How to add new portrait icons

from Sins Forums

So, I know what to do, but not. ...By that, I mean, I get what to do, just not how to do it. ...By that I, er... Know what? I'll just type the longer part.

 

I'd like to add a few custom portraits and race logos to the game. I know where the appropriate image files are and I can edit them. I've been able to insert custom things properly by replacing what already exists, but I'd rather add new ones instead.

The first and most obvious problem is, I don't know where to tell Sins I've added more. Based on the fact that you need to tell it how many .entity files there are, I assume there's another file that says how far to read each file. Where's this at?

Second, I don't have any templates for the race logos. In the portrait icons there's a black border that I can toss pictures on, or when I'm replacing one I just line it up perfectly, but in the race logos there's no border to use as a guide. Is there a file with guides drawn somewhere? If not, how do I go about properly adding more?

Finally, how come the game only ever uses the first image for the pirates? Even the vanilla game has two but I've only ever seen one appear. Distant Stars adds two more, yet only the first ever shows up. Replacing the first does change it, but I'd like the game to pick between what's available randomly.

 

Any help would be appreciated!

modding
4,069 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

The links to the files are in the "Widow' folder.

.playerPictures are the race pics

.playerThemes is their icons

These do not place images like typical brushes, they use rows and space between images.

 

Window\NPC.playerPictures

TXT
pictureCount 2
LargeScreenPicture
textureName "Player_Portrait_Large.tga"
startTopLeft [0,666]
width 195
height 219
rowItemCount 6
horizontalStride 198
verticalStride 222

this is the 1st section for the largest images, there is one for each size.

it is listing 2 to pick from. It must be hard coded at 1

So, if you image was 100px wide and you wanted 2px space between each, the horizontalStride would be 102

If your race had 10 pics and only 5 will fit in a row, rowItemCount would be 5 then it will jump the verticalStride size (pic hieght and space between) and start looking at the new row until it reached the pictureCount

mephistopheles

 

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

RaceLogosLg.DDS

Here is the new large sheet I made for SoA2 which I compressed to DDS. I divided up the one sheet into two, the lg icons are .dds and the small icon sheet is .tga. I dont recommend compressing the small icon sheet to DDS as it gets quite crappy. The player icons must be grey scale and they will take on the team colour in-game.

I uploaded the SoA2 files for viewing here. soa2.soase.x90x.net/mod/Window

Start11 - Customize the Start Menu and Taskbar in Windows 10/11.
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Okay, both of you helped, but I still don't have any "borders" for the race logos (And when I'll need to add more to the portraits too! x.x) -- How are those added? Is there a script for Gimp that'll extent the canvas and add "blank" images for me where I need them or something? I need to visually see how big I'm allowed to draw for this stuff, so adding new race logos is nigh impossible without said borders x.x