menu_1024_768.ini guide?

[Darkbluesky]

Hi,

Is there out there a guide of the menu_1024_768.ini file? I mean, what that means each of the variables and their values, as for example

ParentID=0x40030000
Pos=16,-182,134,20
Color=0x585858FE
Materials=1
Display=2;Linear
Mat 0=data/menu/gui/layout/bgr00.tga
MatFlags=0x1
TexFmt=0x9

Is there some guide about modding SH3, at least its text file?

Tx

[sonar_PL]

I tried to find any menu*.ini solutions but still nothing. We need good coder for coding good SH MENU EDITOR tool but its sounds like only dreams

[Darkbluesky]

Well, it doesn't sound so difficult, I believe that even I could code myself a SH3 Menu Editor, IF I could obtain full (or enough complete) description of all the variables, what they do AND their possible values...in order to do some editor more useful than an improved notepad...

[wdq4587]

There are a SH4 menu maker. But I don't know it can do how much.

I also found one post tell some detail of menu_1024_768.ini. Not all but I guess about 1/3 secret. But I can not find the saved page in my office PC (may be in home PC), or remember some keywords to search it.

Something I need to say is many MenuItemID is hard coded. You can not delete and replicate it. It can be move. onelifecrisis can do that. But my attempt have failed.

--------------------

Just found it: [TEC] Tutorial: Deconstructing the menu_1024_768.ini file items
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=111832

[onelifecrisis]

For those who can read German, there's a menu.ini guide somewhere on another forum. I think it was latemail who wrote it but my memory may be wrong. I don't have a link, sorry.

[onelifecrisis]

Originally Posted by wdq4587

Something I need to say is many MenuItemID is hard coded. You can not delete and replicate it. It can be move. onelifecrisis can do that.

I can?

[sonar_PL]

Lol

Maybe someone make a FAQ how this menu work and how to edit this

[wdq4587]

Originally Posted by onelifecrisis

I can?

You can move hard coded menuitem like light on dials from G2B to G3F, but my try move from G2B to G26 failed.

Originally Posted by onelifecrisis

I can?

:rotfl:
I think you 'Mind Freaked' someone.

[onelifecrisis]

LOL @ privateer

On topic, here's some info I posted to Joe and Hitman in the U-Jagd forum during the concurrent development of OLC GUI and U-Jadg Tools. It's the only info I have which is written down anywhere. Note that since writing this I discovered that the tips I gave do not always work. For every "rule" that governs the menu file, there's an exception somewhere.

This post is related to one thing: how to make an image look right in the menu file.

Originally Posted by onelifecrisis

Image Types and BmpState=1

There are two image types. Type=1030 will not trap the mouse; when you click on it, the mouse will interact with whatever is behind the image. Type=1031 will trap the mouse, even where it is transparent!

Correction: Whether or not the mouse is trapped depends on the BmpState=1 flag! Setting this flag will cause the image to trap the mouse (note that this flag is required for dials to work). However, Type=1030 images will ignore this flag and will therefore never catch the mouse.

So, an image can only catch the mouse if it is Type=1031 and it has BmpState=1.

MatFlags=0x$$

$$ is a decimal number between 0 and 31, which represents 5 flags which affect the way in which an image is displayed. There is some interaction between the MatFlags and the Display setting - in particular, some flags only affect stretched (or rotated) images, and others only affect non-stretched images.

I hope you already know binary to decimal conversion - if not just ask and I'll explain. I've called the flags A (0/1), B (0/2), C (0/4), D (0/8), and E (0/16).

• Flag A controls transparency. If A is off (0) then the alpha channel will be ignored. If A is on (1) then the image will be transparent but will also lose some colour depth; colours seem to be reduced to 16bit, and there is no dithering either so it can look quite bad! Adding noise to the original image can provide a slight improvement by effectively forcing a bit of dithering, but I'm trying to find a better way. This flag works for stretched and non-stretched images. Update: TexFmt=0x9 fixes the "low colour depth" problem. I recommend using this setting on all images!

• Flag B doesn't seem to do anything... I'm still trying to work out what it's for.

• For a non-stretched image (Display=0) using C (4) and E (16) in combination (i.e. 20) will cause the image to be displayed pixel for pixel (instead of the default which, for reasons unknown, seems to be about 0.8 pixels per pixel). These flags don't seem to have an effect on stretched images, but I need to do more testing...

Update: While the C and E flags seem to have little effect on a stretched image without the D flag set, using them both with the D flag gets even better results than with the D flag alone. This was unexpected because most of the stretched images in menu_1024_768.ini do not use the C and E flags. Perhaps setting these flags uses more memory or impacts on performance in some other way? At any rate, I've edited the summary below.

• For a stretched image, using flag D (8) will "smooth out" the stretch. If you don't use this flag your stretched image will look very bad indeed. It seems to have no effect on unstretched (Display=0) images.

So, in summary, these settings should be used for just about all new images:
TexFmt=0x9
MatFlags=0x29

OLC

[asanovic7]

I wonder how smart those programmers in those big companies are with having to know all these stuff?
How come you olc, know all that??
Are you all 160 above the freeze or what? Where is my place in this world?

I am trying to read that but it freaks me out before the end of the first line..
Just wanted to say deconstructing the menu bla bla is for sh4 with some stupid zone.. The guys orientation is mainly on that darn zone, and his explanation is not so complicated like olc's, which in the end is not so bad but not so usable.

Cheers

p.s. anyone for a beer?

[joegrundman]

sure, i'll have a beer! What's good in Croatia?

[wdq4587]

I don't think the SH3 program is designed as a open project for you modder to easy make mod for it. They only not do some thing to prevent you to modify it, like some company would do. They have their home made tool called "Kashmir" function just like s3editor but never release it.

For example the GUI system, I mean 2D GUI, generally it should user a middle layer to connection the program code with menuitem. There are actually a middle layer file: Dials.cfg (and partly of command_en.cfg). But only cover a little part. Obviously the programmer think he can change code any time to meet the 2D GUI designer need. So there are no necessary to add it. If someone want make a extendable project, he will not code this way. Add a complete middle layer file will not need much work and may be even reduce himself work time. (For example he can add a function before MenuItem exist, so he don't need wait GUI designer)

If one takes the stance that something can not be done?
You are Doomed from the start to fail.

No, We do not have Kashmir.
But that fact has stopped no one.

And things deemed impossible mere days ago?
Are being done everyday!!

The first step is to say to yourself,
I can do it!!

The next step is to just do it!!
Time and time again until you find the solution.

Then you 'Mind Freak' everyone!
:rotfl:

[latemail]

Originally Posted by Darkbluesky

Hi,

Is there out there a guide of the menu_1024_768.ini file? I mean, what that means each of the variables and their values, as for example


Is there some guide about modding SH3, at least its text file?

Tx

This may help you a bit, it´s only german but I use many screens for illustration the important parts .........

pls contact me, if something isn´t that clear ..........

LINKS : Web -Tutorial (Thread : see my Sig)