Included in Build Interface Screenshots for Ships

[Armada]

You're on the right lines there.
All I would say is that the ship should be under full sail, with only the sea and sky in the background.
So basically in a similar style to the stock images. At least, that's my opinion.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Is the size ok? Is 128 X 128 still preferred? That was just a random screenie I had laying around.

 

[Armada]

Yes, 128x128 is the size of the border for each image, and looks fine in-game.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Are they not displayed as 256x256 in some interfaces? If so, we might want to make the images 256x256 as well.
Downsizing is better than upsizing, right?

 

[Armada]

Are they not displayed as 256x256 in some interfaces? If so, we might want to make the images 256x256 as well.
Downsizing is better than upsizing, right?

Are they? I haven't really noticed.
But that means I need to redo my grid template, to make it the larger size. Hopefully making it twice as big won't affect the quality so much.

Oh by the way, now that I've cracked the Battle Interface image code, I've made a couple of adjustments here and there, so that some classes match up properly on some ships. I've mostly adjusted the HSP and other added ships, plus the steam frigates (they're actually class 5 ships, not class 3).
See ships_init.c in my FTP folder.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Ok, how is this? 256 X 256. Tis better to downsize than upsize. This is index1.

 

[Armada]

They don't come better than that.
Actually, it might help if you name it after the model name, for easy reference.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Are they? I haven't really noticed.
But that means I need to redo my grid template, to make it the larger size. Hopefully making it twice as big won't affect the quality so much.

For me, they end up displayed as approximately 256x256 and there's a noticeable quality drop due to the enlarging that occurs, but it's not too bad.
However, it appears it very heavily depends on the resolution you play the game in and I play in very high: 1600x900.
The original game's files were 128x128 though, so we could decide to stick with that.
In any case, I don't think more than 256x256 will be required whatever resolution you play in.

 

[Armada]

For me, they end up displayed as approximately 256x256 and there's a noticeable quality drop due to the enlarging that occurs, but it's not too bad.
However, it appears it very heavily depends on the resolution you play the game in and I play in very high: 1600x900.

My game is slightly less at 1440x900, but I guess I've become so used to the interface pictures looking as they do, that I've never really noticed the low quality much.
It will be interesting to see what effect it has using bigger images.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Ok, I'll start on them. There are what,238?

 

[Armada]

I count 233, but a couple of them aren't actually in use in Patch 4.
Still, thanks for doing this!

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Indeed; thanks very much! You might want to just keep the original screenshots for future use.
After all, if you downsize and crop them now, you lose data that we might want again in the future for some purpose.

One request: If there's any nation-specific ships, could you try to match the flags hoisted with the nation of the ship?
Although at a small size, it might not be noticable, it might still give a bit of a weird impression to see a British ship under Spanish flag or something.

You know the "scroll through ships" trick with the console, right?
And F9 to hide the battle interface for screenshot purposes?

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Hmm. I didn't know about F9. Will have to try it. Some of the small ships have huge jibbooms that make it hard to fit the ship in without getting other things in there also.

I have been scrolling through the lineup with F12 and have done 60 ships so far. I've been deleting the original screenies, but can save them no problem. I only deleted them to keep from confusing myself and cropping the wrong screeny. What data would be lost?

I have been using the NH flag for all ships. I have not done many nation specific ships yet and can go back and redo them later.

Some samples. They are the name of the ship and then its index number so I know where I am.

 

[Armada]

Nice job so far!
I think Pieter means that you should keep your original screenshots and your square cropped ones, so that the full resolution originals could be used if ever they were needed for another purpose.
The only data that would be lost is most of the resolution if you delete them.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Indeed that's what I mean. It doesn't matter much if you removed them, but I was thinking it might be good to keep them if you still can.
Personal flag on the ships is fine as well, though feel free to do nation-correct ones as well when they start showing up.
In any case, do as you wish and it'll be fine.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Ok, I started saving them but I don't know why. They are easy to make, with the biggest issue being clicking on F12 200 times to get to the ship one wants. And they are bmps.

I managed to get 109 done when the PotC install died. CTD city. Old games, new games, nothing works. I brought another install up to patch 4 and did a ship there, but the weather is different so I will sit in the tavern until it clears up. GAWD! I wish this program was stable!

I am doing national flags now.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Replace:

if(!Checkattribute(pchar,"cheatship")) Pchar.cheatship = 0;

With:

if(!Checkattribute(pchar,"cheatship")) Pchar.cheatship = [index of first ship you want to take a screenshot of];

That way, when you start a new game, you don't have to press hundreds of times before getting where you want.
Now you can start straight from the ship you want.

 

[Armada]

I managed to get 109 done when the PotC install died. CTD city. Old games, new games, nothing works. I brought another install up to patch 4 and did a ship there, but the weather is different so I will sit in the tavern until it clears up. GAWD! I wish this program was stable!

When it's stable, it'll be finished. And vice versa.
'Till then we've just gotta clamp down on these bugs and get rid of 'em.
Any idea what caused your CTD's? My advice would be to take note of when CTD's happen, in relation to any work you or anyone else has done recently.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Aww, I was just venting. It's best to let it out and move on. These were the old "it gets to the spinning coin and ctds" kind. It didn't matter if it was an old quest or a brand new one.

 

[konradk]

I'm sorry for long-time quiescence/mute period, as comparing to the timescale of PM I've received (to show my inappropriate English).

 

Bad news- there's a slight problem with these new screenshots in the shipyard interface:



[attachment=5640:Shipyard_pic.jpg]

All the images are shifted up, to avoid the writing covering the hull in the image. This doesn't look right for screenshots with no alpha maps.
And I certainly don't want to cut out an outline for 200+ ships!
EDIT: Yes, all-new screenshots might be the way forward. Any volunteers? :

To show ship images correctly in a scroll person shall edit RESOURCE\INI\INTERFACES\shipyard.ini and RESOURCE\INI\NEW_INTERFACES\shipyard.ini, find [SCROLLITEMS] entry and comment out (or delete) the line:

PicOffset2        = -18

If we would want to have one ship picture per image we  would either resign from using scrolls (and, i.e. put picture with arrows instead) or put separate entries for every picture in RESOURCE\INI\INTERFACES\pictures.ini (like it's done for character portraits).

pirate_kk