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    Maelstrom New Horizons


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...I've got a new idea...

Thagarr said:
Ok got all the books done ...with one exception, I just can't seem come up for anything for repair. I am drawing a complete blank on a cleaver way to fix a ship with just horseshoe glue. :modding My apology's FB!

The 12(eleven tier 1, and one tier 2) books I have done however are now on the FTP. They are in two RAR files, one has the converted TX files, and the other has the original TGA's. Let me know if you need me to make any changes mate, if I come up with something for repair I'll upload that as well. Right now, it's time for a break!
Click to expand...
Good stuff man. I'm sure I can figure out something for the other 3 books. However, as we will see below, we have run into another issue.


Pieter Boelen said:
If the book is actually a bullet code-wise, how come you also see bullets on that screenshot?

Since apparently changing the ID to "bullet" enables them to show up, why don't you search the PROGRAM folder for the term "bullet" (search IN all files) and maybe that'll point you to whatever else needs changing.

Have you considered copying the initItems.c entry for the bullets, changing the ID and the display name and checking if those bullet-copies show up in stores? If they do, it's an initItems.c entry issue.
Click to expand...

Doing a search for 'bullet' doesnt really do much. I get a bunch of files that have no reference to what i am trying to do.

I have tried doing as you specified (i think) by changing the id and display name, but the bullet-copies didnt show up.

I tried this


Code: 
	makeref(itm,Items[n]);
itm.id = "bookleader_1";
itm.name = "itmname_bullet"; //"itmname_mineral1";
itm.describe = "itmdescr_bullet";//"itmdescr_mineral1";
itm.model = "pursel";
itm.picIndex = 6;
itm.picTexture = "ITEMS_8";
//	itm.shown = false;
itm.price = 4;//560;
itm.Weight = 0.1;
itm.minlevel =0;
itm.rare = 0.3;
itm.SortIndex = 1;
itm.ItemType = "SUPPORT";
n++; // boal 19.01.2004 <--

and this
Code: 
	makeref(itm,Items[n]);
itm.id = "bookleader_1";
itm.groupID = MAPS_ITEM_TYPE
itm.name = "itmname_bookleader_1";
itm.describe = "itmdescr_bookleader_1";
itm.model = "OpenBook";
itm.picIndex = 9;
itm.picTexture = "BOOKS_1";
//itm.shown = false;
// boal 19.01.2004 -->
itm.price = 4;//560;
itm.Weight = 0.1;
itm.minlevel =0;
itm.rare = 0.3;
itm.SortIndex = 1;
itm.ItemType = "SUPPORT";
n++;

But to no prevail. Logically, all has been done to try to get these darn things showing up in store, they just wont.




Moving on...more problems. In regards to the 2 pages...well, I'll just let the 2 pictures speak for themselves...
54xg0y.jpg

2gtrsis.jpg


The one that has the white background is the one that i created, and the one created by Thargarr is shown with a black background. Obviously this wasnt the intent, yet there it is. Anyone know whats going on here?
 
It's the transparency around the book and the alpha channels I think, that's why I asked Darkhymn to show me a screen shot earlier, I was afraid it might not show up properly. :modding He hadn't released the code to make them show up yet, so I couldn't take a look at them myself. It shouldn't take to much to fix, unfortunately, it means redoing all the books and either adding a background around the border or stretching them out to fit the full 1024X1024, which will make them look squished. I'll see if I can find a good border that matches the game somewhere, but I won't have time to do much till Friday except look for a border.

As for the bullet issue, looks like we are going to have to figure out just how to add a new item class from scratch. :shrug Looks like this mod will take a bit longer!

EDIT :
What are the other two books that need done mate? Maybe with the extra time I can figure something else out while you concentrate on the code! Btw, I meant to mention this a while back, when you add or change code. it's best to put a comment in before and after the code you changed, so everyone knows it isn't original code and who changed it. Helps keep things from getting way to confusing. Something like this mate :

Code: 
//added by FB
makeref(itm,Items[n]);
itm.id = "bookleader_1";
itm.groupID = MAPS_ITEM_TYPE
itm.name = "itmname_bookleader_1";
itm.describe = "itmdescr_bookleader_1";
itm.model = "OpenBook";
itm.picIndex = 9;
itm.picTexture = "BOOKS_1";
//itm.shown = false;
// boal 19.01.2004 -->
itm.price = 4;//560;
itm.Weight = 0.1;
itm.minlevel =0;
itm.rare = 0.3;
itm.SortIndex = 1;
itm.ItemType = "SUPPORT";
n++;
// FB
 
Accuracy
pistols

Those are the 2 remaining tier 1 two pages left to complete. Also, if you can come up with a different title for the tier 1 repair book and a set of 2 pages to go with thats cool. With me going on vacation in a couple of days, i am going to be uploading all my progress to the ftp so if anyone wants to take a crack at it, they can.
 
Hmmmm... I thought I had both tier 1 pistols and accuracy ...weird, I must have screwed up and overwrote something, or named something wrong! :facepalm

I do have all the text for them in the file though, I'll try and do a more thorough job this time! Ok, off to see if I can find a suitable background, I will post it here when I find one so I can get everyones opinion.
 
Thagarr said:
It's the transparency around the book and the alpha channels I think, that's why I asked Darkhymn to show me a screen shot earlier, I was afraid it might not show up properly. :modding
Click to expand...
Alpha maps work fine on interface textures, but you do need to select the proper conversion option in the TX Converter otherwise the alpha map isn't converted together with the rest.
 
Oh boy. I'll have to try a bunch of different settings, once I have some other work nailed down...I'll let you all know how that goes
 
In the TX Converter, there's two lists of export options. One is captioned "Output texture format for without alpha channel images"; the other is named "Output texture format for with alpha channel images". You need to make sure when converting a file with an alpha channel that you DON'T use the default "R5G6B5 - 16bit (16bit color)" setting, but one of the settings that does list an alpha channel.
 
well theres the problem me thinks. None of the Books were created with an Alpha Channel... :facepalm

I should have known that, with my expierence with the Goods mod...stupid :facepalm stupid :facepalm stupid ! :facepalm

@Thargar: Could you re-upload your .tga's looks like the zip file is screwed...

EDIT: This'll work me thinks.

ei78yc.jpg


However, I would like to see the writing fill the whole screen as it was before. I hope DarkHymn comes back soon. He was complaining of terrible migraines, mixed with a shoty internet problems.
We need his coding mastery :bow
 
Thanks Pieter, I always forget about that annoying alpha channel stuff! :facepalm

I deleted the zip files, I will upload them again, with ALL the files this time, once I get the backgrounds replaced.

This is the background I found that I thought looked ok :

tier1pistolsa.gif


But I think you have a better idea their FireBat! That does seem to fit in better with the game. I uploaded two Pistol tga.tx to the ftp, when you get a chance, could you show me how they look in game? I haven't had time to mess with the code any yet. What was the background you used FB? I'll use that one for all my books as well.
 
I didn't use a background. All I did was create an alpha channel around the book...then convert to a tx file, and the background is added automatically by the game :))

Just leave the backgrounds as they were, and I will create the necessary alpha channels,

I've reverse coverted all the tx files you uploaded, and that will do the job, Just upload the remaining 2 pages and i will gladly take care of the rest.

Still no update on how to get the darn things to show up in store. I even cross check the Simple or HE mod to see if there are any hints there, but so far...nothing :facepalm
 
Ahhh, ok mate! I understand what you mean now. The TGA's for Accuracy and Pistols are on the FTP. I'll upload the Repair just as soon as I get that one figured out. :modding
 
Thagarr said:
Ahhh, ok mate! I understand what you mean now. The TGA's for Accuracy and Pistols are on the FTP. I'll upload the Repair just as soon as I get that one figured out. :modding
Click to expand...

Excellent. I should have this one all finished up in the next hour or so. I'll up a few screenies after that.

EDIT: AS PROMISED

351zn7o.jpg
 
Awesome mate! Looks fantastic FireBat! Next time I will try and remember to throw in the alpha channel myself. :facepalm
 
no worries mate. I had to redo all mine too

I really liked how your books came out. A nice balance between images and text. For the books I created, they are mostly text, so Its nice that the user will have some pretty pictures to look at.

I did age the pages some, and browned them as well... They all look a little different, well aside from the text of course.
 
Thanks FB, yours look great too mate! I really like the looks of the fancy font's for the more expensive books. That's why I went ahead and just used one of the plain fonts for mine since they were "mass produced" so to speak. I thought about trying to grunge mine up a bit, but when I saw yours, I had the thought that since the ones I did were cheaper and more available, maybe it would make more sense if mine had a bit of a newer look to them. Where as the ones you were doing would have been rarer, and possibly passes down a generation or two. I'm not sure if that makes any sense really, but it sounded good at the time. xD:

Nice find Officerpuppy! Good stuff mate! Plague Water! :shock

That last one is a great example of press type! I am shocked those pages are still that white though. Are you trying to encourage us to rework all the graphics again?? xD:

Seriously though, I have been thinking about redoing a couple of mine, but I should probably leave well enough alone! I also ran across THESE, and THESE, and THESE which just look friggin awesome! (Sorry FB ...Officerpuppy made me do it! I wasn't gonna show those to you just yet! :wp )
 
AH!!!! I don't want to see these now! The book mod is darn near finished... :'(

well, now I'm in a pickle....

Well, i wont be doing anything on the books mod (or for any other mod) cause I'm going on vacation. w00t! When I get back, then I might make some minor changes
 
I knew it would drive you nuts, I told you it was dangerous to encourage me! xD:

Have a good vacation FB, relax and enjoy yourself mate! Maybe by the time you get back I'll have that last book sorted out.
 
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