Creating new race .playerThemes, icons, and pictures

from Sins Forums

There are 3 relevant lines in the player.entity GameInfo file:
hudSkinData
     loadScreenCharacterBrush "LoadScreenCharacterFourth"

and the last two lines:
playerThemeGroupName "PlayerFourth"
playerPictureGroupName "PlayerFourth"

I must assume that these relate to the following files in the Window folder:
LoadScreen.brushes
PlayerFourth.playerPictures
PlayerFourth.playerThemes

which in turn relate to the textures:
Startup_Loadscreen0_MOD.dds
Player_Portrait_Large_MOD.tga
Player_Portrait_Small_MOD.tga
Player_Portrait_Window_MOD.tga
Player_Portrait_Button_MOD.tga
RaceLogos_MOD.tga

Now... The LoadScreen and playerPictures file and textures, once modified, work just fine. However, I keep failing to make a new .playerThemes file for the new race. Even if all I do is copy PlayerTech.playerThemes and rename it (letting it still point to the default RaceLogos.tga texture), all I get for icons are solid color boxes. Actually going all the way, making the new RaceLogos_MOD.tga, and pointing PlayerFourth.playerThemes at that does not work either.
Has anyone successfully used an additional texture for playerThemes? How does one do it?

modding
7,104 views 2 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

What's playerThemes? Is it really important to the creation of another race faction, or just optional?

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

It is entirely optional. It identifies what icons they can choose to use. If you are making something original and do not mind using the default Sins faction icons, then there is no trouble. Modders who want to add only a few (e.g. rebel, imperial, confederate, republic) can simply add them to the existing LaceLogos.tga texture without issue (AFAIK). However, since I want to have an entire alternative swatch (sp? word choice?) of 40 or so new icons, I would have to either entirely replace the existing set, or target a new texture file including them. I am attempting to do the latter option.

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion