend that you try to convert the files into JPEG using http://eliteforce2.filefront.com/fil...29412#Download then back into DDS with the same program. I have never had luck with plugins.

 

[WildWeazel]

I might be better to convert them to bmp, since jpeg can lose detail.
edit: Hunter, the url for the converter got cropped and it doesn't work. But the Error 404 page is hilarious!

 

[NateDawgNY]

But the Error 404 page is hilarious!

Absolutely Awesome!

 

[LlamaGod]

Ok first off which files are you working on, unit, building so on...
Second did you use some sort of DDS converter?
Lastly Im unsure why you would "resize" them as they are texture maps and once changed in size tey would not fit the 3D model any more.

O I will be able to help more with GIMP after work today.

PS: if your using the GIMP DDS plugin I would recomend that you try to convert the files into JPEG using http://eliteforce2.filefront.com/fil...29412#Download then back into DDS with the same program. I have never had luck with plugins.

i'm trying to shrink the size of the textures from 1024x1024 to 64x64 or 128x128.

I'm a little unsure of what i'm doing, though.