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Editing/Custom Sti files...[message #130046]

Sat, 17 February 2007 17:24

Dest

Messages:4
Registered:December 2005
Location: USA

I am *trying* to add some custom portraits and edit a few of the in-game portraits.

Now, I have an sti viewer and can convert the files, but there is a problem when it comes to ingame blinking/talking animations... they simply do not work, and I have no idea how to make them work/where to look/place the proper files.

I started by editing Flo. I mean, I like Flo well enough, but I sort of wish her portrait wasn't so... you know, beaten with the ugly stick. (very dissymmetrical, oddly shaped eyes, excessive blotting on skin)

So, I edited her to look like this:

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/3774/flomakeoverhx3.png

(rough copy made by editing a screenshot... i'm sure i can get the sti file without the text somewhere...)

Now, I can put the large portrait in the game with no problems.

The small portrait, however... does not animate at all. The eyes and mouth are at the same spots on the bitmap/sti, since i believe it has to be that way. However, I have no clue how to get it to animate...

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Civilian

Re: Editing/Custom Sti files...[message #130059]

Sat, 17 February 2007 20:13

Khor1255

Messages:1817
Registered:August 2003
Location: Pleasantville, NJ

Flo looks good for a change. Good work man.

To make the faces animate you just need to replace the multiframe .sti parts (the eyes and mouth cutouts) with ones in different positions.

Look to existing faces to see what I'm talking about.

The only other thing is matching the xy coordinates to make sure they animate on the face in their correct spots.
I think if you already knew the first part about the cutouts the thing you may have done wrong is leaving the xy coordinates the way they were and maybe these numbers 'bled' the animations clean outside of the face so you couldn't even see them.
Normally when you have an xy problem it appears as a mouth on the cheek or eyes up in the hair line but with smaller images this number is much more dramatic so they can actually leave the borders of the face frame.

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Sergeant Major

Re: Editing/Custom Sti files...[message #130071]

Sat, 17 February 2007 22:49

Dest

Messages:4
Registered:December 2005
Location: USA

Hmm, thanks...

So, the extra frames are included in the .sti, then?

I think i'm going to have to try to use ProEdit, since I can't see these extra frames with a regular viewer.

Updated Flo a bit...

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/2808/floael5.png

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/6506/flobvh6.png

Next, I'm going to try to work on Shank and Dynamo... so they don't look so beat up. How difficult would it be to have Shank and Dynamo "update" their appearence after a week or two in your employment automatically? If i'd have to do this in one of the main data files, i'm not going to bother. I always use these guys, but I think after a while they should start to heal up a bit...

Finally, my main goal is to mod in 4 "new" characters, who i've always dreamed of inserting into the JA world. Razz

http://www.grudge-match.com/Images/A-Team.jpg

If I can get all the crap together for such a mod... anyone here that could program them in for me. Very Happy

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Civilian

Re: Editing/Custom Sti files...[message #130080]

Sun, 18 February 2007 01:32

Khor1255

Messages:1817
Registered:August 2003
Location: Pleasantville, NJ

Yes. The extra frames are included in the .sti. There is a red arrow at the top of the picture that advances frames to edit.

If you work with Sti Edit you will see what I mean.

As far as getting a 'healed' view of Shank and Dynamo I'm sure this is possible but would require some coding. Having this option for modding would be really cool so I wish they could come up with variable .stis for not just faces but items as well.

Imagine how cool it would be if you had a view of your rifle with a scope attached when you attached one.

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Sergeant Major

Re: Editing/Custom Sti files...[message #130165]

Mon, 19 February 2007 15:14

Will Gates

Messages:1012
Registered:September 2006
Location: Far far away.

I have a cleaned up Dynamo & Shank. They are not coded so they look better the moment you recruit them... still better than nothing.

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Sergeant Major

Re: Editing/Custom Sti files...[message #130203]

Tue, 20 February 2007 00:56

Dest

Messages:4
Registered:December 2005
Location: USA

Yeah, I figured out the extra frames thing.

Currently, I am collecting sound clips from A-Team episodes. Surprised

I also completed Flo, and she works fine.

If anyone wants it for whatever reason:
http://putstuff.putfile.com/50180/7461477

The small pic looks a little wierd due to lack of background and hairline, so I might update it later.

[Updated on: Tue, 20 February 2007 01:00] by Moderator

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Civilian