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This is MonsterMan's tutorial to modding the tech tree. In my first example we're going to move the tech Synthetic Fibres (Modern Era). SF has the default coordinates (X)415 by (Y)88. X means left to right and Y means top to bottom. The coordinates places the top-left corner of Synthetic Fibres' tech box 415 pixels to the right and 88 pixels from the top of the screen. If you do a Print Screen of the tech three screen in Civilization III and paste it into a graphic program you can verify this for yourself. This is also a good tip to measure where you want to place new techs without having to restart the game (...so often).
Let's say Synthetic Fibres is too far to the right. Replace its X coordinate with the number 375. This will make the Modern era tech tree look like Screenshot 1. Now back up and then open science_modern.pcx in your CivilizationIII\Art\Advisors folder. It helps to use a solid pcx file handler like Paintshop Pro, available for free evaluation at www.jasc.com.
You'll see the familiar blue arrows on smoky-stone background, except there isn't any tech boxes. Fortunately the tech boxes are created dynamically from information in the editor. In the top left corner there are two arrows sprouting from the Ecology tech; the top one leads to synthetic fibres tech box.
Open "modern_arrow_head.gif" in your Tutorial folder. Use PSP's magic arrow to only select the arrowhead, not the background. Copy it, and paste as selection on the Modern tech page. Move the arrowhead to the left of the old arrowhead so that the new arrowhead is exactly 367 pixels from the left side of the Modern tech page. It should look like Screenshot 2.
Now select a rectangular area of the smoky-stone background, copy it and paste as new selection. Move the area over the right (old) arrow parts so that it looks like it does in Screenshot 3. It's not 100% necessary but you'll save time from future confusion if you do. You can see the end result in Screenshot 4.
Keep in mind that the arrows on the tech pages sometimes continue beneath the tech boxes. The arrow between Ecology and Recycling is very short in the game, yet it's quite long on the tech page. Don't get confused by it.
CONNECTING NEW DOTS
Take a look at Screenshot 5. You'll see two new techs, 'Advanced Rocketry' which is a prerequisite for 'Mecha'. The mod works in its present form, but players will be confused looking at the Tech page. "What prerequisite does 'Mecha' have?" they'll wonder, so we're going to save them the time of looking in the civilopedia entry by connecting 'Advanced Rocketry' with 'Mecha'.
Open "modern_arrow_butt.gif", copy and paste it as new selection and put it where it should be on the tech page. Here is a good tip: whenever you save science_modern.pcx, the changes will be displayed in the game almost right away. I keep CivilizationIII open and displaying the tech tree and switch over to it after I've modified the tech tree template, to see what happens. The result can be seen in Screenshot 6. I'm assuming you don't want to connect exactly like I did so I'm not posting coordinates.
Open up "modern_arrow_horiz.gif" and resize it horizontally as much you need. For me, the size 200x4 did the trick (Screenshot 7). Use the 'smart size' option if you're using paintshop pro.
Well, in my tech tree I had a series of bends and twists. With the tips in the tutorial you shouldn't have any problems. There are two "modern_arrow_bend" because the tech line is irregular, e.g. it is shaded with light coming from the top, so you can only rotate one image in so many directions before the shading comes on the wrong (bottom) side. In Screenshot 8 I used both images.
In the Tutorial folder you'll also find components for techs in the other three ages, or you can create your own from the tech tree templates in CivilizationIII\Art\Advisors. Once again, *backup everything* !
Good luck!
MonsterMan (webmaster@overvikt.se)
2002-02-27
This is MonsterMan's tutorial to modding the tech tree. In my first example we're going to move the tech Synthetic Fibres (Modern Era). SF has the default coordinates (X)415 by (Y)88. X means left to right and Y means top to bottom. The coordinates places the top-left corner of Synthetic Fibres' tech box 415 pixels to the right and 88 pixels from the top of the screen. If you do a Print Screen of the tech three screen in Civilization III and paste it into a graphic program you can verify this for yourself. This is also a good tip to measure where you want to place new techs without having to restart the game (...so often).
Let's say Synthetic Fibres is too far to the right. Replace its X coordinate with the number 375. This will make the Modern era tech tree look like Screenshot 1. Now back up and then open science_modern.pcx in your CivilizationIII\Art\Advisors folder. It helps to use a solid pcx file handler like Paintshop Pro, available for free evaluation at www.jasc.com.
You'll see the familiar blue arrows on smoky-stone background, except there isn't any tech boxes. Fortunately the tech boxes are created dynamically from information in the editor. In the top left corner there are two arrows sprouting from the Ecology tech; the top one leads to synthetic fibres tech box.
Open "modern_arrow_head.gif" in your Tutorial folder. Use PSP's magic arrow to only select the arrowhead, not the background. Copy it, and paste as selection on the Modern tech page. Move the arrowhead to the left of the old arrowhead so that the new arrowhead is exactly 367 pixels from the left side of the Modern tech page. It should look like Screenshot 2.
Now select a rectangular area of the smoky-stone background, copy it and paste as new selection. Move the area over the right (old) arrow parts so that it looks like it does in Screenshot 3. It's not 100% necessary but you'll save time from future confusion if you do. You can see the end result in Screenshot 4.
Keep in mind that the arrows on the tech pages sometimes continue beneath the tech boxes. The arrow between Ecology and Recycling is very short in the game, yet it's quite long on the tech page. Don't get confused by it.
CONNECTING NEW DOTS
Take a look at Screenshot 5. You'll see two new techs, 'Advanced Rocketry' which is a prerequisite for 'Mecha'. The mod works in its present form, but players will be confused looking at the Tech page. "What prerequisite does 'Mecha' have?" they'll wonder, so we're going to save them the time of looking in the civilopedia entry by connecting 'Advanced Rocketry' with 'Mecha'.
Open "modern_arrow_butt.gif", copy and paste it as new selection and put it where it should be on the tech page. Here is a good tip: whenever you save science_modern.pcx, the changes will be displayed in the game almost right away. I keep CivilizationIII open and displaying the tech tree and switch over to it after I've modified the tech tree template, to see what happens. The result can be seen in Screenshot 6. I'm assuming you don't want to connect exactly like I did so I'm not posting coordinates.
Open up "modern_arrow_horiz.gif" and resize it horizontally as much you need. For me, the size 200x4 did the trick (Screenshot 7). Use the 'smart size' option if you're using paintshop pro.
Well, in my tech tree I had a series of bends and twists. With the tips in the tutorial you shouldn't have any problems. There are two "modern_arrow_bend" because the tech line is irregular, e.g. it is shaded with light coming from the top, so you can only rotate one image in so many directions before the shading comes on the wrong (bottom) side. In Screenshot 8 I used both images.
In the Tutorial folder you'll also find components for techs in the other three ages, or you can create your own from the tech tree templates in CivilizationIII\Art\Advisors. Once again, *backup everything* !
Good luck!
MonsterMan (webmaster@overvikt.se)
2002-02-27