Intro Screen

    Ok this is prob a basic question but I dont seem to be able to change the freelancer load start screen. the one after the video intro just before the first menu comes on. Iv tried opening the orig TGA and BMP up and pasting my image over the top then saving them at 32bit and 16bit. I have noticed that the alpha chan is ticked? for some reason when I run my mod it shows the orig picture. Iv checked freelancer direc and my images are in there while my mod is running, however when loading the game they dont show up? I have changed both startupscreen and startupscreen_1280 for both but still no joy.


    Any one have an idea of what im doing wrong?

    Are your tga's compressed, or uncompressed...


    What image editing app are you using, there have been some that claim to save uncompressed but which always compress...


    Google for 'irfanview' and download and install, its a freeware image viewing and conversion tool, speaks more image languages than just about anything, costs nothing, and it can tell the difference in tga formats...

    AestheticDemon


    Terror Trooper #666


    Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day...
    Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life...

    I use PhotoShop CS2. As far as I know as im not currently looking atm they are uncomp. I have got it to work in the past but that was years ago.

    Hmm try 32bit uncompressed, with a totaly white alpha channel, and make sure the alpha channel name is 'Alpha Channel 1', and see how that goes...

    AestheticDemon


    Terror Trooper #666


    Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day...
    Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life...

    If you are referring to the startupscreen, and not to the menu background (front_freelancerlogo.tga) you just need to make a normal TGA file without RDA compression or RLE Compression, which can cause a crash when you arrive at the section where the .tga element needs to be loaded.


    In order to have your own startupscreen, you just need to make a normal .tga file with any kind of resolution (Making it at 1680x1050 is a good step) since Freelancer automatically resizes it in base of your screen ratio and resolution. This can correct the issue of 1280x1024 startupscreens being cropped to a resolution of lets say, 1920x1200, I can assure you that you can see each pixel and the overall result is just ugly.



    So, to make it brief.


    Go to GIMP/Photoshop


    Create a new project of 1680x1050, an Alpha Channel in a starupscreen is not necessary since trasparency is worthless.
    When you are done, save it as a .tga and check that RDA and RLE Compression are NOT enabled, or you'll get a black screen, or a CTD.


    Then, you just need to overwrite all the starupscreens with this file, you don't need to make different versions of it. Just rename it and overwrite everything.

    Quote from AestheticDemon

    Hmm try 32bit uncompressed, with a totaly white alpha channel, and make sure the alpha channel name is 'Alpha Channel 1', and see how that goes...


    Actually AD, having a white Alpha Channel and having No Alpha Channel is the same thing. Alpha Channels are only used if you want to enable trasparency on a certain background. I used that to make a sort of 'window' effect for the menu of Continuum, but having an alpha channel on a startupscreen is pretty worthless.

    Quote from AestheticDemon

    The vanilla tga's are 32bit.

    @ AestheticDemon


    Er no they are not. Where does this information come from? The two startup screen tga's are both 24 bit uncompressed tga files. I normally make a new one and copy and paste it into the original, works everytime, never screwed it up yet. I use paintshop pro 7 which is free if you look around the net a bit

    Quote from Gibbon

    @ AestheticDemon


    Er no they are not. Where does this information come from? The two startup screen tga's are both 24 bit uncompressed tga files. I normally make a new one and copy and paste it into the original, works everytime, never screwed it up yet. I use paintshop pro 7 which is free if you look around the net a bit


    The information comes from loading the original vanilla tga's into MY copy of psp 7, then checking to see if they have an alpha by using the load from alpha command on the mask menu, they do, an all white alpha, it also comes from checking the file info with irfanview, 24 bit colour plus an 8 bit alpha, 32 bit...


    Please dont make me post a screenshot of software you use, showing the data you say isn't there... check for your self.

    AestheticDemon


    Terror Trooper #666


    Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day...
    Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life...

    I have checked, they are 24 bit. The alpha channels aren't even used. There is only one tga file i know of where the alpha channel is applied and that's front_freelancerlogo.tga. The two startup screens don't use alpha channels therefore they are 24 bit. Please don't lecture me on this as i've been doing this a hell of a lot longer than you have. I can create startup screens with my eyes shut and they will all be 24BIT TGA WITH NO COMPRESSION. Only way they will work. Get off my back AD!!


    spuder
    If you still have issues, drop me a mail with the images and i'll convert them for you

    ok made sum totally fresh one's both startupscreen and startupscreen_1280 and saved them 24bit no RLE compression both at 1280 res. loaded the game still got a blank screen and now the game is running extremely slow in 800x600??? removed the image files and its fine again lol I must be doin sumit really wrong just dont know what as iv followed your advice to the letter and double checked before saving the file.


    may try using a different program just on the off chance its a setting I have on PS thats doing it.

    Example.rar


    ^ Those are the Continuum files related to the startup screen, test them and try to see where are you 'doing it wrong'. Just copy & paste them in Interface/Intro/Images



    If they work, it seems that you are doing something wrong while you save them.


    Things that you need to remember:
    - 24 bit is standard for Freelancer, you won't notice no change between 24 bit and 32 bit unless you are on a 1920x1200 LED monitor
    - RLE compression isn't supported by Freelancer
    - ADE compression isn't supported by Freelancer
    - RDA compression isn't supported by Freelancer
    - Alpha Channels for Startupscreens are useless, since there is no use for them. (Remove the Alpha Channel)

    @ Spuder


    Right. Make two images an 800x600 and a 1280x960. Open up the original two TGA startup screen images, copy and paste yours into these and save them.You don't need to delete the alpha channel as you're saving it as a 24bit uncompressed TGA file and is one of only 3 options available to you in PSP (Paint Shop Pro at least). I've never had to delete the alpha channel in all the ones i've created and they always work. That should do it. As i said, if you're having issue i'll do them for you as it's a 2 minute job.

    Quote from Gibbon

    I have checked, they are 24 bit. The alpha channels aren't even used. There is only one tga file i know of where the alpha channel is applied and that's front_freelancerlogo.tga. The two startup screens don't use alpha channels therefore they are 24 bit. Please don't lecture me on this as i've been doing this a hell of a lot longer than you have. I can create startup screens with my eyes shut and they will all be 24BIT TGA WITH NO COMPRESSION. Only way they will work. Get off my back AD!!


    Get off YOUR back?


    I've been involved in cgi since the early 90's, I do have SOME experience with image file formats, I didn't say the alphas were used in those images, just that they are there, solid white fill, everything visible, totaly redundant. If you were as 'experienced' as you claim, you would know that psp7 refers to images with 24 bit colour as 24bit, regardless of the presence of an alpha channel, so a psp7 '24bit' image can be 24 bit OR 32 bit, and the status line will report it the same way.


    If you were as experienced as you claim, you would know how to check what the file format actually is, rather than just reading what you see in the psp7 status bar.


    I realise that some people have been trying to start a fashio here, recently, in which my being over 18 is taken as evidence of galloping senile dementia, but I aint brain dead yet...


    For the benefit of the hard of thinking...


    Attached, one screen grab, showing the file info for the original, unaltered vanilla install startupscreen_1280.tga, please note the info about ORIGINAL COLOURS, as stored in the file, where it says 16.7 million colours, 32 bit, that is RGBA, and get off my back...

    AestheticDemon


    Terror Trooper #666


    Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day...
    Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life...

    Quote from Gibbon

    Right. Make two images an 800x600 and a 1280x960. Open up the original two TGA startup screen images, copy and paste yours into these and save them.You don't need to delete the alpha channel as you're saving it as a 24bit uncompressed TGA file and is one of only 3 options available to you in PSP (Paint Shop Pro at least). I've never had to delete the alpha channel in all the ones i've created and they always work. That should do it. As i said, if you're having issue i'll do them for you as it's a 2 minute job.



    He doesn't need to delete the alphas? What alphas? The alphas I said were there, the ones you called me a fool or liar for refering to? the 8 bit alphas than added to the 3 8 bit rgb colour channels, make 32 bit.?


    You call me a liar, then calmly refer to NOT deleting the channels that you claimed dont exist?


    Outstanding...


    So, the sum total of your posts on this thread is to repeat the details of the fileformat I suggested he use, Uncompressed 32 bit rgba, with an all white, alpha, with a brief side trip to "Gratuitous personal insult against AD" land along the way

    AestheticDemon


    Terror Trooper #666


    Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day...
    Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life...