Modding tips for SH4

[Texas Red]

Hey y'all

Recently, I was awarded a Navy Cross in my SH4 game with FORTSU 1.1
I thought to myself "These medals graphics aren't that good, is there a way to make the graphics better?"

In the end, I decided that I would want a mod something like this:

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/dow...o=file&id=4118

Here are my questions:

1. Where can I find the files for the US Medals?
2. Would I use a program to edit these files? If so, what program would I use?
3. What are some modding tips for this purpose?

Anyways, happy hunting! All this posting is probably getting annoying to some people.



EDIT: I would rather learn how to do this myself, but if someone wants to make the mod themselves, that is fine.

This is my mod list:

Generic Mod Enabler - v2.6.0.157
[C:\Games\Steam\steamapps\common\SH4FOTRSU\MODS]

100_FalloftheRisingSun_UltimateEdition_v1.1_EN
399c_NoScrollNavMap - Same Sized Dials
Fleetboat_Interior-Officers_Quarters_FOTRSU_v1.1_EN

[propbeanie]

The "Medals" are sprinkled in the Data / Menu / Gui folder, mostly in the "Medals" folder, but other parts of their display are in other locations of the Gui folder. Since the files are dds format, you would need something that can edit those. One thing to remember about a dds file though, is that it is highly compressed, and you are better off, especially if doing something "new", to build at a much higher resolution than needed, and to use a "native" format to the program you are using. GIMP is a GNU licensed program, and with a plug-in, can do dds files. I usually have issues with using GIMP, but I am not used to it, and mostly rely upon my really really old PhotoShopLE v2, which is what? 20+ years old? Adobe has changed their "licensing" paradigm, and I do not know as I would anything of theirs anymore. Too much like MS and Windows 10 - There is also Paint.net, and I ~think~, though I am not certain, that the dds plug-in is bundled with the newer downloads of that... but you would have to check on that.

As for modding tips, I would download CapnScurvy's work, as well as GoreUncle's, and anyone else's work you can find that you want to attempt to emulate. Just be certain that you ask permission from others before you use their work in yours, if you decide to distribute, and to give them proper credit, which did not happen in a mod or two of this type... - if you overlook someone or something, correct that asap... Begin with something 'easy', which sometimes, a mod can seem to be 'easy', until you get into what the author did to achieve what they accomplished... and experiment and test. If you get something looking good on your display, don't forget to change screen resolution at the least, and if possible, different monitors and or video cards, especially the brand of card. There can be a world of difference between the way something looks on an ATI card as opposed to an nVidia card, as compared to an onboard display...