Swirly Hypnotic Warppoints!

[Suicide Junkie]

http://imagemodserver.mine.nu/other/...yWarppoint.zip

Note: Don't overwrite your stock files!
Paste the above into your XFileClasses_Stellar.txt over top of the warppoint entry to enjoy the effects.

[Suicide Junkie]

Upcoming super warppoints!

[Ed Kolis]

Wow... Just wow... I wonder if they still look as good at regular size?

[Suicide Junkie]

See for yourself:
http://imagemodserver.mine.nu/other/...warppoint4.jpg
Note: The low FPS is because I don't have a video card installed in this PC yet. I get 9FPS looking at a construction queue in stock. Don't Panic!

And, now you can make your own! (Click Here!)

[Spectarofdeath]

Great job, this will really be awesome...now we just need a map editor.

[Suicide Junkie]

As a note, this has nothing to do with maps at all.
You can plug these effects into an existing game, and the warppoints will look cool instantly.

[Renegade 13]

Those are some awesome warp points there SJ, absolutely awesome.

[mrscrogg]

I don't understand how to make this part of my game - I play mostly Balance Mod ver. 1.03 . Please explain to a layman how to incorporate this download into my game - Thanks

[Suicide Junkie]

The download there is a tool to generate the warppoints seen.

There are a lot of steps to get this installed, but don't worry, it is pretty straightforward if you follow along slowly and carefully.

NOTE: All this should be done inside modfolders only!
Don't overwrite your stock files.
If the file does not exist in your mod yet, *copy* it from the stock data folder.

-= The initial install =-
1) Copy the pictures\effects from the zip into your (Balancemod) pictures\effects folder

2) Append the "BitmapEffects_System_addon.txt" entries to your Bitmapeffects_system.txt file. Doublecheck that you have exactly one blank line between each entry (check the beginning and end of where you pasted)

3) Open StellarObjectTypes.txt and look for the warppoints.
Change #2, the normal "Large stable warppoint" one to call for "Warppoint Swirly" (for example) instead of the stock one.
Eg: XFile Class Name := WarpPoint Swirly

4)
a - Open XFileClasses_Stellar.txt and search for "warp point"
b - Copy/paste the whole warppoint entry, and name the new one with the name you chose in step 3. Name:=Warppoint Swirly
c - Delete all the cloud pieces, but save the WP center. Renumber it to effect #1 instead of #5.
d - Set the number of effects := 45
Note: Keep this file open, since we will be adding the effects soon.

-= The Creative Process =-
5) Run the Warppoint Generator. Edit the fields to taste; if you want the basic blue swirl, just press generate.

-= Back to mechanical work =-
6) Open "output.txt" which will be generated by the WPG in the current directory (the one you had open when you launched it)
If you used the standard number of cloud rings, you will have effect #2 to effect #45
Select everything in the file and paste it into XFileClasses_Stellar.txt (from step 3).
Check to be sure there is no blank line between effect #1 and effect #2. Check to be sure there is exactly one blank line between the pasted text and the next effect.

7) Save everything, and launch SE5. Load a savegame, and you should see your new warppoints everywhere.

Repeat steps 3-6 for the abnormal warppoints, and get creative with the looks.

Note: All warppoints with no abilities are forced to be the same normal, boring effect.
To get some more variety, you can open StellarAbilityTypes.txt, and give the normal warppoints a "Description Only" ability. This will cause them to use random abnormal warppoint effects... Only player-created warppoints will then use the normal warppoint effect.

(You can then do something really cool, like have a B5 jumpgate model for the player-created warppoints )

[Suicide Junkie]

PS:
Might anybody happen to have a model that would go well with this: