Map Selection Pictures

Maps and the art of mapmaking.
ProMeTheus112
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Map Selection Pictures

Unread postby ProMeTheus112 » 08 Oct 2006, 12:09

Anyone knows how to set the pictures that appear when you're in the map selection screen ? You know, there's like several screenshots cycling in a small windows in the upper right corner when you select a map to play on.

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Pitsu
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Unread postby Pitsu » 08 Oct 2006, 12:38

I think what Alvaris said: http://www.celestialheavens.com/forums/ ... &start=105

need to replace dds files with you own ones. Also I do not know what size the images have to be..

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alavris
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Unread postby alavris » 08 Oct 2006, 13:00

Pictures must be 240x180.

ProMeTheus112
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Unread postby ProMeTheus112 » 08 Oct 2006, 13:48

any format ? jpg is fine ?

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Unread postby myythryyn » 08 Oct 2006, 16:50

i think it must be DDS format

ok, i tried to follow your instructions alavris, but my game crashes now when i try to load it, so i must have done something wrong.

i created four DDS images, 240x180.

then i extracted and edited the map.tag.xdb file and changed it as i think you instructed, it now looks like this....

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<AdvMapDescTag>
<AdvMapDesc href="/map.xdb#xpointer(/AdvMapDesc)"/>
<NameFileRef href="/name.txt"/>
<DescriptionFileRef href="/description.txt"/>
<TileX>96</TileX>
<TileY>96</TileY>
<Goal>OBJECTIVE_KIND_OBTAIN_ARTIFACT</Goal>
<teams>
<Item>1</Item>
<Item>1</Item>
</teams>
<thumbnailImages>
<Item href="/mM4_pic.xdb#xpointer(/Texture)"/>
<Item href="/mM4_2_pic.xdb#xpointer(/Texture)"/>
<Item href="/mM4_3_pic.xdb#xpointer(/Texture)"/>
<Item href="/mM4_4_pic.xdb#xpointer(/Texture)"/>
</thumbnailImages>
<HasUnderground>true</HasUnderground>
</AdvMapDescTag>

then i opened the editor, and i went to map properties -> thumbnails
i added four thumbnail reference files, named mM4_pic.XDB, mM4_2_pic.XDB, ect.

then i closed editor, opened the new .xdb files i created and edited them so the href had my newly created DDS filename in them. i did this four times, one for each DDS and XDB file.

then i packed the XDB files with the DDS files back into my H5 file.
but this does not work, and my game crashes.

any ideas what i did wrong, or what the proper thing to do is?

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alavris
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Unread postby alavris » 08 Oct 2006, 17:57

Does your map work fine when using original (not created by you) mM4_2_pic.dds files?
.

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Unread postby Pol » 08 Oct 2006, 18:15

Side note: for conversion to dds you need nvidia adobe photoshop plugin. It's somewhere here.
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Unread postby alavris » 08 Oct 2006, 18:19

There is also another important thing:
fiur wrote:when U save the dds files.... you must use format:
8:8:8:8 ARGB (32 bit) format....
.

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Unread postby myythryyn » 08 Oct 2006, 18:29

alavris wrote:Does your map work fine when using original (not created by you) mM4_2_pic.dds files?
.
i actually have never tried to do that....dont even know where to find a mM4_2.pic file. i just used your examples for what i did and renamed the custom made DDS files to match.

did i do things above correctly? should it have worked?

i have succeed in making a custom loading screen using a DDS file i made, so its in the new 240x180 DDS thumbnail files are in the same format as the DDS file i used for my custome loading screen.

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fiur
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dds.....

Unread postby fiur » 09 Oct 2006, 06:14

Well I've been working on this issue for several hour...... first made screenshots.... crop them to 240*180 saves as tga.... then the big problem.... when I convert to dds I got several options.... (format...)
I began @ the top and when I found the 8:8:8:8 ARGB (32 bit) format.... it works fine.... (the filesize should be around 150-170 kb......)
It's nice to have thumbnails and a PWL..... ofr your map..... :)

and alavris as been so helpful to get my "tag's" to work correctly!! he's a great "man" :)

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Unread postby myythryyn » 09 Oct 2006, 15:43

well, im doing something wrong when i make my DDS file.
its ends up as a bunch of wavy horizontal lines.

its odd, the first DDS file i made for the PWL file that didnt happen.
maybe its because the tga file i converted was 1024 1024.

i dont know what im doing wrong that my 240x180 tga files end up blurry lines when i convert them.

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Unread postby alavris » 09 Oct 2006, 16:52

That's a part of making thumbnail pictures process that I can't help you with, because I don't have any application that is able to make 240x180 DDS files, so I've never done it myself... ;|
.

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Unread postby fiur » 09 Oct 2006, 22:06

I can help anyone who likes it..... ( I can make your files.... to dds files who works...... (tom-tho@online.no)
or msn: fiur@msn.com

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Pitsu
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Unread postby Pitsu » 10 Oct 2006, 17:00

Got it working! Thanks for size and format tips. Should we make a sticky for such tricks?

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Unread postby myythryyn » 10 Oct 2006, 17:24

Pitsu wrote:Got it working! Thanks for size and format tips. Should we make a sticky for such tricks?
you could do that, as well as how to make your custom PWL loadingscreen file.

what program did you use to convert your file to DDS Pitsu? my program created a file with wavy lines. also, is what i did in the above post correct? did i follow the steps right? is that what you did?

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Pitsu
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Unread postby Pitsu » 10 Oct 2006, 17:52

For 240x180 I used photoshop plug in. You probably need to get another converter or, may also try to save them to another format first. (I used to convert jpg). I did get a weird messed up picture for 1024x1024 image with the first converter that I downloaded from somewhere (dunno what name it had, uninstalled it pretty quick).

I believe neither Fiur nor me mind to convert some files for you if necessary. (I have photoshop only in office comp, thus cannot do it every moment I wish.)

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Unread postby fiur » 10 Oct 2006, 20:26

Pitsu wrote:For 240x180 I used photoshop plug in. You probably need to get another converter or, may also try to save them to another format first. (I used to convert jpg). I did get a weird messed up picture for 1024x1024 image with the first converter that I downloaded from somewhere (dunno what name it had, uninstalled it pretty quick).

I believe neither Fiur nor me mind to convert some files for you if necessary. (I have photoshop only in office comp, thus cannot do it every moment I wish.)
sure no problem at all.... for the dds converting I'm Using a program called dds_converter_v21.exe
(to make PWL's)
for thumbnails.... I'm using a plugin for photoshop... called:
DDS_Utilities_8[1].23.0627.2205.exe
btw thanx to Pitsu and alavris for all their help.... !! (for keeping me trying to get my PWL's and thumbnails working

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Unread postby alavris » 10 Oct 2006, 21:21

fiur wrote:for keeping me trying to get my PWL's and thumbnails working
Well said... most important and difficult thing in this funny h5 mapmaking is not to stop trying ;)
.


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