Can someone help me modify Flags.dat?

[conus00]

Hello everybody,
I am about to release my SH4 UBM graphics mod... I can do fairly good graphics but I am not very good in programming. I need somebody's help with modyfiyng Flags.dat. I am stuck with adding new flags into the file (specifically for the nations who have two different flags: warflag and merchant ensign).
Anyone willing?

Thanks!

[Webster]

tell us what is it you are having trouble doing (be specific) and im sure there are modders that can help you with your goal.

[Digital_Trucker]

Are you talking about adding flags that aren't there, or changing the existing flags? If you open flag.dat up with s3d you can see the layout of the sections for each country. If you just want to change a flag, you can import your graphic in to replace the ones that are there already (or export, change and import).

[conus00]

Sorry guys for not getting back to you sooner....
I am talking about adding new flags and also modifing existing ones (where the nation in question is using one flag instead of two).
Here is the list of the files I have so far and would like to implement:

USA
Argentina (civil+warflag)
Australia (civil+warflag)
Belgium (civil+warflag)
Brasil
Bulgaria (civil+warflag)
Germany (civil+warflag)
Denmark (civil+warflag)
Egypt (civil+warflag)
Estonia (civil+warflag)
Finland (civil+warflag)
France
Free French (civil+warflag)
Greece (civil+warflag)
England (civil+warflag)
Honduras (civil+warflag)
India (civil+warflag)
Ireland
Italy (civil+warflag)
Japan (civil+warflag)
Canada (civil+warflag)
Colombia (civil+warflag)
Croatia (civil+warflag)
Latvia (civil+warflag)
Lithuania (civil+warflag)
Mexico
New Zealand (civil+warflag)
Netherlands
Norway (civil+warflag)
Panama
Poland (civil+warflag)
Portugal
Red Cross
R.S.I. (civil+warflag)
Romania (civil+warflag)
Russia (civil+warflag)
Sweden (civil+warflag)
Spain (civil+warflag)
South Africa (civil+warflag)
Turkey
Hungary (civil+warflag)
Uruguay
Venezuela (civil+warflag)
Yugoslavia (civil+warflag)

Off the hand, for example Sweden is using one flag instead of two, so is Denmark, South Africa, Greece, etc.
There are also a few factual mistakes: for example India shows flag which was not introduced until after WW2 and uses "Red Duster" on their cargo ships even though India had it's own version of the Red Ensign....

If I missed a flag of any nation involved in naval battles of WW2 please let me know and I will create more flags and add them to the list. I am trying to create a complete list so potential modders could tap into it and use it in their mods.

I absolutely love Operation Monsun but the way the additional flags are animated in flags2 does not flow with the rest of the mod....

Thanks a lot!

[conus00]

Ok guys, anybody?

[peabody]

i"m a bit busy right now, but I may be able to figure it out and at least try it in a backup file as a mod and see what happens. One thing you should do though is look at the countries and see what is in there. One example, you list Italy but the flags.dat lists Italian. So if you want any existing boats to have the flags with a mod they will have to have the same name.
One other thing that doesn't make sense is that some countries list:

country_m.tga
country FLG

country.tga
country FLGC

I thought the one with the _m was military and the FLGC was civilian.

But then another is just the opposite:

country_m.tga
country FLGC

country.tga
country FLG

So I don't know if that is a mistake or not. So while you finish and I find time you can find information on the file. ;)

Peabody

[conus00]

Yep. I have noticed this same problem. And it gets worse: the textures with the "_m" suffix should indicate merchant but in case of Japan it is exactly the other way around: the "_m" file is actually a war flag... :hmm:

I used the names on the list only as a reference to the country. My flag textures' filenames are actually named exactly as the original files...
Do you have an idea if there was a country involved in naval operations of WW2 I am missing on the list?

Anyway, if you get a chance to take look at the file, please keep me posted.
Thanks!

[peabody]

Yep. I have noticed this same problem. And it gets worse: the textures with the "_m" suffix should indicate merchant but in case of Japan it is exactly the other way around: the "_m" file is actually a war flag... :hmm:

I used the names on the list only as a reference to the country. My flag textures' filenames are actually named exactly as the original files...
Do you have an idea if there was a country involved in naval operations of WW2 I am missing on the list?

Anyway, if you get a chance to take look at the file, please keep me posted.
Thanks!

But if the m is merchant then what is the C? Like you say some are opposite of others.

Peabody