Custom Image/Title

[EricM 0]

Hi all,

I'd like to know how to put a custom picture (namely a logo) at the beginning of my mission.

I figured out how to play a custom music, how to script nice camera movements, but so far I've been unsuccessful with the graphic part.

I made a logo in .paa with transparencies, I found a command called Image, but it makes a text file according to wiki and even then I don't know how to show it...

At last, I read that the paa format was limited to sizes being powers of 2. but do they have to be squared (eg : 512*512) or can they be rectangular too (eg : 1024*512).

Are there other formats with transparencies supported inside Arma (tif, tga, gif, png ?) to create full screen overlays such as monitors, custom googles, TV sets for instance ? or are we stuck with .paa ?

Thanks for your help.

Regards

Eric

[EricM 0]

No one knows ? Please ? I'll buy you a cookie ?

Edit : Ok, almost 30 views and no answer, which probably means that they don't know either. Call me crazy, but I'll giveaway not one but two lollypops on top of the cookie if that's what it takes !!!!!

[snkman 351]

Hi EricM,

well you can use any size you want.

You can fit the Picture later with:

init.sqs

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">Titlecut ["","BLACK IN",25]

TitleRsc["INTRO","PLAIN"]

description.ext

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">class RscPicture

{

type=0;

idc=-1;

style=2;

colorBackground[]={0,0,0,0};

colorText[]={1,1,1,1};

font="BitStream";

size=1;

};

class RscTitles

{

titles[]={"Intro"};

class Intro

{

idd=-1;

movingEnable=0;

duration=22;

fadein=0;

name="Intro";

controls[]={"Helm"};

class Helm : RscPicture

{

style=48;

text="Picture.paa";

sizeEx = 0.04;

x=0.10;

y=0.15;

w=0.80;

h=0.35;

};

};

x,y is the position

w,h is the size

About the transparencies:

Yes it's possible just create a picture in ( for example Photoshop ) than save it to .tga open the picture with Texture Viewer 1.1 and save it to .paa

Now where is my cookie?

[EricM 0]

Thanks a lot mate, i'll try that asap.

Ok, choose the flavour : http://www.brentandsams.com/Cookies.aspx

(Note, it's the first online cookie seller I found, if you have your regular provider, let me know)

Though, if you had waited a little bit more I'd put a donut with it...

[snkman 351]

Your welcome.

I have updated the code so now it should be more easy for you to use it.

About the cookie keep it.

I'm sure you would have to pay more for the supply than for the cookie and till they arrive i can crack my teeth with it.

[EricM 0]

I was about to tell you the previous example seemed returned me a unknown class error message, but then you already have edited it !!!

You're the man. I'll try that and tell if I have a problem.

I still owe you a cookie some day on the battlefield.

thanks a lot.

[-SPA-LynxEye 0]

Well, just my first post. Sorry about my Tarzan English.

Yes you can put images inside the game with different sizes

than a squared box.

It's a trick:

As example: your original image has 128x55.

Easy solution:

Create an empty .paa of 128x128

Paste your original image on this new 'template' and fill the alpha channel from 128x56 till 128x128 with transparent info.

Black means transparent, White means Non Transparent.

I'm making no-squared-images with this way.

Well. I work with Photoshop in Spanish.

I'll try to translate it:

When you managing a .paa file, you can see in the 'Window' menu (maybe View menu) the item 'Channels'.

You will see as a listbox, this items:

- Channel R

- Channel G

- Channel B

- Channel Alpha.

Alpha channel is da man.

White pixels: As example, if the (x,y) 0,0 pixel of coloured layer (your image) is in alpha channel in white... it means

that your 0,0 pixel will be 'solid' pixel. It will be shown.

Black pixels: if your 0,0 pixel, in alpha channel is black, then your coloured pixel will be 'transparent'. It will be not shown.

As example, the ingame ArmA Red Cross image when near a MASH, field hospital or just you the medic rehealing others:

The original .paa file of that red cross, in alpha channel all is black except the 'red cross' thing, that is white.

So you can see only the red cross (in red) but the others pixels making the original squared image is missing, because alpha channel is saying 'hey ArmA, remember that White Alpha Pixels means Non Transparent, and Black ones means Transparent, just be cool and you will get a cookie".

In one word. Fill the rest of the image with transparent info till meeting the 2^8 law of ArmA .paa files

More details:

- if your image has a different size and don't wanna to resize because probably you will be f***ing the quality of the image... just use a bigger template.

Example: your image is 54x34 pix. Template will be 64x64.

Example: your image is 200x64 pix. Template will be 256x256.

Example: your image is 64x64. Template not needed.

In fact you can put images with different sizes, if you experimenting with the alpha channel you can put the image what you want in a pro way. It means, just wish your image,

and just manage with the transparent channel.

You can put circles, triangles, so complicated logos, text with transparent background... etc etc.

In a word: just wish your image and manage his alpha channel.

Tools needed:

- search in google or Wiki for an PAA.8bi from Kegetys if i am not wrong. That file is the plugin for Photoshop to manage .paa files. The original .zip from Kegetys is explaining you about his details about .paa files.

If you can do this and seeing that it works, then you understood my Tarzan English.

Sorry, i have to write a lot to be understood.

[EricM 0]

Gracias por tus consejos amigo. Aunque soy francés tambien hablo español.

No tengo problemas para crear la imagen, y controlo bastante Photoshop para saber como crear un canal alfa. Mi problema era más conocer las restricciones del formato paa y luego como hacer para que mis imagenes aparezcan luego en el juego como un titulo por ejemplo.

Thank mates. I got it working.

[-SPA-LynxEye 0]

Cool. Bonjour