Sonar contact lines and "Tails" - Colour info - Page 2

Kpt. Lehmann · 10-13-05, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gairith

Myros made a mod like this awhile back, still works with SH3 v1.4b and RUB v1.43

http://www.subsim.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=32213

Yes sir. I am using that mod as a basis for my work. It only changes contact colors at certain ranges though. It is not all inclusive.

I have just gotten adobe photoshop... have been needing it for ages anyway. It may take me a few days to get used to it... but I will continue until I get it right. :|\

remilton · 10-13-05, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Yes sir. I am using that mod as a basis for my work. It only changes contact colors at certain ranges though. It is not all inclusive.

I have just gotten adobe photoshop... have been needing it for ages anyway. It may take me a few days to get used to it... but I will continue until I get it right. :|\

I am working on this also, as I personaly like the ship icon schetches at the higher mags on the map screen.

I do wish they were grey all though, or at least the same color, which might be why they are removed in RUB.

Or it could be I just don't understand how to properly plot, (

) but I do know I don't like the ships that I and my officers have identified and plotted to dissapear at high zooms.

Kind of looses something for me.

Have you determined how to remove the (friend or foe) colors from these icons? I have tried manipulating the TGA files but it seems the colors are determined elsewhere. :hmm:

Kpt. Lehmann · 10-14-05, 12:56 AM

Remilton, you are correct. The colors are apparently determined and triggered elsewhere. If you know where please let me know.

Thank goodness for Rubini's HT mod. It saves a lot of hunting time.

I have been using the Type 34 DD as my test subject.

To correct a statement I made earlier, the Myros No Color mod affects con colors as you zoom in and out on the map... not apparently what I thought earlier. (I thought it had to do with range to contact.

A misconception I have fiured out. the "_shp" tga files only determine the SIZE of the hand-drawn ship. Any changes to its color simply fill the space with a solid rectangle. The rectangle size is proportionate to the size of the ship in question. By swapping _shp files you can get a battleship-sized contact for an S-Boat if you wanted.

Therefore the hand-drawn ship files must be packed away in a DAT file or something similar. I checked the dat file for the Type 34 and only found its skin.

Also secondary to this, unless the _shp files are somehow layered
I don't think that photoshop will help.

I need to know two things:

1) What file determines the color trigger for all ships... potentially we could set them all to be blue for friendly, neutral, and enemy. Green just doesn't seem right and red would be a good alternative.

2) Where are the "hand-drawn" ship tga files.

If either requires hex editing skills... I'm sunk.

I think that this process may have something to do with why the RUb map contact arrangement is the way it is and I am running into old problems.

Marhkimov · 10-14-05, 03:57 AM

When you were testing out your own "greyed" icons, I think I know why you only saw little black boxes. You probably did not save at a high enough bit/pixel rate. It is best to save files with transparencies at 32 bit/pixel setting, otherwise SH3 cannot read it and will display odd things.

Either that or Infranview did not work correctly. Also, I have no idea why PS cannot access those unit icons, which is really weird because GIMP can...

remilton · 10-14-05, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kpt. Lehmann

I need to know two things:

1) What file determines the color trigger for all ships... potentially we could set them all to be blue for friendly, neutral, and enemy. Green just doesn't seem right and red would be a good alternative.

2) Where are the "hand-drawn" ship tga files.

If either requires hex editing skills... I'm sunk.

A netural color would be great, but a long as it is only one I would be happy. I think it may be hard coded for the ship colors, but hope prevails.

Well, the _shp.tga files do indeed contain the hand drawn ship icons. In Photoshop look in the layers window (F7) and click on the channels tab. In the alpha channel at the bottem of the list you will see the ship drawing.

Marhkimov · 10-14-05, 08:03 AM

I believe this is what you guys are looking for???

Colorless contacts.

The picture is shown without the tail lines, but that is only due to my personal preference. I hate those lines. If you like the tail lines, use your imagination.

Kpt. Lehmann has all of the details...

oRGy · 10-14-05, 09:00 AM

Captain Lehmann - The hand-drawn ship icons are as I said before in an earlier post, all in the /data/Sea/N_Blah folders. They are usually called NBlahnameofship_Shp.tga.

All you have to do is invert the colours in photoshop and save. It works properly for me in the Improved U-boat version.

The question of what file controls the definitions for the colours was the reason I started the thread, if you read the first post again.

It could be one of the .dat files, but I don't know which one. My concern was the sonar lines are black with the IuB mod along with contact tails etc, but you're probably right in that its not too bad and forces you to pay more attention to what your SO is saying.

remilton · 10-14-05, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oRGy

All you have to do is invert the colours in photoshop and save. It works properly for me in the Improved U-boat version.

oRGy

Thanks for that clarification. I thought I had already tested that inversion without success, but evidently I need to keep better notes.

I just tested again and for sure the ship icon tested is now dark.

This is a great sim, and more enjoyable everyday with the help of this great community we have here.

Thanks again.

oRGy · 10-14-05, 09:35 AM

No problem.

My attitude is - if it doesn't work, try again and take better notes.

:|\

Kpt. Lehmann · 10-14-05, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oRGy

Captain Lehmann - The hand-drawn ship icons are as I said before in an earlier post, all in the /data/Sea/N_Blah folders. They are usually called NBlahnameofship_Shp.tga.

All you have to do is invert the colours in photoshop and save. It works properly for me in the Improved U-boat version.

The question of what file controls the definitions for the colours was the reason I started the thread, if you read the first post again.

It could be one of the .dat files, but I don't know which one. My concern was the sonar lines are black with the IuB mod along with contact tails etc, but you're probably right in that its not too bad and forces you to pay more attention to what your SO is saying.

Ahhh (Kpt. Lehmann feels schtupid und bangs head on table.)

Thanks oRGY... Lol I think I was up WAYYY too late and couldn't see the forest for the trees... and I was barking up the wrong tree(s) but only slightly. Those files you refer to and my test subject (NDD_Type34_shp) are the files I am looking at and attempting to alter.

We owe a BIG thanks to Marhkimov who accelerated the process overall last night.

Yes Marhkimov, that is part of what I am looking for. The last piece of the puzzle is to have the little pointy ship icons, or at the least, contact boxes, visible at the closest zoom level on the map screen... and have them all the same color.

I think that answers your question too remilton.

Oh yeah, oRGy the contact lines are a done deal. I have them set to all black. I hope to explain options to this mod assuming all works well that way if you want different color for warship contact lines you can keep that.

One thing that might help is if someone could tell me where to find "invert colors" in Photoshop. Photoshop is still very new to me.

I'm not out of tricks yet! :|\

oRGy · 10-14-05, 10:00 AM

CTRL-I is the shortcut.

BTW, the reason the "pointy ship" icons don't show up in the closest zoom view is due to the fact that you are using RuB. RuB integrates the "Assisted plotting mod" which removes these icons, by colouring them all white, which is considered transparent by SH3.

These icons are, as said, called "Nblah_shp.tga" in /data/Sea/ship folders.

Kpt. Lehmann · 10-14-05, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oRGy

CTRL-I is the shortcut.

These icons are, as said, called "Nblah_shp.tga" in /data/Sea/ship folders.

Thanks for the PS tip!

Yes sir... the "_shp" files that you refer to are what I was referring to

... at the moment I am using the NDD_Type34_shp file as my guinea pig... which is found inside the NDD_Type34 folder in "Sea."

Even the RUb files can be gotten around by renaming appropriate stock "_shp" files. I will double check that I am working with stock file... I don't think I was using RUb files because as you say they have been altered to be invisible.

remilton · 10-14-05, 11:27 AM

More good photshop info:

If you have the TGA files you want to change grouped as a seperate mod as I have done, you can do the following;

Create an action to do the color swap process, then go to menu File/Automate/Batch to have PS do all your files and save them back to disk in only a matter of seconds.

Kpt. Lehmann · 10-14-05, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by remilton

More good photshop info:

If you have the TGA files you want to change grouped as a seperate mod as I have done, you can do the following;

Create an action to do the color swap process, then go to menu File/Automate/Batch to have PS do all your files and save them back to disk in only a matter of seconds.

cool! Once I figure out how to do that...

At the moment I am furiously cleaning house ... landlord coming over and time spent modding has its price lol.

Will be back on it this afternoon.

Kpt. Lehmann · 10-14-05, 06:43 PM

Okay,

I've tried color inversion, stock AND RUb _shp files, tried hand drawing on _shp file itself. (see below pic for results of that)

No matter what I try I still wind up with a blue rectangular background for the Type 34 friendly DD when zoomed close on map.

I believe sincerely now that I am bumping up against a trigger for individual _shp files.

In order to have all uniform color contacts... we have to find the file that determines unit alignment color and re-define its properties to show the same color ship icons irregardless of alignment. I no longer believe it to be hard coded... but possibly hex edited

I'm hitting a wall here... that information HAS to be somewhere. Those little hand drawn ships ARE tga's and may be packed into DAT files... The dat file holding the skin for the Type 34 does not have the map icon tga for the same... as with the other icons

10-14-05, 12:56 AM	#18
Kpt. Lehmann GWX Project Director Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: The Republic of Texas Posts: 6,993 Downloads: 124 Uploads: 0	Remilton, you are correct. The colors are apparently determined and triggered elsewhere. If you know where please let me know. Thank goodness for Rubini's HT mod. It saves a lot of hunting time. I have been using the Type 34 DD as my test subject. To correct a statement I made earlier, the Myros No Color mod affects con colors as you zoom in and out on the map... not apparently what I thought earlier. (I thought it had to do with range to contact. A misconception I have fiured out. the "_shp" tga files only determine the SIZE of the hand-drawn ship. Any changes to its color simply fill the space with a solid rectangle. The rectangle size is proportionate to the size of the ship in question. By swapping _shp files you can get a battleship-sized contact for an S-Boat if you wanted. Therefore the hand-drawn ship files must be packed away in a DAT file or something similar. I checked the dat file for the Type 34 and only found its skin. Also secondary to this, unless the _shp files are somehow layered I don't think that photoshop will help. I need to know two things: 1) What file determines the color trigger for all ships... potentially we could set them all to be blue for friendly, neutral, and enemy. Green just doesn't seem right and red would be a good alternative. 2) Where are the "hand-drawn" ship tga files. If either requires hex editing skills... I'm sunk. I think that this process may have something to do with why the RUb map contact arrangement is the way it is and I am running into old problems. __________________ www.thegreywolves.com All you need is good men. - Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock

10-14-05, 03:57 AM	#19
Marhkimov Admiral Join Date: May 2005 Location: Bay Area, California, USA Posts: 2,377 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Some insight... When you were testing out your own "greyed" icons, I think I know why you only saw little black boxes. You probably did not save at a high enough bit/pixel rate. It is best to save files with transparencies at 32 bit/pixel setting, otherwise SH3 cannot read it and will display odd things. Either that or Infranview did not work correctly. Also, I have no idea why PS cannot access those unit icons, which is really weird because GIMP can... __________________ It takes two to tango

10-14-05, 08:03 AM	#21
Marhkimov Admiral Join Date: May 2005 Location: Bay Area, California, USA Posts: 2,377 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I believe this is what you guys are looking for??? Colorless contacts. The picture is shown without the tail lines, but that is only due to my personal preference. I hate those lines. If you like the tail lines, use your imagination. Kpt. Lehmann has all of the details... __________________ It takes two to tango

10-14-05, 06:43 PM	#30
Kpt. Lehmann GWX Project Director Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: The Republic of Texas Posts: 6,993 Downloads: 124 Uploads: 0	Okay, I've tried color inversion, stock AND RUb _shp files, tried hand drawing on _shp file itself. (see below pic for results of that) No matter what I try I still wind up with a blue rectangular background for the Type 34 friendly DD when zoomed close on map. I believe sincerely now that I am bumping up against a trigger for individual _shp files. In order to have all uniform color contacts... we have to find the file that determines unit alignment color and re-define its properties to show the same color ship icons irregardless of alignment. I no longer believe it to be hard coded... but possibly hex edited I'm hitting a wall here... that information HAS to be somewhere. Those little hand drawn ships ARE tga's and may be packed into DAT files... The dat file holding the skin for the Type 34 does not have the map icon tga for the same... as with the other icons __________________ www.thegreywolves.com All you need is good men. - Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock

10-14-05, 09:00 AM	#22
oRGy Crusty Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 648 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Captain Lehmann - The hand-drawn ship icons are as I said before in an earlier post, all in the /data/Sea/N_Blah folders. They are usually called NBlahnameofship_Shp.tga. All you have to do is invert the colours in photoshop and save. It works properly for me in the Improved U-boat version. The question of what file controls the definitions for the colours was the reason I started the thread, if you read the first post again. It could be one of the .dat files, but I don't know which one. My concern was the sonar lines are black with the IuB mod along with contact tails etc, but you're probably right in that its not too bad and forces you to pay more attention to what your SO is saying.

10-14-05, 09:35 AM	#24
oRGy Crusty Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 648 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	No problem. My attitude is - if it doesn't work, try again and take better notes. :\|\

10-14-05, 10:00 AM	#26
oRGy Crusty Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 648 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	CTRL-I is the shortcut. BTW, the reason the "pointy ship" icons don't show up in the closest zoom view is due to the fact that you are using RuB. RuB integrates the "Assisted plotting mod" which removes these icons, by colouring them all white, which is considered transparent by SH3. These icons are, as said, called "Nblah_shp.tga" in /data/Sea/ship folders.

10-14-05, 11:27 AM	#28
remilton Watch Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: USA Posts: 16 Downloads: 77 Uploads: 0	More good photshop info: If you have the TGA files you want to change grouped as a seperate mod as I have done, you can do the following; Create an action to do the color swap process, then go to menu File/Automate/Batch to have PS do all your files and save them back to disk in only a matter of seconds.