D_Wormkill
8 May 2009, 18:37
I would like to post a tutorial about modifying the game interface. I don't know if someone will care about this, but I think this could be a nice idea.
So in this discussion you'll learn how to modify the hud (the things you see playing the game that indicate you the time, wind, etc...) and the frontend (the menus, the chat window and so on...)First of all, to have a clearer idea, I'll show you an image qhere there is a modified hud:
http://static3.filefront.com/images/person.../hgmaoihozu.jpg (http://static3.filefront.com/images/personal/a/abbizdy/141379/hgmaoihozu.jpg)
As you noticed, the radar, the timer back, the numbers and other things have been modified: they aren't the originals the game provided. Also you can modify them: just follow the instructions this tutorial will give you! We're starting with the hud.
MODIFYING THE HUD
First of all, you need absolutely not only a program called TGAtools version 3.0 (downloadable in download worms utilities area, always in our forum) but also another program that allows you to modify colours and forms of objects (Photostudio, Photoshop downloada ble in our website in download worms utilities area, but also Paint is good enough). Once you get these programs, you must do these things:
1) Open TGA tools, click on Prefs and then on Select editing Program.
2) Now you have to choose the program you prefer to use for modifying the colours and forms. Find the icon of Paint, Photoshop or Photostudio (I used Photostudio).
3) Load a TGA image on File->Load in the folder C/programs/codemasters/Worms 4/data/hud.
4) Now you'll notice two images: a left one, where you'll see the colourful image and, on the right, another image in black and white: the last one is the alpha template, the form that the image will bring during the game, considering transparence scales (so, if you want to draw an eye, you must modify the template too, not only the main image). But let's proceed with order! Now you have to click on Image and then on Send Main Image to editor.
5) Automatically the program for modifies you chose previously (see point 2) will be open with the image that you're going to change! Use your creativity and, once you're satisfied, just click on Save and NOT on Save as.
6) Hoping you haven't closed TGA tools (otherwise you must re-do everything again), bring it again, click on Image and then on Reload after edit (the one below Send Main Image etc...): you'll see that your image has rewritten or substituted the previous one.
7) If you modified not only the colour, but also the form ( it means that the alpha template isn't equal anymore to the main image. Ex: you drew an eye and not an arrow), just follow the tutorial normally. Otherwise, you can proceed to point 11).
8) Modify the alpha template clicking on Image and then on Send Alpha Channel to editor. The program for modifies will be re-opened again.
9) IMPORTANT: If you want to modify the alpha template, just use only white! Otherwise you'll do a disaster! Then, once you finished the job, click on save and NOT on save as.
10) Take TGA tools again, click on Image and Reload after edit (the second one, the one below Send Alpha Channel etc...) and also the second image you edited will replace the previous one on the right.
11) Click on File and Save as. Re-write the name of the file you modified and try to save it in another folder (ex: If you have modified Accuracy, your new file must be called Accuracy).
12) Now do this work again for each TGA component you'll find in the Hud folder.
13) Once you did it, take all the TGA files you edited and replace the previous ones!
14) Play to Worms 4 Mayhem, do a match and look! :)
Now you'll see a list of Hud elements you need to modify with the related descriptions:
-Accuracy: aim target for some kinds of weapon
-Aimer_Inner: target of ninja rope
-Aimer_Outer: aim target of bazooka and grenade
-Airstrike_Outer: a part of aim target of Airstrike attack
-Angle Back: the half moon you find down on the left that indicates you the area of your shot
-Angle Head: the arrow that indicates you the angle of your shot on the angle back
-Destruct Icon: the icon you'll see in Destruction mode
-Dot: some arrows that you see into the Airstrike outer
-Health Icon: the icon that appears in deathmatch, homeland, etc... modes.
-Health Preview: A general overwiew of the remained health (below the health icon)
-Health Shield: The icon that appears when you found "Armor"
-Homing BL,TL,TR,BR: the aim target of homing weapons
-Hud Font: The numbers that indicate the time and the remained HP
-Hud Shield: The icon that appears near the Health Icon when you found "Armor" (and not over the worm, as for health shield)
-Hud Vampire: Icon that appears in "Vampire" mode
-Name Backing: The colour of the window where names of worms are shown
-Phone: The famous chat phone
-Powerbar Off/On: The shot powerbar when it is empty and when it is full
-Radar Back: The circle used for the radar, up on the left
-Radar Marks: The symbols close to N,S,E,W letters
-Radar NSEW: the N,W,E,S letters close to radar
-Second Back: the circle where you find the secondary equipped weapon
-Target: another aim target
-Team Bricks: A panel of remained health in destruct mode that appears down in the centre
-Team health: A panel of remained health in other modalities that appears down in the centre
-Timer back: the circle where the time and the main weapon equipped appear
-Weapon Panel Main: the panel of weapons
-Weapon Panel Top: the window of weapons description
-Wind Back: the circle where wind is indicated
-WormSelectBitmap: the aspect of select worm arrows
Now I have explained you everything about the hud! But there is another thing you should modify: the frontend.
MODIFYING THE FRONTEND
As you did for the hud, you must own Tga Tools version 3.0 plus a colour and form edit program. Seen you did the hardest job during the hud editing, modifying the frontend will be easier.
1) Load a TGA image contained in c/programs/codemasters/worms 4/data/frontend/Mechanics and modify it as I explained previously starting from point 4) in "MODIFYING THE HUD CHAPTER".
2) Save the image in another folder with the original name of the file you edited.
3) Replace your files with the original
4) Play Worms 4 and enjoy your new menus.
However, not all the files contained in Mechanics must be changed! You'll see now a complete list of all the essential elements you need to modify for giving your game a peculiar aspect. There will be the descriptions too:
-Border Active: the border of customize configuration when the mouse cursor is over it.
-Border Disabled: the border when they're not active
-Border Edit: windows of Customize configuration
-Border Highlight: windows when the mouse is over them
-Border Normal: windows of Multiplayer and Online modes
-ButtonSmall Disabled: Small button that you can find in Options. In this case, the button isn't active
-ButtonSmall Highlight: The button when the mouse is over it
-ButtonSmall Normal: The button in his normal appearance
-Com Panel: windows where comments and weapons names appear plus chat panel
-Infinate: Infinate symbol that appears in some game types
-MOUSE: The object that represents the mouse. The arrow, just for understanding
-Mouse_Loading: The object you see while you're waiting the connection in Online
-Nav Arrowpage: Little arrows that can make you move along the menus.
-Nav Disabled: Icons that you can find very often in Worms 4. In this case, These icons are not activated and are the V, the X, the grenade (te button you press for starting the game) and the arrow that allows you to exit from a match
-Nav Highlight: These icons when the mouse is over them
-Nav Normal: The icons as they normally appear.
-PaperPopup01: window for the subsections of main menu (es: deathmatch, homeland, etc...)
-PaperPopup02: The Main Menù window (es: multiplayer, challenges, trophies, etc...)
-Scratches01-02: some signes you should find in options
-SpeechPopupPaper: The window hat gives you the opportunity of selecting teams, colour, handicap and number of worms
-TallyCounters: Signes that you find in Customize stile! These signes are the counters for ammos.
-TeamInfo01-02-03-04: iThe numbers that indicated the amount of worms available for the match, the icon of the worm close to these numbers, the radar symbols, the colours of teams and the hanidcap signes.
-Tournament Vs: The Worms 4 Mayhem logo!
-Icon_Busy: differently from the previous files, this one must be put in Frontend/icons. This icon represents the waiting panel (the square up on the right with 1010101010)
So in this discussion you'll learn how to modify the hud (the things you see playing the game that indicate you the time, wind, etc...) and the frontend (the menus, the chat window and so on...)First of all, to have a clearer idea, I'll show you an image qhere there is a modified hud:
http://static3.filefront.com/images/person.../hgmaoihozu.jpg (http://static3.filefront.com/images/personal/a/abbizdy/141379/hgmaoihozu.jpg)
As you noticed, the radar, the timer back, the numbers and other things have been modified: they aren't the originals the game provided. Also you can modify them: just follow the instructions this tutorial will give you! We're starting with the hud.
MODIFYING THE HUD
First of all, you need absolutely not only a program called TGAtools version 3.0 (downloadable in download worms utilities area, always in our forum) but also another program that allows you to modify colours and forms of objects (Photostudio, Photoshop downloada ble in our website in download worms utilities area, but also Paint is good enough). Once you get these programs, you must do these things:
1) Open TGA tools, click on Prefs and then on Select editing Program.
2) Now you have to choose the program you prefer to use for modifying the colours and forms. Find the icon of Paint, Photoshop or Photostudio (I used Photostudio).
3) Load a TGA image on File->Load in the folder C/programs/codemasters/Worms 4/data/hud.
4) Now you'll notice two images: a left one, where you'll see the colourful image and, on the right, another image in black and white: the last one is the alpha template, the form that the image will bring during the game, considering transparence scales (so, if you want to draw an eye, you must modify the template too, not only the main image). But let's proceed with order! Now you have to click on Image and then on Send Main Image to editor.
5) Automatically the program for modifies you chose previously (see point 2) will be open with the image that you're going to change! Use your creativity and, once you're satisfied, just click on Save and NOT on Save as.
6) Hoping you haven't closed TGA tools (otherwise you must re-do everything again), bring it again, click on Image and then on Reload after edit (the one below Send Main Image etc...): you'll see that your image has rewritten or substituted the previous one.
7) If you modified not only the colour, but also the form ( it means that the alpha template isn't equal anymore to the main image. Ex: you drew an eye and not an arrow), just follow the tutorial normally. Otherwise, you can proceed to point 11).
8) Modify the alpha template clicking on Image and then on Send Alpha Channel to editor. The program for modifies will be re-opened again.
9) IMPORTANT: If you want to modify the alpha template, just use only white! Otherwise you'll do a disaster! Then, once you finished the job, click on save and NOT on save as.
10) Take TGA tools again, click on Image and Reload after edit (the second one, the one below Send Alpha Channel etc...) and also the second image you edited will replace the previous one on the right.
11) Click on File and Save as. Re-write the name of the file you modified and try to save it in another folder (ex: If you have modified Accuracy, your new file must be called Accuracy).
12) Now do this work again for each TGA component you'll find in the Hud folder.
13) Once you did it, take all the TGA files you edited and replace the previous ones!
14) Play to Worms 4 Mayhem, do a match and look! :)
Now you'll see a list of Hud elements you need to modify with the related descriptions:
-Accuracy: aim target for some kinds of weapon
-Aimer_Inner: target of ninja rope
-Aimer_Outer: aim target of bazooka and grenade
-Airstrike_Outer: a part of aim target of Airstrike attack
-Angle Back: the half moon you find down on the left that indicates you the area of your shot
-Angle Head: the arrow that indicates you the angle of your shot on the angle back
-Destruct Icon: the icon you'll see in Destruction mode
-Dot: some arrows that you see into the Airstrike outer
-Health Icon: the icon that appears in deathmatch, homeland, etc... modes.
-Health Preview: A general overwiew of the remained health (below the health icon)
-Health Shield: The icon that appears when you found "Armor"
-Homing BL,TL,TR,BR: the aim target of homing weapons
-Hud Font: The numbers that indicate the time and the remained HP
-Hud Shield: The icon that appears near the Health Icon when you found "Armor" (and not over the worm, as for health shield)
-Hud Vampire: Icon that appears in "Vampire" mode
-Name Backing: The colour of the window where names of worms are shown
-Phone: The famous chat phone
-Powerbar Off/On: The shot powerbar when it is empty and when it is full
-Radar Back: The circle used for the radar, up on the left
-Radar Marks: The symbols close to N,S,E,W letters
-Radar NSEW: the N,W,E,S letters close to radar
-Second Back: the circle where you find the secondary equipped weapon
-Target: another aim target
-Team Bricks: A panel of remained health in destruct mode that appears down in the centre
-Team health: A panel of remained health in other modalities that appears down in the centre
-Timer back: the circle where the time and the main weapon equipped appear
-Weapon Panel Main: the panel of weapons
-Weapon Panel Top: the window of weapons description
-Wind Back: the circle where wind is indicated
-WormSelectBitmap: the aspect of select worm arrows
Now I have explained you everything about the hud! But there is another thing you should modify: the frontend.
MODIFYING THE FRONTEND
As you did for the hud, you must own Tga Tools version 3.0 plus a colour and form edit program. Seen you did the hardest job during the hud editing, modifying the frontend will be easier.
1) Load a TGA image contained in c/programs/codemasters/worms 4/data/frontend/Mechanics and modify it as I explained previously starting from point 4) in "MODIFYING THE HUD CHAPTER".
2) Save the image in another folder with the original name of the file you edited.
3) Replace your files with the original
4) Play Worms 4 and enjoy your new menus.
However, not all the files contained in Mechanics must be changed! You'll see now a complete list of all the essential elements you need to modify for giving your game a peculiar aspect. There will be the descriptions too:
-Border Active: the border of customize configuration when the mouse cursor is over it.
-Border Disabled: the border when they're not active
-Border Edit: windows of Customize configuration
-Border Highlight: windows when the mouse is over them
-Border Normal: windows of Multiplayer and Online modes
-ButtonSmall Disabled: Small button that you can find in Options. In this case, the button isn't active
-ButtonSmall Highlight: The button when the mouse is over it
-ButtonSmall Normal: The button in his normal appearance
-Com Panel: windows where comments and weapons names appear plus chat panel
-Infinate: Infinate symbol that appears in some game types
-MOUSE: The object that represents the mouse. The arrow, just for understanding
-Mouse_Loading: The object you see while you're waiting the connection in Online
-Nav Arrowpage: Little arrows that can make you move along the menus.
-Nav Disabled: Icons that you can find very often in Worms 4. In this case, These icons are not activated and are the V, the X, the grenade (te button you press for starting the game) and the arrow that allows you to exit from a match
-Nav Highlight: These icons when the mouse is over them
-Nav Normal: The icons as they normally appear.
-PaperPopup01: window for the subsections of main menu (es: deathmatch, homeland, etc...)
-PaperPopup02: The Main Menù window (es: multiplayer, challenges, trophies, etc...)
-Scratches01-02: some signes you should find in options
-SpeechPopupPaper: The window hat gives you the opportunity of selecting teams, colour, handicap and number of worms
-TallyCounters: Signes that you find in Customize stile! These signes are the counters for ammos.
-TeamInfo01-02-03-04: iThe numbers that indicated the amount of worms available for the match, the icon of the worm close to these numbers, the radar symbols, the colours of teams and the hanidcap signes.
-Tournament Vs: The Worms 4 Mayhem logo!
-Icon_Busy: differently from the previous files, this one must be put in Frontend/icons. This icon represents the waiting panel (the square up on the right with 1010101010)