Editing reticules

[Shadow_Spyder 0]

Ok, so i'm not sure if this is the correct place for this... but here goes anyway:

I want to edit some reticules, specifically the M16 ACOG. I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction to get started, which programs i'll need, which files i'll need to look at, ect. Also, possibly a tutorial for what to do in photoshop or whatever? I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

[sander 14]

Hi,

That depends on what you are trying to achieve. The following tools are needed for making an adapted ACOG using the ODOL optika_acog.p3d in the Weapons.pbo:

* Eliteness to unpack and repack PBO files

* Texview2 to convert .PAA and .TGA files

* Drawing program like Gimp or Photoshop

* Hexadecimal editor to convert texture paths

* Text editor (or use Eliteness for this purpose as well) to make the config cpp for your addon

In this example you are making a new addon called my_weapons.pbo, ofcourse change the my_ to an appropriate tag when planning on releasing it.

You first copy the weapons.pbo to another location, then you unpack the file with Eliteness. After that you look up the optika_acog.p3d, this is the model for the ACOG sight picture. This file you move to a fodler called my_weapons. The texture files referenced are in the data folder, acog_scope_ca.paa for the reticle and puskohled_lh.paa for the generic black edge. Now open the the acog_scope_ca.paa with Texview2 and then save it as acog_scope_ca.tga in the folder my_weapons\data. Then open acog_scope_ca.tga with the drawing program and change the sight picture and the alpha channel (this channel determines which parts of the picture are transparent, black for completely transparent, white for completely non transparant, gray shades for different degrees of transparancy). Once you are done with adapting the tga file, open it with Texview2 and save it as a .paa file. Use the hexadecimal editor to open the optika_acog.p3d file and change all the references to the ca\weapons\data\acog_scope_ca.paa with for example a string my_weapons\data\acog_scope_ca.paa. Save it and rename it my_optika_acog.p3d. Now make a config cpp and define your new weapon, using a line that points the optic used to point to the my_weapons\my_optika_acog.p3d, which will be the model in the new my_weapons.pbo you are about to make. Now save the config in the my_weapons folder and use Eliteness to package the my_weapons folder. this will create a my_weapons.pbo which you can then move to your Addons folder of choice, either the original or more sensibly one in a modfolder. If you now arm a soldier in the eidtor with the new weapon, it ought to use the adapted ACOG sight picture.

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

#define _ARMA_

//Class config.bin{

class CfgPatches

{

class MY_WEAPONS

weapons[] =

{

"MY_M16ACOG"

};

requiredVersion = 1.000000;

};

};

class CfgModels

{

class Default { sections[] = {}; sectionsInherit=""; };

class Weapon: default {};

class my_weapon

{

sectionsInherit="Weapon";

sections[]={zasleh};

selectionFireAnim = "zasleh";

};

class my_optika_acog: my_weapon

{

sectionsInherit = "my_weapon";

sections[]=

{

"zasleh"

};

};

};

class CfgWeapons

{

/*extern*/ class Default;

/*extern*/ class RifleCore;

/*extern*/ class Rifle;

/*extern*/ M16A4_ACG;

class my_M16ACOG: M16A4_ACG

{

displayName = "M16 ACOG";

modelOptics = "\my_weapon\my_optika_acog";

class Library

{

libTextDesc = "This M16A4 ACOG has a new custom reticle.";

};

};

};

Regards,

Sander