New Icons

[Cameronius]

Anyone,
How do I edit new icons into the game? I have some .bmp files that Plasmacrab drew for me and I want to know how to use the SHP editor to get them into the game.

[thatguy96]

I recommend Plasmakrab's step by step explanation in this thread:

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...b=5&o=&fpart=1

It confused me until I tried recently and found his explanation to the point and accurate, and I've been doing it just fine since.

[PlasmaKrab]

Hey, I knew I had done something like that at some point!

I've just edited the original post (with clearer steps and better english...), with any luck it should be easier to understand.

[thatguy96]

Yeah, I went back recently and tried it again and for some reason this time it made sense. Its actually quite a good description of the process.

[PlasmaKrab]

Frankly, everyone, open the SHPed help file (question mark button, obvious) and read it through and through, several times if needed.
I've just tried expanding my walkthrough into a full-fledged tutorial including screen captures etc, and found myself copying most of the material from the help file.
Give it several readings if need be, but it really makes sense in the end.

[DRG]

I have used SHPEdit so many times and for so long I don't even think about it being in the least bit difficult anymore. I helped Fred work some of the last bugs out of it.

However, the number one thing that trips up newbies using this is forgetting that AFTER you make the first addition to a file that you MUST ( must , must...... NO forgetting allowed ) S*T*O*P and go no further then load the file BIGNEW.SHP before doing ANYTHING else and THEN you can continue on and then, once you are done you must MANUALLY go into the SHP folder.....DELETE the old file ( lets call it Icon0034.shp for this example ) then RENAME BigNew.SHP to the file you originally started editing ( in this case it's Icon0034.shp )

Once you remember that it's BIGNEW.SHP that is your working SHP file and you must open that after your first edit ( your first edit CREATES Bignew.shp ) you're well on your way to understanding and using SHPEdit. The last thing to remember is to delete that old file when you are done ( or rename it......I recommend renaming it just in case something goes wrong ) and then RENAMING Bignew.shp to that original SHP files name

Don

[thatguy96]

Yeah, that was what got me confused. Also, is there anything different you have to do to get an SHP to handle turreted icons or invisible turrets? And how would you do that?

[DRG]

OK, now I'm going to complicate things even more for you.


First, the SHP file has to be set up to be turreted or not in the game code. That info can be found by opening WINSPMBT_MasterIconList.txt ( or SPWW2-MasterIcon.txt for WinSPWW2 ) and looking for a file that has a set of sequential numbers like this example

{7456, 7457}, //1074. M60A3 Plow (UN / Winter White)

when you see something like this it's set up to work as a turreted Icon ---7456 would be the hull and 7457 is the turret but.......

this is important ......


Those numbers are GAME CODE. It's what the game reads to find an Icon. 74 is the SHP file number and 56 is fifty sixth spot in the file as read by the game to view the hull...IN THE GAME

However ..... if you open up SHPfile 74 with shpedit and enter 56 in the Image number window you will NOT find M60A3 Plow (UN / Winter White) hull. You will find {7454, 7455}, //1073. M60A3 Plow (desert) hull and the reason for that is......

1] The game counts spots in a SHP file from zero and Shpedit counts from 1


and.....

2} The game ignores the first file in a SHP file and starts reading the file AFTER the first slot AS ZERO


This means if you want to find an Icon in the game with SHPEdit you need to add 2 to whatever number you find in WINSPMBT_MasterIconList.txt. That M60A3 Plow (UN / Winter White) hull would be in slot 58 to SHPEdit

so, if you are looking for

{7400, 7401}, //1046. M60 -green

you would type 2 into SHPEdit to find the hull and 3 to find the turret.

It's second nature after you've done it for 8 years or so

As to your other questions if you are looking for a non turreted slot you would look for something like this...

{5700, -1}, //3100.

-1 = no turret

If you are looking for an Invisible turret ( for AAMG's etc ) you can use a regular turreted Icon slot then make a BMP for a SHP file with a single pixel used in the upper left corner as the turret OR you can find a file I set up specifically with the invisible turret already assigned to slot 6976 like this...

Icon 0059 ************************************************** ***********************************
// Invisible turrets for Icons with AAMG's on non turreted vehicles ONLY.
{5900,6976}, //3300.


Don

[thatguy96]

Alright, good to know. Not really too complicated either.