XCom Images

[Galagher]

Does anyone know how to replace the wapon image files in Xcom? I can change them by using the bitmap import feature of PCKvew but this results in problems in game. Xcom ends up not knowing where these images end off and the next image in the Bigob shows up with the new one during play. I suspect that Bigobs.tab stores the image dimensions but I can't open it.

 

Any other details about how weapon mods are done would be helpful too. I'd be interested to know how a weapon that didn't have it before is given the autoshot ability, for instance. I've been digging through forums for a few days now but haven't found anything I can use as a sort of instruction manual.

[Zombie]

Does anyone know how to replace the weapon image files in Xcom? I can change them by using the bitmap import feature of PCKvew but this results in problems in game. Xcom ends up not knowing where these images end off and the next image in the Bigob shows up with the new one during play. I suspect that Bigobs.tab stores the image dimensions but I can't open it.

Check out the UNITS page in the X-COM Wiki. Some of that is bound to help. I'm not sure what the exact problem is, as I don't know the steps you were taking. PCKView should work: save the image as a BMP, edit the image with an outside program, then overwrite the old one image with the new one via PCK again. Just make sure you are conforming to the colors defined in the palette.

 

Any other details about how weapon mods are done would be helpful too. I'd be interested to know how a weapon that didn't have it before is given the autoshot ability, for instance. I've been digging through forums for a few days now but haven't found anything I can use as a sort of instruction manual.

Weapon information is found in OBDATA.dat which is found in the GEODATA folder. A great source of editing weapon stats can also be found in the OBDATA.DAT page in the wiki. All you really need to do to make a weapon have an auto shot is to edit obdata.dat[032] (auto accuracy) and [035] (auto TU %) to something other than 255 and you should be in business.

 

- Zombie

[BladeFireLight]

What version of PCKView are you useing? and what program are you useing to edit?

 

-Blade FireLight

[Zombie]

I was thinking about this today and my guess is that since you probably don't know much about editing obdata.dat you probably don't know about the image files associated with a weapon during game-play. Obdata[020] is the Bigobs.pck (inventory graphic) refrence, obdata[021] is Floorob.pck (item on ground graphic) reference and obdata[029] and [030] is Handob.pck (item in hands graphic) reference. You won't need to edit the obdata.dat refrences as it just points to the image located elsewhere. You will need to change those pck's accordingly for the weapon to look different throughout game-play.

 

- Zombie

[Bomb Bloke]

I didn't think any version of PCKView converts inventory images correctly. Does one of them actually do it?

[Galagher]

I didn't think any version of PCKView converts inventory images correctly. Does one of them actually do it?

 

I tried versions 1.2 and 1.4 of pckview but neither could do it. There is a thread elsewhere on the forum wherein this precise problem is discussed to no avail. People have figured this out before though, as evidenced by the downloads in the mod section. Zombie, thanks for the tips on files. Which wiki are you refering to though? If it is on this site I somehow missed it. Blade, I've been using Chris Voss' UFO editor from the download page. I'd prefer Clarkwehyr but I've had too many problems with it on XP.

[Zombie]

I'm referring to the wiki here. The page you are probably going to be most interested in is the Saved Game Files page. That's a great starting position.

 

As for PCKView, I tried using PCKView v 1.4.1-1 to convert a slightly modified bmp laser rifle (bigobs[0]) back into a PCK. No dice. The weapon is gone. I wonder what modders use for editing/modifying bigobs PCK images then? v 1.3? It's on daishivas TODO list though.

 

- Zombie

[Galagher]

I'm referring to the wiki here. The page you are probably going to be most interested in is the Saved Game Files page. That's a great starting position.

 

- Zombie

 

Ah yes, I thought you might mean the UFOpaedia. I'd be looking into their documentation on the game files but much of what I had been looking for had not been added yet. Someone had much more detailed information on the game files posted on a website but I lost the link and haven't been able to find it again.