8/12/2017 The Crusader Kings II Botanical Society is still in the works. In this journal post we will modify an image. Pictures will help the forum post for the modders as well. Quick posted.
I didn't want to, but I looked for
images in the game files and I didn't like any of them for a plant. The
ingredients for the hermetic society are just pouches. I want to see something
that looks like a plant or a flower. This forced me down the path of creating a
custom image. This could have been done easier if I had planned it out or
worked with images before, but I had to learn. I'll try to put easier suggested
the instructions that one may follow, but it still could be simplified:
Programs used:
GIMP (free download off the
internet)
Paint (the paint program that comes
with windows computers)
Parts
1. Create the brown canvass
2. Create the image
3. Save the image as a game file
4. Testing
Part 1: Create the brown canvass
1. In ...\Documents\Paradox
Interactive\Crusader Kings II\mod\lion\gfx\interface\inventory\artifacts are
the artifacts images as .dds files. Specifically, I open viking_axe.dds into
GIMP by just dragging the file and dropping onto the GIMP program. Note “lion”
is a copied folder of the game files. Do not edit the original game files. This
is modding lesson one. Do not change anything without learning this. I repeat
do not proceed if you don’t know what I am talking about. Copy the files before
you work with them. See my other post… I’ll try to link it here.
2. I exported the viking_axe.dds file
as a .jpg into a new folder just to hold my work in progress stuff.
3. I opened the newly saved .jpg
file in paint. I used paint because it was easy to work with. Even Andrelvis
suggested it ;).
4. I selected the bottom right portion
of the image and copied it so I would have the bottom right corner.
5. I pasted that corner back onto
the image, rotated it, then placed it in the top right.
6. I then copied the right side of
the image, which is all brown now.
7. I then pasted that half onto the
image, rotated it, then placed it on the left side.
This resulted in a plain brown
background image that looks similar to what the game uses. This is my black
brown canvass… to say. I need to figure out how to post images on this forum.
Until then, just imagine it is sort of like the viking_axe.dds image but
without the axe, just brown, lighter brown in the middle, darker brown near the
edges.
Part 2: Create the image
1. I took a picture of a venus flytrap with a camera, uploaded the picture onto my computer as .jpg file.
1. I took a picture of a venus flytrap with a camera, uploaded the picture onto my computer as .jpg file.
2. I opened it with GIMP.
3. Using the "Free Select Tool" I drew around the venus flytrap in the image. I copied this selection.
3. Using the "Free Select Tool" I drew around the venus flytrap in the image. I copied this selection.
4. I opened my brown canvass image in
Paint. I pasted my plant image selection. I dragged the corners to make it a
good size. I moved it into the middle of the brown canvass.
5. I saved the plant on brown as
plantunsized.jpg.
6. Still in Paint, I selected the
image and right clicked it to resize it. I chose the pixel option, set for 118
by 118. I saved this image as plant.jpg.
7. I then resaved the image, but
this next time I chose the pixel option set as 59 by 59. I saved this image as
plant_small.jpg.
This resulted in the images I plan
to use for the game files.
Part 3: Save the image as a game
file
The game has an image and small image
version for each artifact. To mimic the game files I made the same.
1. I opened my plant.jpg file in
GIMP. I then exported the file as plant.dds.
2. I did the same with the
plant_small.jpg. I exported the file as plant_small.dds.
3. I pasted this two .dds files of
my plant image into the artifact folder.
Part 4: Testing
Since my image is not yet connected
to any event, I will test it by replacing the Iron Crown of Lombardia.
1. I renamed my plant.dds and
plant_small.dds to iron_crown_of_lombardy.dds and iron_crown_of_lombardy_small.dds
respectively. I made a backup of the original files. I then replaced the folder
files with my newly modified files.
2. I opened the game. I started a new
game. I search for people. Searches for artifacts can be performed like searching
for characters. I searched iron and selected the king. I looked into his
inventory and success.
3. After success, I did replaced the changed files with the original so that I will have the proper image for the crown back.
What we accomplished. We created an
image file and replaced a game image with this file. This process can be used
in many other modifications for the game. For this case it was artifacts, but
it could be used with boarders, interface, etc. Note the file extensions, where
images must be placed, and the size of those images to match that of the game.
It was fun. Hopefully, this image will be used for future events in the society.
