[Warhammer Dark Omen Forum]

Warhammer Dark Omen Forum | Modifications | 2D Sprites
Adding more Sprites to Dark Omen

[olly]

Just some latest Dark Elves work in progress and will start adding all the excellent sprites from Dark Omen Expanded mod, help required once I finally publish easy to follow guide, so we can play all the Warhammer Races!

http://youtu.be/Ieo0bXskwq4

[cuthalion]

OK so I downloaded Aqrit's files and placed them as per instructions. Still, I may have missed information on how I actually use extra sprite and banner slots to new armies.
Could someone clarify?
1. Imagine I have new archers - let it be Dwarf Thunderers. I have thunderers.spr sprite file and thunder_banner.spr banner file.
2. I go to WH32Edit with new database.xml and I see a lot of 'xslots' there. How do I place my .spr files so that when I create Dwarf Thunderers and set all other flags, Dark Omen would see my sprites, understand that it is archers' sprite structure etc?
3. What do I have to write in xslots.txt? and another question on this point: does what I write there will actually rename my troops not only in Troop Roster but also in battle map during battles?

Thank you in advance.

[olly]

Please examine my Skaven Mod files and read the How to create Campaign Guide for more info, however this is a quick guide for you ->


1) Rename your thunderers.spr to 001.spr and paste into your Mods folder (I'm using my Skaven Mod)

C:\Program Files (x86)\Dark Omen\Mods\Skaven\Graphics\Sprites

2) Rename your thunder_banner.spr to 001.spr and paste into

C:\Program Files (x86)\Dark Omen\Mods\Skaven\Graphics\Banners

3) Create new Book Art Thunders1.bmp & Thunders2.bmp for the Troop Army book and paste into

C:\Program Files (x86)\Dark Omen\Mods\Skaven\Graphics\Books\Troops

4) Open the army file B101MRC.ARM using Wh32Edit (with new database.xml) in

C:\Program Files (x86)\Dark Omen\Mods\Skaven\GAMEDATA\1pbat\B1_01

and create an additional unit that will use xSlot Sprite 001  and xSlot Banner 001 and make it unit type Human Archers and weapon Pistol, Unit ID 5

You will have to do the same in PLYR_ALL.ARM C:\Program Files (x86)\Dark Omen\Mods\Skaven\GAMEDATA\1PARM and ensure Unit ID is 31 (since there are already 30 originals in Human Army)








Then open xSlots .txt in C:\Program Files (x86)\Dark Omen\Mods\Skaven\PRG_ENG and create a new xSlot

NAME 01 "Thunders"
SPRITE 001 001 0x0222                     (This will use sprite type 0222 = IMPBOW/SKELBW/BANARC )
SPRITE 001 001 0x0222                     (This will use sprite type 0222 = IMPBOW/SKELBW/BANARC )
BANNER 001 001 0
BOOK 00 01 "[BOOKS]\\Troops\\Thunders1.bmp" "[BOOKS]\\Troops\\Thunders2.bmp" The Thunderers are migthy warriors etc... m5 ws3 bs3 34 t4 w4 i7 a4 Ld7"

Following Aqrit's template

// NAME slot_id "a name less than 64 characters"
// SPRITE slot_id "sprite_file_no_extension" sprite_type_id
// BANNER slot_id "sprite_file_no_extension" banner_shape_id
// BOOK slot_id banner_frame "leader_sprite" "troop_sprite" "unit_description"

(You can of course start at sprite 000.spr and banner 000.spr and xSlot 00 )

[cuthalion]

Great thank you I will try this out. Just 1 small question: Are you sure I have to edit my merc army for each mission? plyr_all is not enough?

[cuthalion]

By the way, it is not necessary to make dwarf archers human archers. They can as well be set dwarf archers (unit_id=26) even though I am not sure it changes anything DarkOmen code wise: Humans and dwarves talk about the same way.
In Chaos Dwarves I had goblin cavalry with unit_id=19 though classic Dark Omen does not have any goblin cavalry units, and wolfriders did talk as nightgoblins.

[cuthalion]

I have a problem: I cannot make Xslots work
Before I test it further and figure out what is wrong, I have a few questions:

1. If I want only additional sprites but do not want banners, army book entries or names, I can add just 1 sprite line per sprite in xslots.txt cannot I?

2. More general question: Is order in file Xslots.txt of any importance? Can it be something like:

SPRITE blablabla
NAME blablabla
NAME blablabla
BANNER blablabla
SPRITE blablabla
ARMY blablabla
NAME blablabla
etc?

3. Are there requirements for exec. file? I used Ghabry's Mod Selector .exec that works fine with chaos dwarves/original campaign switch etc.

4. Do I understand it correct that I place .dll at the same folder where I have working EngRel.exe, while I place xslots.txt in ../Mods/My Mod/Eng_Rel/xslots.txt?

[Ghabry]

I think xslots and co. is not directly implemented in the mod selector but uses some extralib by aqrit.
At least I never merged such code in mod selector.

[cuthalion]

I found a reason for 1 of my problems with xslots.

When I place xslots.txt to ../Mods/My Mod/Prg/xslots.txt (or Prg_Eng, does not matter), the game does not find it and crashes as soon as it has to display 001.spr

When I copy the file to  ../Prg/xslots.txt (original warhammer installation) then game finds my 001.spr placed to ../Mods/My Mod/Graphics/Sprites/001.spr and displays correct sprite in first mission.

is it supposed to be that way? I was under impression that each mod may have its own xslots.txt, and Olly's instruction implied the same.

[olly]

Sounds like you've got that strange download version that installs PRG instead of PRG_ENG (which xslots needs I think). You must have a blank xslots.txt in your main C:\Program Files (x86)\Dark Omen\PRG_ENG containing just the comments and no extra Troops. Yes you should keep to this format. 

// NAME slot_id "a name less than 64 characters"
// SPRITE slot_id "sprite_file_no_extension" sprite_type_id
// BANNER slot_id "sprite_file_no_extension" banner_shape_id
// BOOK slot_id banner_frame "leader_sprite" "troop_sprite" "unit_description"


Then in your ../Mods/My Mod/PRG_ENG have the proper version of xslots containing all of your Troops. You already have a copy of my Dark Omen folder and Skaven mod, that  all use PRG_ENG folders and please just use it a working template to change.  You will notice there is a PRG folder that comes with the Mod Selector but I don't copy xslots.txt or our .dll files into it.


ps. I've sent you a Private Message concerning the version of Dark Omen

[cuthalion]

Yes thank you I will try to download yours.

I've been having Dark Omen XP-Vista-7.exe for years and it has not failed me till this time

[olly]

Cool, remoted onto your pc using TeamViewer and reinstalled game using DO Cd and an important step was renaming and using the Full3dRenameToEngRelBeforeUsing.exe to be the new EngRel.exe in both PRG_ENG and Skaven PRG_ENG folders, as the original EngRel.exe was not modified to use mod selector and xslots (will re-upload mod folders).


 

[cuthalion]

Either I do something wrong or there is a minor incompatibility between Ghabry's Mod Selector and Aqrit's extended sprite table mod. Let me describe on my own example.
So I have a classic data warhammer+mod selector installed. I want to make a mod and I want to add a cavalry unit to my mod.
1. I make a new sprite, name it for example 012Cavalry.spr and place it in dark omen/mods/my mod/graphics/sprites/012Cavalry.spr
    That folder contains only 1 - this one - file.
2. I assign slot 012 to grugebringer cavalry in wh32edit, and also make a line in xslots.txt:
SPRITE 012 012Cavalry 0x008C

3. When I start my campaign the game crashes. It took me a while to understand why.
What fixed the problem is: I had to copy ANY classic cavalry file and place it in my mod in /graphics/sprites (for example outpis.spr or grucav.spr) next to file 012cavalry.spr. Then everything is displayed correctly.

4. After first successful game start, I remove grucav.spr from /mods/my mod/graphics/sprites and the game does not crash anymore.
I am not sure if it is easier to fix it on side of xslots or mod selector.

[cuthalion]

A question about sprite file HORSE.SPR
It's an unsaddled horse.

Any idea how I can use it in my army files?

The problem is that this sprite is not used by any armies in original campaign - unlike Skeleton Horse that is used for Chariots. So I do not know what Id it has. It is not present in Ghabry's army editor - due to the same reason probably: Ghabry keeps values only from existing original troops.

It is not present in list of sprite types in this thread. Only Skeleton Horse is there. and the sprite file for Skeleton Horse has a different structure.

[Leilond]

There is no way to make this work for me

I try to change the goblin archer banner in mission 1, just to understand how it works

1) I created the xslots.txt file in PRG_ENG folder in my mod campaign
2) I added there these lines

Code:

// NAME slot_id "a name less than 64 characters"
// SPRITE slot_id "sprite_file_no_extension" sprite_type_id
// BANNER slot_id "sprite_file_no_extension" banner_shape_id
// BOOK slot_id banner_frame "leader_sprite" "troop_sprite" "unit_description"

NAME 01 "Stormvermin"
SPRITE 001 001Stormvermin 0x00FC
BANNER 001 001B_Stormvermin 0

3) I copied the stormvermin banner and sprite from another mod (wood elf) and copied it in the right folders and renamed them to "001Stormvermin.spr" (in sprite foldsrs) and "001B_Stormvermin.spr" (in banner folders)


When I try to change the goblin archers banner (using Wh32Edit), it reverts back to the previous value when I leave the field or when I reload the file. I tried to put in the field
- [ xSlot Banner 01 ] (revert back to previous value)
- [xSlot Banner 01] (no blank spaces from brackets, revert back to previous value)
- xSlot Banner 01 (without brackets, revert back to previous value)
- 01 (it becomes "1" without the leading "0" and in game it uses the Grudgebringer Cavallry banner)

I also tried to add a xslots.txt empty file (oly comments) in original PRG_ENG folder

[olly]

I will have to recreate what you have done but quickly try starting from NAME 00 not 01 please.