Reskinning Step 1 : Duplicating game objects

Zyxpsilon · November 27, 2014

Side comment, please...

I've been thinking about the newest DevTeam plans to integrate custom Classes Icons and i'm not sure if you already thought of concept phase graphics.

Here's a sample of what i think could be considered as the basic "Framing" underlay for whatever subsequent inserts that would properly identify those (to me... the ideal choice would involve some kind of special image that represents their respective initial Perks).

http://s30.postimg.org/c6h0infpt/AHSU_New_Frame_Test1.png

The reasoning here is that...

-- It could maintain a similar feel as the previous EU+EW "perfect" square.

-- Adding the top & bottom slightly elongated "W" for war.

-- Central area is vast enough to produce sharp results, in theory.

-- The usual surrounding effects (Psi & GeneMod) would possibly auto-integrate underneath it without any further changes.

-- MECS would possibly use a rotated (@180) version... to further differentiate them.

I feel we'll just have to start somewhere anyway. Unless of course you've already took a decision.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Zyxpsilon

johnnylump · November 27, 2014

Re: class icons. We've already got one set from one of the artists and someone else working on another set, so it's probably best to save your effort for what will go in the main package. Sorry.

Zyxpsilon · November 27, 2014

Oh well... didn't hurt anyone for me to simply mention this.

Let's see what they came up with -- eventually. :wink:

PS; I'm still working on the whole Flags package. Might have the finished versions by Friday evening and i'll eMail you the results.

Fixed a few of the previous stuff you already got; ( Silly me! ) had somehow skipped Hungary, Argentina Light Cyan bars weren't the proper "official" colors, etc.

You'll still be using the normal Strategy file(s) with added Cloth effects and some others which may need to be re-scaled for the Armors texturing 'flaw' (REF; Japan red circle)... right?

Anyway that's what i'll just presume -- so i'll do three types;

1) Regulars for strategy.. mostly what you received.

2) Appended with suffix "_A" for Armors and

3) "_AC" for Corrected Armors.

I've taken some creative license (this is more about tricky and highly variable proportions than authentic pictures, btw) in specific cases and saved these files with prefix IDs (000- to 126- as exposed by Amineri's eNum list) for their naming convention. Easier to detect in folders and work with, i reasoned.

Sooo, we'll pick the pieces from that point on.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Zyxpsilon

Amineri · November 27, 2014

I figured out how to move the texture configuration from DefaultGame.ini (where it has been up through beta 14f2) to DefaultContent.ini. This does a couple of things :

1) DefaultContent is more thematically appropriate a place to store texture configuration data

2) It allows configuring the dynamic array with explicitly indexing it (as is necessary in DefaultGame for some reason).

Here's my current config section for strategy UI flags :

; Strategy flag icons
;MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="gfxXComIcons.UIFlag_unitedstates",	iPointValue=7,	iIconType=0); United States
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.01-United_States",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=0); United States
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.02-Russia",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=1); Russia
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.03-China",				iPointValue=7,	iIconType=2); China
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.04-United_Kingdom",		iPointValue=7,	iIconType=3); United Kingdom
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.05-Germany",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=4); Germany
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.06-France",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=5); France
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.07-Japan",				iPointValue=7,	iIconType=6); Japan
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.08-India",				iPointValue=7,	iIconType=7); India
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.09-Australia",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=8); Australia
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.10-Italy",				iPointValue=7,	iIconType=9); Italy
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.11-South_Korea",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=10); South Korea
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.",					iPointValue=7,	iIconType=11); Turkey
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.",					iPointValue=7,	iIconType=12); Indonesia
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.14-Spain",				iPointValue=7,	iIconType=13); Spain
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.",					iPointValue=7,	iIconType=14); Pakistan
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.16-Canada",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=15); Canada
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.",					iPointValue=7,	iIconType=16); Iran
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.18-Israel",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=17); Israel
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.19-Egypt",				iPointValue=7,	iIconType=18); Egypt
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.20-Brazil",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=19); Brazil
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.21-Argentina",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=20); Argentina
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.22-Mexico",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=21); Mexico
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.23-South_Africa",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=22); South Africa
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.24-Poland",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=23); Poland
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.25-Ukraine",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=24); Ukraine
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.26-Nigeria",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=25); Nigeria
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.",					iPointValue=7,	iIconType=26); Venezuela
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.28-Greece",		        iPointValue=7,	iIconType=27); Greece
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.",					iPointValue=7,	iIconType=28); Colombia
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.",					iPointValue=7,	iIconType=29); Portugal
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.13-Sweden",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=30); Sweden
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.12-Ireland",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=31); Ireland
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.27-Scotland",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=32); Scotland
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.15-Norway",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=33); Norway
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.17-Netherlands",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=34); Netherlands
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.29-Belgium",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=35); Belgium
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.32-Bosnia_and_Herzegovina",	iPointValue=7,	iIconType=36); Bosnia and Herzegovina
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.30-Honduras",			iPointValue=7,	iIconType=37); Honduras
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.",					iPointValue=7,	iIconType=38); Algeria
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.",					iPointValue=7,	iIconType=39); Ethopia
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.",					iPointValue=7,	iIconType=40); Kenya

StrategyFlags are 'resized' to 80x40 in the GFX script, although this is a "generic pixel size" -- the actual resolution depends on the user's graphics settings. I experimented with substituting the 128x64 resolution vanilla flags, and in some cases they look much worse (e.g. USA, China, Mexico). Some of the simpler flags (e.g. Russia, Ireland) could probably be lower res, though.

Zyxpsilon · November 28, 2014

JL... you've got eMail. I'm done with the whole three specific sets of Flags.

;)

Amineri · November 28, 2014

I got the new armor and strategy flags, and have composited together the first 96 armor flags into 3 textures. So far everything appears to be working properly. Here's a test showing the U.N. flag (enum 65) in both strategy and on armor.

http://cloud-4.steampowered.com/ugc/49867075429014296/A95ABCD08327A3FB074BEC36C51D5133A7282C4A/

This was a sort of hacked test, as I swapped the U.N. flag for UnitedStates soldiers with the config changes :

Flags=(Country=eCountry_USA, U=2.25, V=0.0)
MultiplayerLoadoutSlots=(strUnitName="LongWar.Flags_Strategy.065-United_Nations", iPointValue=7, iIconType=0);

There's still more more UScript work to be done in order to enable creation + configuration of soldiers from the additional countries.

-------------

When I composited the armor flags, I ordered them by country enum, from left-to-right, then top-to-bottom. So :

 0   1   2   3
 4   5   6   7
 8   9  10  11
12  13  14  15
16  17  18  19
20  21  22  23
24  25  26  27
28  29  30  31

and continuing onto subsequent flag textures.

This means that the Flag UV repositions have to be re-configured, and some of the vanilla flags end up on the 2nd texture (Scotland, Norway, Netherlands and Belgium), but there's no problem configuring them this way.

Zyxpsilon · November 29, 2014

Cloth effect renders well and the proportional framing has nearly accurate "ratio" -- for the UN. This is the main objection i had with re-scaling attempts with any of those... but, after seeing that excellent result i have to admit how wrong i've been.

It's easy to predict many if not most ( hopefully all! ) will display just as good.

Happy days ahead. :)

PS; Then -- four new DIF files will be necessary, i gather. Is there some code provisions (even with risks of resources stack overload) for maybe just one (32 would be a HUGE "spares" amount) more in the future?

Amineri · November 29, 2014

My new UScript code in XComHumanPawn.UpdateFlagMaterial can handle essentially an unlimited number of extra flag textures :

    MIC.SetTextureParameterValue(name("FlagTex"), Texture2D(FindObject(("LongWar.Flags_Armor.Flags" $ string(int(Flag.U))) $ "_DIF", class'Texture2D')));

The "Flags<#>_DIF" file that is loaded is controlled by the DefaultContent.ini U integer value. The only practical limit is the number of countries. Since the countries are an enum, that's a limit of 255, which would correspond to 8 textures. However, since it's possible to pretty easily re-configure which flag (and which texture #) each country will map to, that means it's possible to have alternative flag decals that could be swapped to.

I did finish up the remaining 31 flag textures, so my current build has 4 armor flag textures, with 127 possible flags configurable. In general this is more than the number of soldiers, even in a Long War campaign, so I think we're definitely reaching the point of diminishing returns here. The last flag U-V position is defined via :

Flags=(Country=126, 	U=3.50, V=0.875) ; Uzbekistan

which specifies "Flags3_DIF", U=0.5, V=0.875.

Cloth effect renders well and the proportional framing has nearly accurate "ratio" -- for the UN. This is the main objection i had with re-scaling attempts with any of those... but, after seeing that excellent result i have to admit how wrong i've been.

When compositing I always used the "AC" (armor corrected, I think?) version. I've spot-verified that the circles come out the correct proportion on some others, such as Turkey, so it looks like the approach for proportion-correcting was indeed correct.

Zyxpsilon · November 29, 2014

Yep - it's "A_rmor C_orrected".

Maximum has been reached then if you say so. I could always use "TexMod" TPF texture patching to customize some alternatives for myself later if need be.

Zyxpsilon · December 5, 2014

Drakous79,

Ya know about these special textures for the MEC's LaserLance & SuperHeavyPulser that would be dynamically re-applied at run-time to the RailGun & ParticleCannon models to trick us into believing both these weapons are "different"... will we be able to install our own custom files to those via TexMod once your (and Amineri's) process has been integrated in LW-Beta15+?

If so, there are some specific UV editing questions i'll have later on if you don't mind - cuz, i already have some freakishly fun ideas for them! :wink:

Looking at the files, they simply looked weird somehow.

PS; I'd have another inquiry also please. The Bink videos rendering methods suffered quite a bit when we switched from EU to EW. I dunno if this is related to INI settings or something else but the EW movies have lost a fairly high dose of Contrast. In EU, these were crisp and clear with slightly better "darkness". Can this weird effect be fixed? And if so, how exactly?

Edited December 5, 2014 by Zyxpsilon

Reskinning Step 1 : Duplicating game objects

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