Armoured Recovery Vehicles - ARVs?

[Taskforce]

I guess that ARVs fall under the Tank Transport section in-game, in the OOB tool. Was doing a search at Wikipedia and found the following ARVs used during WW2:

Ram ARV (Canada) - Ram chassie
M31 & M32 (USA) - M3 Lee & Sherman chassie resp.
Bergepanzer III (Germany) - Pz III chassie
Bergepanzer IV (Germany) - Pz IV chassie
Bergepanther (Germany) - Panther chassie
Bergetiger (Germany) - Tiger I chassie
Bergepanzer 38(t) (Germany) - Pz 38(t) chassie
Bergepanzer 34 (Germany) - T-34 chassie
TT-34 (Sovietunion) - T-34 chassie
? (Sovietunion) - KV-1 chassie (I know that they existed but don't know their designations)
Cavalier ARV (GB) - ? Chassie
Churchill ARV (GB) - Churchill chassie
Grant ARV (GB) - M3 Lee chassie
Sherman ARV (GB) - Sherman chassie

Also I know that the Germans used at least one captured Sherman during 1944 in France, without the turret, as an ARV.

Apart from that, it must have occured that captured tanks, minus the turret, were put to use as ARVs by all nations during the war.

Problem number one - change the icon so that the turret is invisible.
Problem two - what carry capability should be set so that they are able to "carry" medium to heavy tanks and / or maybe infantry (used as APCs)?

In other words, two subjects in one...

Cheers, Taskforce

[Taskforce]

Just to see how it is done, creating new icons, I set about to create a fictious TT-5g ARV (captured, turretless Panther G) and modified Icon0039.bmp with two more icons, one of a green and one of a white Panther G chassie, with the turret hole covered with wooden boards.



I know how to open the .bmp file with the editor and how to transform it into a icon file, but I don't know how to save it as such, thus making the two turretless icons available in the icon slots 797 and 798.

The fictious ARV itself works just fine in-game, being able to carry a Tiger II, with a carry capability of 255. But I only get the normal T-5g icon with the turret, thus it would have a turret with zero armour in-game, which isn't good during battle.

Can someone please help me with the last steps, so that I can start creating some "real" ARVs?

Cheers, Taskforce

[Taskforce]

Managed to save it as a .shp file, but the colours turn out all wrong...

the .bmp file, that I've modified...



...and how the .shp file turns out...



How can I save the .bmp into a .shp and still keep the colours intact?

Cheers, Taskforce

[Cross]

Originally Posted by Taskforce

How can I save the .bmp into a .shp and still keep the colours intact?

Cheers, Taskforce

See if this post helps:

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=47320


Have you in any way deviated from the steps described?

I'm not asking because those steps are the ONLY way to edit, but rather it will help determine where you've gone wrong.


Cross

[Taskforce]

Thank you, Cross! It worked just fine!



Now I can finally create more turretless ARVs!

Cheers, Taskforce

[Taskforce]

I found an icon for the Bergepanther (Icon 592) and thought I'd try to make one in the game, in the ARV role.




Firstly I don't know if it should be in the catigory "Enginering Tank" or "Heavy Transporter", since it in real life was capable of towing a 55 ton Tiger I for shorter distances. Secondly I don't know if I should give it a carry capability of 255 or just 55.

I also know from information on the internet that the planned armament was a 20 mm KwK 38 gun and a MG34 bow machine gun, so I've added those.

What are your views on the matter?

My plan is to add one ARV for each nation as I go along.

Cheers, Taskforce