Explinations

[Sundansyr]

Okay... help??

I've been trying to experiment with the main_components.txt file, insofar as changing the pointers to new graphic coordinates.

But it's totally ignoring any new 'picture bitmap index' pointer that I put into the file (line six in the component record) . All other changes are there, but not the new graphic. It still looks in the old slot, regardless.

HELP!

[Phoenix-D]

That's strange..what component are you trying to change?

EDIT: better question- you are starting a new game with the same campaign you made the change to, right? Modding an existing savegame can work, but often components already on ships or in spacedocks don't get modified- only the newly generated components do.

[Sundansyr]

Phoenix-D said:
That's strange..what component are you trying to change?

All of them. See my thread 'GraphX'. Essentially I'm taking much of the art from SE4, and several mods for it, and creating a new components.bmp file.

Unfortunately it is refusing to pay attention to the new bitmap indexing I add to the components.txt file... as if it's still reading that from some other file somewhere else, and it's got me stymed.

EDIT: better question- you are starting a new game with the same campaign you made the change to, right? Modding an existing savegame can work, but often components already on ships or in spacedocks don't get modified- only the newly generated components do.

I've tried both. I get the same results either way.

[Phoenix-D]

Where is the changed components.bmp? In order for it to work you either have to change the default file OR make sure its in (Campaign Name)/Images/Components/Components.bmp. If you do the latter the changes will only apply to that particular campaign.

[Sundansyr]

Phoenix-D said:
Where is the changed components.bmp? In order for it to work you either have to change the default file OR make sure its in (Campaign Name)/Images/Components/Components.bmp. If you do the latter the changes will only apply to that particular campaign.

There is no 'images' directory in the campaign directory tree. There's only the one components directory under the image directory, which is directly under the starfury root. P&N has an image directory, but it contains only some effects that I guess override or suppliment the existing image files.

I have changed the original file, replacing it with an entirely new components.bmp - and in the game, since for some reason it is not reading the image bitmap index line in the components.txt file, I am seeing completely different graphics in the game (whatever I've put into the slot it addressed previously).

Q:
Does the game engine look at another file altogether to parse its component images? That is the only explination I can seem to think of as to wny my altered components.txt file is not functioning correctly.

[Exan]

Sundansyr said:

There is no 'images' directory in the campaign directory tree. There's only the one components directory under the image directory, which is directly under the starfury root. P&N has an image directory, but it contains only some effects that I guess override or suppliment the existing image files.

I have changed the original file, replacing it with an entirely new components.bmp - and in the game, since for some reason it is not reading the image bitmap index line in the components.txt file, I am seeing completely different graphics in the game (whatever I've put into the slot it addressed previously).

Q:
Does the game engine look at another file altogether to parse its component images? That is the only explination I can seem to think of as to wny my altered components.txt file is not functioning correctly.

You can create Images folder in the campaing you want as well as XFiles and Sounds folders and their subfolders. Then when running the campaign the game will look for the images at the campaign folder first and if it doesn't find them it will search the original images folder. Same goes for x files and sounds.

For my knowledge the components.txt doesn't refer to anything else expect to the components.bmp and to that only with slot number. If I recall correctly each slot is 40x40 in the image. My alterations have all worked fine if not counting the few background problems. The pink color wasn't so pink so the objects showed a thin purple line around them.

[Phoenix-D]

You are seeing different icons, then? The only thing I can think of at this point is that you aren't actually setting the components.txt correctly. Can you post the components.txt and your new components.bmp please?