17-03-2000 20:22									#1
	Faction graphics, colours, blurbs etc Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

I've been seeing a lot of posts lately on using custom factions, pcx files, editing colours etc. I am also wrestling with this in the help section. That area does not get a lot of traffic or people simply don't know.

Perhaps we can use this thread as a how too or an faq on the subject.

Question: How do you load a custom faction into smacx using the faction editor while maintaining that custom faction's graphic set, sidebar colours(for units), base icons, base colours, and text blurbs?

I have also searched passed threads, they often come close but seem to skirt the subject somewhat.

The custom faction guru is out there somewhere, please help us kind sir!

	18-03-2000 01:41									#2
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Grosjos,

Hmmm... Have not had a problem with this as far as keeping the custom graphics assigned to the custom faction.
Will try and cover the basics that have given other ppl trouble in the past. Once you made your custom faction, named it, and saved it. Take the graphics files that you want that faction to use and rename them to the appropriete name for that custom faction (ex. If your custom faction is called DOGS, take the graphics files you want to use for them and change the graphics files name to DOGS1.pcx/DOGS2.pcx/DOGS3.pcx) The custom faction will now load these as it's graphics set and will even list it under grahic set in the faction editor (Once you have them showing up as the graphics set in the faction editor , don't change graphic sets with the editor, do it manualy by renaming files)

You also mentioned blurbs? Not sure what kind of problem you are having here (although there is a spacing problem in some of the blurb fields that can give trouble) Can you be a little more specific?

Not sure if that helped any or was even on the right track :/

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"Power does not corrupt; it merely attracts the corruptable"


[This message has been edited by Bblue (edited March 17, 2000).]

	18-03-2000 04:09									#3
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Thanks Bblue. It works. The problem is once I begin a game the side bars for the units are transparent except for the energy line showing the health of the units. You really have to watch your screen closely to find your units etc. It makes it awfully confusing in mid-late game. Or when you are stacked with an allies units.

Seems to me the facedit is a good idea gone wrong or Firaxis simply added it as a last minute after thought.

	18-03-2000 11:44									#4
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The sidebar colors along with text colors for SMACX are determined by the little boxs at the bottom of the the .pcx file contianing the base graphics. By the sound of your sidebar color problem I would expect that these colors are set to the transparency and/or opaque colors from the color pallete, try coloring the boxs a slightly different color (wish I could be more specific here but alot of the transparency stuff depends on what paint program you use)

One thing also comes to mind here... If you are loading a graphics set that was originally made for a SMAC custom faction (not SMACX) It will not have the little color boxes (this was added in SMACX) and the result would be inviible faction colors.. are your unit colors as well as the sidebars transparent? If this is the problem you will need to transfer the graphics from that .pcx file and 'cut and paste' it onto a blank SMACX .pcx file (this can be a major hassel unless you have figured out the nuiances of SMACX graphics modification)

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"Power does not corrupt; it merely attracts the corruptable"

	20-03-2000 18:48									#5
	Remove this text

re: SMACX faction editor

good for most things, but screws up your treaty text. for 4-of-4 tries, either creates bad treaty text or messes up good (hand-done) text. usual symptom is the accept and decline text is reversed and butchered.

do the editor as normal, but your own treaty text. saves lots of headache.
heck, i find it faster to copy a current SMACX faction and replace manually....

TeknoMerc

[This message has been edited by TeknoMerc (edited March 20, 2000).]