I have discovered it is possible to paint outside the map area (mapdefault.bmp) of the instruction screen. Now you can change much of the instruction screen a lot more easily, without having to install a mod, as the bitmap is packaged inside the scn/x file itself!
The following was copypasted and edited slightly from a post of mine in theMMC thread.
- The original mapdefault is 628*278 pixels
- OK button shifts position, do not depend on it being in the exact same spot (MrCheeze)
- Entire instruction screen uses same color palette as map (MrCheeze)
Questions to investigate as of 8-3-08 03:39 AM ET (US):8/9/08 these questions have been answered (unless you have a better answer!). Look for new questions and stuff in the posts below
- Does using transparency black for unchanged areas really help compression reduce file size?
- What happens when you use an edited language.dll? Can you change what the buttons say? If so, do the buttons change size or stay the same?
Existing bitmap information available in:
Siege Workshoparticle, Useful Design Links
So please post about your bitmapping adventures here!
I'm not allowed to play AoE now so I can't test anything new, but I expect the community will keep this alive.please?
Template:
http://aoe.heavengames.com/dl-php/showfile.php?fileid=2103
(thanks MrCheeze!)
*seems to me MrCheeze likes this very much*
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The best stuff I made for Age of Empires:
Composite Editor 1.1 Rated 5.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (Utility)
Coke vs. Pepsi Rated 4.4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ⅖ (Multi player scenario)
The Map of the World (Real world map)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The following was copypasted and edited slightly from a post of mine in the
Mapdefault.bmp is NOT the largest size possible. At the resolution of 1024*768, the bitmap may take up to exactly 827*405 pixels. Using black as transparency, you canKnown information as of 8-3-08 03:19 AM ET (US):
-Put people sitting on the chairs around the map table
-Replace the helmets/bottles etc. with your own objects e.g. a Coke bottle
-Put a little dialog box over the OK button
There are many more possibilities.
I used Gimp to do my bitmap editing. I remember it uses a palette of 255 or 256 colors. The key to making stuff look good was correct Dithering. You first have to extract the palette from mapdefault.bmp. Try out different methods of dithering. Don't dither text if it is a small font. Don't dither things that are already dithered, like stuff taken from screen shots in-game. You can use transparency, just remember to replace with black after you're done.
- The original mapdefault is 628*278 pixels
- OK button shifts position, do not depend on it being in the exact same spot (MrCheeze)
- Entire instruction screen uses same color palette as map (MrCheeze)
Questions to investigate as of 8-3-08 03:39 AM ET (US):
- Does using transparency black for unchanged areas really help compression reduce file size?
- What happens when you use an edited language.dll? Can you change what the buttons say? If so, do the buttons change size or stay the same?
Existing bitmap information available in:
Siege Workshop
So please post about your bitmapping adventures here!
I'm not allowed to play AoE now so I can't test anything new, but I expect the community will keep this alive.
Template:
(thanks MrCheeze!)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The best stuff I made for Age of Empires:
Composite Editor 1.1 Rated 5.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (Utility)
Coke vs. Pepsi Rated 4.4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ⅖ (Multi player scenario)
The Map of the World (Real world map)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[This message has been edited by zapdotep (edited 08-09-2008 @ 05:30 AM).]