How to - Loadscreens without a Tileset?

[Legacy_Fester Pot]

               

Happy New Year everyone!

So, I'm curious if anyone knows how to make loadscreens appear without an associated tileset to go along with them?


Loadscreens.2da uses a TileSet row entry that matches the .set name of a tileset.

 

The Crypt Tileset has a tdc01.set file, and the loadscreens.2da has a TileSet row reference of TDC01 as an example.


I'd like to create regional loadscreen entries, without requiring a tileset.

 

Let me state, I don't know what I'm doing, despite the warning in the .set file. '>

 

I made this modified .set file to get it to appear as a tileset option, in an attempt to display custom loadscreens.

 

; NEVERWINTER NIGHTS TILESET FILE
; DO NOT EDIT MANUALLY - UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING

[GENERAL]
Name=tff01
Type=SET
Version=V1.0
Interior=1
HasHeightTransition=0
EnvMap=thp01__ref01
Transition=3
DisplayName=-1
UnlocalizedName=Farrow Flatts
Border=Wall
Default=Wall
Floor=Inn

 

That's it. There is NOTHING else in tff01.set.


My loadscreens.2da references the set file in the appropriate row TileSet

 

306        Farrow01              AREA_TRANSITION_FARROW_01        farrow1     TFF01      ****
307        Farrow02              AREA_TRANSITION_FARROW_02        farrow2     TFF01      ****
308        Farrow03              AREA_TRANSITION_FARROW_03        farrow3     TFF01      ****
309        Farrow04              AREA_TRANSITION_FARROW_04        farrow4     TFF01      ****

All associated .tga files are in a custom hak farrow1.tga to farrow4.tga plus farrow1s.tga to farrow4s.tga.


I'm looking to add custom loadscreens as an entry to be selected under Area Properties - Advanced - Loading Screen without needing a tileset.


I thought the above would work. It does not. None of the custom loadscreens appear even though a Farrow Flatts tileset entry is available under the Loadscreen selection screen.


All of my other custom loadscreens work fine, but they're simply added on to an existing tileset - continuing the numbers under Winter Rural as an example.


Stumped at where to be looking to fix this, or what I've done wrong.


FP!

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_meaglyn]

               

I think you can leave the tileset entry out (****) of the 2da row, no?   I don't know anything about making a dummy tileset like  you have though so if you are trying to do something more than just get them to show up that may not be what you are looking for.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Proleric]

               Is it a problem to use an existing tileset? It's only a filter in the toolset, as you mention, so why not stick with Winter Rural?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Proleric]

               If it does matter, I imagine you could include the .set and .itp files (only) for a tileset you're never going to use, then refer to that tileset in loadscreens.2da.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

FP, just a shot in the dark here, but are your "small" loadscreen images the correct size? I had an image that was off by 1 pixel and it would not display the loadscreen in the menu.

 

I also believe that your SET file needs the following entries for it to be recognized by the engine...

 

[TILES]

count=0

 

[GROUPS]

count=0

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Zwerkules]

               You don't need a fake tileset unless you want it as a filter. As Meaglyn said you can simply put a **** into the appropriate row of the 2da file.
Is it just the pictures of your loadscreens that don't show or the names, too? If it is just the pictures, make sure they are TGA not DDS and the dimensions are right. If the names don't show check your loadscreens.2da.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_CaveGnome]

               I am interested in this subject. Not exactly for the same reasons, but perhaps new ideas to Fester Pot request could help me too. Le' me explain...


I need a way to display load screens or (better) any full screen picture under script control without area transitions (discarding the load bar and without area loading time penalty). For exemple: I got this fun boat ride inside an area, and to spice the lame boat travel, I want to display an "average Joe rowing a boat" when the player choose to cross the river...


The best ideas I came with are: make a special limited tileset (one tile?) with the needed picture, load that tileset and just after that, reload the initial tileset... Or a little better i think, use some controlled camera faked cut scene. Perhaps I could make a PC forbidden room where I stack special placeables skinned with my "rowing Joe picture" and when needed, freeze the player, fade to black and move the camera in front of the "rowing Joe" placeable... Is there something better, what do you think ?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Proleric]

               

I need a way to display load screens or (better) any full screen picture under script control without area transitions (discarding the load bar and without area loading time penalty). For exemple: I got this fun boat ride inside an area, and to spice the lame boat travel, I want to display an "average Joe rowing a boat" when the player choose to cross the river...

http://neverwinterva...-map-custom-gui


I'm using this for exactly that purpose.


It displays images full-screen. A standard placeable is provided which you can retexture for each image. The GUI aspect is optional - it allows radio buttons, but you can simply display the image for a time, or allow the player to escape.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Fester Pot]

               

Hi everyone, thanks for the replies. Just going to respond to each in turn.

 

 

 

I think you can leave the tileset entry out (****) of the 2da row, no?   I don't know anything about making a dummy tileset like  you have though so if you are trying to do something more than just get them to show up that may not be what you are looking for.

 

Yes, I have done this, and it works just fine. The issue with using a non-specific reference in the loadscreens.2da, is that it does not get bundled into a specific tileset selection. So an area would always have the same loadscreen no matter what. One could use random, but without it being tied into a tileset selection, it will randomly select a loadscreen from ALL loadscreens - crypt, dungeon, interior, etc., - compared to a random loadscreen for a specific tileset.

 

 

 

 

Is it a problem to use an existing tileset? It's only a filter in the toolset, as you mention, so why not stick with Winter Rural?

Not a problem at all. I could create custom loadscreens that overwrite Bioware loadscreens, but I thought to try this route and see how it works out.

 

 

 

 

If it does matter, I imagine you could include the .set and .itp files (only) for a tileset you're never going to use, then refer to that tileset in loadscreens.2da.

 

FP, just a shot in the dark here, but are your "small" loadscreen images the correct size? I had an image that was off by 1 pixel and it would not display the loadscreen in the menu.

 

I also believe that your SET file needs the following entries for it to be recognized by the engine...

 

[TILES]

count=0

 

[GROUPS]

count=0

 

You don't need a fake tileset unless you want it as a filter. As Meaglyn said you can simply put a **** into the appropriate row of the 2da file.

Is it just the pictures of your loadscreens that don't show or the names, too? If it is just the pictures, make sure they are TGA not DDS and the dimensions are right. If the names don't show check your loadscreens.2da.

Alright, so the selection for the tileset is available when I include a .set file as noted above.


The problem is that the screens themselves do not appear AT ALL under the selection of the faked tileset using the minimum .set file example above.


The loadscreens do appear if I dump them under a different tileset or use **** under the TileSet row.


Ideally, I'd like to have options for the regions a player can explore, create custom loadscreens and have it applied to a faked tileset, so it appears in the loadscreen selection screen. This way, I can select RANDOM and in that specific region, display a random loadscreen for that region. Just like one can do with the default bioware tilesets, it randomly picks a loadscreen if you select a tileset AND random.

 

FP!

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

FP, can you tie them to the Bioware micro tileset? No one uses that for anything that I'm aware of and you should be able to get your random selection working that way.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Proleric]

               @CaveGnome - I added some comments about using my package for splash screens when travelling:


http://neverwinterva...i#comment-15867