periscope markings

can anyone guide me to where i can find the file containing the periscope croshair color so i can change the color to blood red for better night vision in scope

[Mush Martin]

I am not sure at all Web, but I think it may be here'

\Data\Menu\Gui\Layout\ Periscope mask.

hmmmmmm......well it kinda sorta worked lol

thanks mm


i changed Periscope_Mask_1024.dds to blood red but the periscope screen came out transparent blue accross the whole screen with the scope view instead of being clear, was transparent black with blue crosshair lines and the grid markings were all blue but the compass bearings were still black.

update: i tried tga file changes and they did nothing and i dont think the game even uses it.

the dds file does effect the crosshairs color along with the entire background screen color but the compass bearings still appeared in black color. there has to be another file that overlays the compass bearings for the scope.

[naznaz00]

If that's the case, I'd hazard a guess that the markings and the viewscreen are one texture, with the non-marking areas of the view transparented. By changing the colour ratios, you changed all of the colour settings of that texture...including the normally clear scope view.

[CaptainCox]

You have to look at the Alpha Chanel for that stuff.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Welcome naznaz00

Good Hunting.

RDP

Originally Posted by CaptainCox

You have to look at the Alpha Chanel for that stuff.

???????????????????????

i dont even have a clue what alpha channel is lol.


i think naz is right about the textures because anything i do to it messes everything up.

just converting it to tga and back to dds with no changes causes everything to go blue with black scope view

[CaptainCox]

Sorry, I should have linked this yesterday
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=112868
That sort of explains it a bit. In the case of the tut its explaining the "transparency" but I think if you start to look at it you might understand what needs to be done.

Just a small Wiki reference as to what Alpha Channels is
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_transparency

I would also recomend you to download the better scope Mod from l3th4l
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=113551
Check what he has done in order to color the crosshair.

Originally Posted by CaptainCox

Sorry, I should have linked this yesterday
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=112868
That sort of explains it a bit. In the case of the tut its explaining the "transparency" but I think if you start to look at it you might understand what needs to be done.

Just a small Wiki reference as to what Alpha Channels is
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_transparency

I would also recomend you to download the better scope Mod from l3th4l
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=113551
Check what he has done in order to color the crosshair.

just tried better scope mod and i like it but think the compass bearings are way way too big in proportion to scope size. i pm 13th4l asked how to get something in the middle of stock bearings and his realy big bearings size but havent heard back from him yet.

i am new to sh4 and am just learning how difficult it is to make changes unlike sh3 that i mod very easy.

i think all those tga files i come accross are leftover remnents from sh3 and are not needed or even used by sh4.

i read the tut you did about alpha channel but i think my problem is that i am using paintshop pro not photoshop. paintshop pro does not have alpha channel that i am aware of. do i have to get photoshop to be on the same page as other modders so i cant be able to follow others work and understand what is going on?

[CaptainCox]

SH4 uses .dds to 99.9% if not 100% and most of the textures uses Alpha Channels. If you can't get hold of PS I would recommend you to try out "GIMP"

http://www.gimp.org/
Its an open source paint prog that has basically the same functions as PS.

DDS plug-in for GIMP
http://registry.gimp.org/plugin?id=4816
or
http://www.utzone.de/include.php?path=content/download.php&contentid=4069

As for the size of the bearing markings it can be controlled from the "menu_1024_768.ini" I believe. This is from l3th4l's read me

old:
Zone= 422 604 180 16 0 1 0x2B000002 0.5 -0.5 0x2B000004 -0.5 0.5 0 0
Mat 0=data/menu/gui/bearing.tga
new:
Zone= 212 104 600 128 0 1 0x2B000002 0.5 1.8 0x2B000004 -0.5 0.5 0 0
Mat 0=data/menu/gui/bearing_big.tga

ORANGE= Position of the markings in the scope
BLUE=Size of the markings
GREEN= The "Y" or "Height" Position of the Marking ON! the "periscope_mask_1024"

If you look in the menu.ini changelog from l3th4l (found in the mod!) you will find all the changes he has done in order to size those markings.

Some back engineering is needed in order to get the size you like.

Brilliant tut about the "Deconstructing the menu_1024_768.ini file items"
Made by zAmboni here
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=111832

Will look a bit complicated at first, but if you have a paint prog like PS or GIMP that shows you the coordinates using the guides and rulers its all very logical.

(Except for the Torpedo launch panel )

Originally Posted by CaptainCox

SH4 uses .dds to 99.9% if not 100% and most of the textures uses Alpha Channels. If you can't get hold of PS I would recommend you to try out "GIMP"

http://www.gimp.org/
Its an open source paint prog that has basically the same functions as PS.

DDS plug-in for GIMP
http://registry.gimp.org/plugin?id=4816
or
http://www.utzone.de/include.php?path=content/download.php&contentid=4069

As for the size of the bearing markings it can be controlled from the "menu_1024_768.ini" I believe. This is from l3th4l's read me

ORANGE= Position of the markings in the scope
BLUE=Size of the markings
GREEN= The "Y" or "Height" Position of the Marking ON! the "periscope_mask_1024"

If you look in the menu.ini changelog from l3th4l (found in the mod!) you will find all the changes he has done in order to size those markings.

Some back engineering is needed in order to get the size you like.

Brilliant tut about the "Deconstructing the menu_1024_768.ini file items"
Made by zAmboni here
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=111832

Will look a bit complicated at first, but if you have a paint prog like PS or GIMP that shows you the coordinates using the guides and rulers its all very logical.

(Except for the Torpedo launch panel )

ok, using wrong program is why i was so lost, i will get adobe paint shop and then maybe i can follow tuts without getting lost, i hope lol.

which is the best adobe photo shop to get, don't they have more than one version?

[CaptainCox]

Latest version is Photoshop CS3 http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/photoshop/photoshop/
That's what I use.

Originally Posted by CaptainCox

Latest version is Photoshop CS3 http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/photoshop/photoshop/
That's what I use.

ok, thanks. i will get it asap so i can maybe contribute to the mod community.