In-game Tab highlights...

[Legacy_the.gray.fox]

               Greetings.

When you press Tab, NWN highlights every object in view with
a colored aura. They also appear when you mouse hover an
object.
I would like to edit those very auras in order to remove them.

I do realize this is no simple edit task -- else I would have
done it by myself. So please jump that part :-)


------------------------------------------------------------
In order of importance:

-A-
The optimal solution for me would be the complete elimination
of every aura from every object.

-B-
If that can not be done, I would like to eliminate at least
the Green, Blue, Red and White auras from the game.

-C-
If they can not be eliminated, I would like to at least make
them the same exact color -any color-, so that they no longer
give away the Friend or Foe status of creatures/placeables.

-D-
And if not even _that_ can be done... can you suggest an
equivalent way to hide from a Player the IFF status of
creatures and placeables?
That is: a friend, a neutral, a foe, all three must look the
same when Tab is pressed.
------------------------------------------------------------


Help is appreciated.


-fox
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Alex Warren]

               Changing 'TARGETABLE' setting in appearance.2da should remove the aura (I read somebody suggested it as a fix for 1.69 scaled creatures). Don't know what other consequences it would have though - need to test it.

Edit (after some testing):
- it removes all auras from creatures (placeables are unaffected)
- you can still tell if target is friendly/neutral/hostile by the name text colour (green/blue/red) - i think nwnx can change that
- makes targeting a bit harder
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Alex Warren, 27 août 2011 - 11:24 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Jenna WSI]

               Is there a way to make a different colored aura around tabbed items you want people to notice?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_OldTimeRadio]

               

Jenna WSI wrote...
Is there a way to make a different colored aura around tabbed items you want people to notice?

This isn't a direct answer to your question (it's not controlled by tabbing), but I've seen some pretty neat effects done with VFX_DUR_AURA_* series of visual effects.  As in, walk into a trigger which makes a skill check and if the PC passes the check, it applies that effect to an object to call their attention to it.  You're probably already aware of that but I just wanted to toss that out there, if not.  There are a huge number of them listed in the NWN Lexicon 1.69 on the "VFX_DUR_* Constant Group" page, with screenshots of each.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_the.gray.fox]

               @ Jenna WSI
@ OldTimeRadio

If an aura is applied to a creature, when that creature travels to a new area her current aura fails to display.
The aura is still there (unless you did remove it), but it will not reappear until you mouse-hover the creature. Tapping the Tab key also works, if I remember correctly.
The glitch will reoccur as you change area again -- Very annoying.

Just thought to point it out.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As for the question I did ask, looks like there is no solution.
Auras are there and I have to keep them.

Alex Warren's suggestion was real nice (by the way, thank you).
But if a creature has a visible weapon equipped, the IFF aura will still appear around the weapon body.
The IFF-colored names would not be a problem. A color tag could fix them. But SetName() will not work on Player Characters, of all the stupid exceptions to the rules!

Never have I seen a game with more half-working half-features than NWN.
But ranting is pointless. People have short memory. Publishers will keep rushing half-games, and people will keep buying half games, so justifying the rushing. A vicious circle.


-fox
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Bardeyes]

               A little trick with non-animated placeables that I use, is the make them non-usable, and then drop and invisible object at the same location, and make that useable.  Then change the invis object’s name, description, icon, inventory, etc.  You still get a glow, but it’s much less obtrusive. 

As for NWN being more filled with half working half features than any other game, I must disagree. NWN is still being played and modded 10 years after its release, and for a computer game that’s ancient!  I’ve never seen a RPG that even comes close to what NWN offers in flexibility; be it for someone who just opens up the toolset and starts creating adventures, to the hack newbie that loads CEP and a few tileset hacks and dives in, to the hard-core modders that push NWN to the very edge of what it can do…and sometimes beyond what most people would believe possible.  I can’t count the number of times I've seen something and thought…how the hell did they DO that?

To me fair, I’ve also pulled out my hair a few times on things that should be easy, but are impossible.  
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Bardeyes, 29 août 2011 - 05:34 .