[MOD] Icons

[Skycat1969]

3 hours ago, Skipper- said:

My mod won't show any more. I just see name, distance and a big triangle on everything.

Do I need to change install location perhaps?

 

Do you have mods enabled in the game's settings?

 

Also, I have never seen a prior mention of OVGME used with this series. It probably works... but I dunno.

[Skipper-]

This is what I see using the ICON_D_D_NL_SM_RB_DOT version.

Mods are enabled in the IL-2 game settings and installed to the D:\IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\MODS folder. That is correct isn't it? It's been a while

OVGME is just another mod installer, easier to use and better then JSGME as you can install to multiple games with one instance.

[Skycat1969]

I don't use a mod manager. I just copy the files directly into the main game folder (merge mod's "Data" folder with game's Data folder, etc.). It works for me because I'm conservative with my mods and I have no interest in the big packs or theater mods.

[Skipper-]

Huge fail on my part. I had selected the MODS folder as the Root folder, not the root IL-2 folder. All good now, thanks.

[kaizerhund4]

question, how do i make the small dot just a tad bigger? sometimes hard to see my target..

Edited June 26, 2022 by kaizerhund4

[Goffik]

On 6/26/2022 at 10:22 PM, kaizerhund4 said:

question, how do i make the small dot just a tad bigger? sometimes hard to see my target..

 

As has been explained a number of times now, you open the objects.dds file and repaint the icon (dot) to whatever size or shape you please.

[kaizerhund4]

thanks for the reply, i only read that you used GIMP, is there a tutorial of what you do or how to do it? never used gimp b4

Edited July 1, 2022 by kaizerhund4

[Billsponge1972]

  Sorry to Necro this thread but I would like to make Ptk's ICON mod permanent. I know about unGTP but when I look in the mod folder structure I find a "cache" folder that seems to have no equivalent in the .gtp file.

  It's the only mod I use all the time and I'd like to play with mods off.

  Anyone have thoughts on this?

Thanks.

 

[Stonehouse]

2 hours ago, Billsponge1972 said:

  Sorry to Necro this thread but I would like to make Ptk's ICON mod permanent. I know about unGTP but when I look in the mod folder structure I find a "cache" folder that seems to have no equivalent in the .gtp file.

  It's the only mod I use all the time and I'd like to play with mods off.

  Anyone have thoughts on this?

Thanks.

 

It's IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\swf\cache 

 

Normally the name of the folder under data tells you the gtp file (not always but usually) so you'd look for swf.gtp as a first place to try. Sometimes you'll find the odd file or folder has ended up in a seemingly unassociated gtp file so it's possible the cache folder is elsewhere. Then it is just trial and error ungtp'ing things until you find what you're after. I'm not sure whether this is because a gtp has a certain max size or just the devs add it somewhere at a bit of a whim.

 

"Permanent" is at the mercy of patches to the game you realise?

 

Best you can do is a zip file you unzip after each patch to reapply your mod or use jsgme. You'd need to probably recheck the mod is valid after each patch (same as I do for AI Gunnery, AAA mod etc that I'm the author for) to ensure nothing has changed.

[Billsponge1972]

Thanks Stonehouse,

 

I might be in a little over my head technically with this one. I've never used unGTP before. Would I be safe to mess with a .gtp file by making a copy of it and put it in a safe place on another drive? That way if I mess it up I can just replace it with the original?

 I'm getting two graphic anomalies that I believe came from forgetting to disable mods before an update quite a while back. I've been playing on the original install and don't want go through the hassle to reinstall. 

Maybe there's an easier solution?

[jollyjack]

I dunno if you delete the updates folder the launcher checks file sizes on booting the game. But stuff might be fixed if so

[Stonehouse]

4 hours ago, Billsponge1972 said:

I might be in a little over my head technically with this one. I've never used unGTP before. Would I be safe to mess with a .gtp file by making a copy of it and put it in a safe place on another drive? That way if I mess it up I can just replace it with the original?

I just tried making a new folder somewhere totally separate from my IL2 install and copied a small gtp and ungtp-il2.exe to the new folder and ungtp'd the copy of the small gtp file (plane12.gtp). It worked fine and created the (null) folder and within it the contents of the gtp file within my new folder. So, I believe you can safely copy gtp files to another place and therefore ungtp things to your heart's content without disturbing your IL2 install. Bottom line though - if you copy mod files (which is what you are talking about - your own custom icon mod) into the IL2 file structure, and a patch makes a change to those same files within their host gtp so they no longer match the files in your mod you are going to end up with probable issues that will only be solved by deleting your mod files from the IL2 install or turning off mods completely to force the game to only consider gtp files or a reinstall. That is why I recommend a mod manager like JSGME or equivalent as it keeps track of what mod files have been installed for you. If you are going to manually copy mod files into place yourself, you will have to be very methodical in noting what files & folders you copy into place so you can be sure you are able to delete all the files for a mod causing problems. Likely taking this path means you can only use very few mods or else the admin job becomes very large. My AI gunnery mod involves 220 files and 8 folders for example, more if you consider the optional AI pilot delayed despawn on death mod as part of AI Gunnery.

 

Generally, while I know the folders involved and have an idea of the files, I rely on JSGME to keep track of things. I currently run about 40 mods for a European mission and a bit less for a Kuban/Tunisia one. I don't have the time to manually keep track of that volume of objects.

 

Anyway - I checked myself and it seems like the files relevant to the icon mod in data/swf/cache/il2 are not that big so I have attached the current 5.003 versions from swf.gtp. Hope it helps you.

data.zip

Edited December 13, 2022 by Stonehouse

[Billsponge1972]

Excellent!

Thanks again Stonehouse!

I very much appreciate your input on this. I will make an attempt after work tonight and let you know how it goes. 

Sounds like something I would have to redo after every update which doesn't sound appealing.

[Billsponge1972]

So...

  After further investigation and attempted wrangling with the swf.gtp, I was able to get the "null" folder and swapped out the two .dds files but couldn't figure out how to "re-zip" the .gtp. ?  

  Then... I come to realize that there's more .dds files in one of the three graphics.gtp's. ??

  Long story short, I'm going to abandon the idea for now because I realize that I may create a self-inflicted reinstall!

  Many thanks for your help on this Stonehouse. Maybe I'll revisit it at some point when I feel more comfortable with how it all works. 

  Thanks again and Good luck in the skies!

[Stonehouse]

@Billsponge1972

Just an fyi in case it helps clarify things. When mods are switched on in the game it will first search for folders and files in the same structure and name as those in gtp files. If it finds them, it uses them in preference to those in the gtp files. So, you would not want to rezip a gtp - probably if you did and replace a standard gtp with your own repacked one and tried to run the game in mods off mode it would complain. Certainly, if you try to alter anything to with flight models for instance - even as a mod - it will complain and not run.

 

When in mods off mode the game will only use files and folders held with the gtp files.

 

So, if you look at my wingtip vortices mod for instance (it's very simple so easier to understand, link below) you'll see two folders 

• \data\graphics\effects\air
• data\graphics\textures\particles

This folder structure matches the folder structure exactly in one of the graphics gtp files. In the air folder you'll see two text files. These files have the exact same name as two files found in the same location in the gtp file. Ditto for particles and the two dds files (I also include a folder called original textures with the stock dds files in it - but the game ignores this folder and files as it is "foreign" to the game) 

 

So, when you do an unzjp "here" in the IL2 install folder or enable the mod in JSGME you'll see a graphics\textures\particles folder and a graphics\effects\air folder structure appear under IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data assuming you do the unzip or the JSGME configuration correctly. With mods turned on in the game the game will look for folders and files matching the files in gtp files (the folders and files that are known to the game) and if found it will use them in preference to the ones in the gtp files. So, in the wingtip vortices case I have tweaked the settings in the text files and altered the dds files. The game uses these in preference to the gtp versions of the same file to generate my version of wingtip vortices in game.

 

However, every patch that comes through requires me to recheck all the components of my mod to ensure they remain synchronised in location, format and name. For example, recently some weapon effects changed location to a different folder in the gtp file and also filename. So the weapon mods broke and errors were generated to popup on screen. More insidious is when there is a slight change in say a text file - perhaps a new parameter added to enable a piece of new functionality in game. If I don't catch this and match the changes in my mod then my mod may continue to work but the new functionality might not be used or work incorrectly. Issues like this cause no obvious error but game play is impacted negatively.

 

So, if you want to use one of the icon mod versions, I'd suggest you set up a mod manager like jsgme or if it is just that mod then you keep the zip file as a reference and refer to the zip file contents in order to know what files and folders to remove if something goes out of sync and causes you a problem. You will have to turn mods on I believe to use any mod. So, if you thought you can mod things and fly mods off, I do not believe it will work as that's how online cheats (I'm most definitely not referring to you or implying anything) try to do things and the devs have deliberately made things so that does not work.

 

In fact, the mod switch is your safety net.........you can always turn mods off to get back to the stock files and game.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by Stonehouse

[Billsponge1972]

Well that was eye opening.

 I am using JSGME and have for all my mods that I've used. I was under the impression that I could unpack a GTP file and then repack the GTP file to fool the game into using a mod with mods off in the startup.cfg.

 Boy was I wrong!

  I really appreciate you explaining that in layman's terms because now I have an understanding of how mods work and that's telling me that I shouldn't be meddling with GTP files at all. 

  I take it then, that when you make your mods you unGTP the gtp file purely to find out the folder structure of whatever file your manipulating?

  I'll live with the few anomalies in the games graphics for now.

  I wish the game had more choices for icons. In the stock unmodded game you either get icons with distance, pilot name and those crazy arrows that run around the games window which for me looks too arcade, or you get no icons at all. 

[Stonehouse]

1 hour ago, Billsponge1972 said:

I take it then, that when you make your mods you unGTP the gtp file purely to find out the folder structure of whatever file your manipulating?

Correct - that and to get the original text (they aren't always .txt but I'm talking text format data) or dds files to act as a start point for the mod.

 

Most other files you get out of ungtp'ing a gtp file are not directly editable as we don't have the tools, or the file has been written in binary or similar format when the dev team tool generated it.  Some clever people like LizLemon use hex editors to do more complex mods but that makes up a very small percentage of the mods out there.

[Billsponge1972]

Again, thanks for the excellent info Stonehouse! 

 

One more question for you.

 

  Do you think there's any way to fix my two graphic anomalies without a reinstall? Like for example deleting something in the graphics folder in data? Would that make it read from the GTP file?

 

1. I'm getting winter tire tracks in a summer map. (I forget which map but maybe multiple maps)

2. Large brighter white rectangle on winter airfields. (Again I forget which map exactly)

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by Billsponge1972
Added a thought

[Stonehouse]

Ok - if you switch mods off in the game (you can do this in the launcher settings or the game section of settings in game. The latter forces a restart of the game) do you still have the issue?

 

So not talking about doing something in JSGME. This is about disabling mods in the settings of the game. There is a tick box for enabling/disabling mods.

[Billsponge1972]

Yes, I actually turn off mods in the startup.cfg. (which as you probably know is "modes" ha!) After removing any mods from the JSGME.

And yes again, the graphic problem goes away with mods off.

The only two mods I use these days is One of the icon/small dot mods and The reduced speed bar mod, neither of which modifies any graphics.gtp that I'm aware of.

Edited December 15, 2022 by Billsponge1972
Forgot to add something.

[Stonehouse]

If you switch off mods in the game, then it doesn't matter about JSGME. The game won't see anything much outside of gtp files when it is like that. 

 

Have you used map mods or airfield build retextures in the past?  If so do you know which ones? or one of the effects packs?

 

<edit> do you have a folder called particles under \IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles\data\graphics\textures when all jsgme mods are disabled?

Edited December 15, 2022 by Stonehouse

[Billsponge1972]

  You could say I was addicted to mods for a while! I was always careful to read up and install them correctly. The anomalies happened after I forgot to turn off mods before an update. The problem is I can't remember what mods were on. ? 

  A couple self-induced graphic oddities in-game are acceptable for The trade-off of having the ICON_D_D_NL_SM_RB_DOT_BXGU mod which helps me with spotting. A must have for me.

  

Sorry if I kind of hijacked this thread.

Thanks to Stonehouse for all your expertise! I think I'll leave well enough alone for now.

 Also, a huge thanks to Ptk for these icon mods! Very customizable!

[KodiakJac]

On 8/26/2018 at 1:52 PM, Ptk said:

Something like this?

ICON_D_D_NL_SMLR_T_SQ.rar

 

Hello, hello, hello...is there anybody out there? 

 

Sorry to necro this post, but it is still the most relevant place to ask about this Icon mod.

 

Does anyone have a version that will display the distance, direction markers, etc. like in the first image above?  The first image shows the mod exactly like I want.  If so, could you please post a link to it?  I've read all 6 pages of this thread, and I'm asking before I attempt to create my own version with distance, etc. using GIMP, something I've never done before.  I have no experience with image editors like GIMP, so thought I'd try asking first!

 

Thanks! 

 

P.S.  The link under the images is for the second image with no distance, etc.

 

Edited March 28 by KodiakJac

[Voxman]

Downloaded the black dot icon mod, and it doesn't seem to work.

 

Mods are enabled, using JGSME 2.6.  Folders are correctly expanded and placed.  Icons are still on their default Red and Blue.  I play SP and Career. 

 

Also tried the compass removal mod and that doesn't work either.

 

Are these versions compatible with the current version of the simulator?

Thank you.

[KodiakJac]

@Voxman

 

I've tried 3 or 4 versions of this mod from the OP and they are working for me, although they are not giving me the distance.

.

.

.

Regarding my attempt to create a distance version of this mod, I've found the dds file being altered for some of these mods.  It is font32L.dds

 

If I black out (erase) all of the font images on font32L.dds except the numbers and the decimal I get the distance displayed correctly.  But those number fonts from font32L.dds are also used in the parts of the aircraft label that include numbers.  So, I'm getting distance displayed, plus any numeric part of the aircraft label above the distance (a broken text display, such as "01 04" but nothing else).  No pilot name or aircraft make.

 

So, I don't think a distance version of this mod can be made without screwing up the aircraft make/pilot name line.  But maybe I'm wrong.  So, if someone smarter than me can figure it out, go for it!

 

I'll post an image of what I'm getting with my attempt at a distance version later tonight.

 

 

Edited March 31 by KodiakJac

[KodiakJac]

P.S.  There is an associated .txt file for each .dds file.  For instance, there is a font32L.txt file for the font32L.dds file.  Does anyone know what the purpose of the .txt file is?

 

It looks like it may be font size.  And since the numeric fonts are displayed in two different sizes above an aircraft, it might be possible to shrink the numbers in the aircraft label line down to the point of almost disappearing.  But in playing around with it a little bit, I can't figure out how it works, and there are 256 entries in it.  If someone knows how it works, we might be able to shrink the aircraft label numbers down to the point they aren't so obnoxious...lol

[KodiakJac]

Hi @Voxman

 

Here is how your "Icon mod" should be installed in your Mods folder when using JSGME...

 

IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles (or whatever your root folder is called for this game)

JSGME.exe (under your root game folder above)

     Mods folder (under your root game folder)

          Icon mod folder (under your Mods folder)

               Data (under your Icon mod folder).  If you don't see a Data folder, you need drill down further and install the Icon mod folder that has a Data folder under it)

                    Graphics folder (under your Data folder)

                    SWF folder (under your Data folder)

 

Hope that helps! 

 

Edited March 31 by KodiakJac

[Guest dauntlessk]

On 5/4/2022 at 4:58 AM, 1Sascha said:

The original, vanilla version of the file also includes the two map-icons for friendlies and enemies, but those are simply erased from modded version of the file and then won't show up in-game any longer (no object in the dds-file -> nothing to display in-game).

While I did my own version of this, I'm pretty sure someone else had already done the same thing years before... I simply didn't find their post with the appropriate map.dds file, but it's in here somewhere.

The path where this dds belongs is "data\swf\cache\il2"

 

I included a zip of the icon-set I'm currently using... the map.dds you see in this post is in there under the path I've posted. Just look up the mod-set you're using in the MODS folder and dump the map.dds in there under the correct path. That should give you a working GPS-map but no enemy or friendly air-icons on the map. Ground objects will still appear on the map though.

 

Icons Names ON_dirctn arrws dstnce markers OFF_faint grnd mrkrs rdx waypnts rdx mapicons.zip 122.42 kB · 36 downloads

 

I'm new to modding IL-2, but I just wanted to drag and drop (and not use a mod manager) but that doesn't seem to be doing anything. I dragged the contents into the IL-2 directory and overrode some files, but still there was no change in the map itself. What am I doing wrong?

[czech693]

4 hours ago, dauntlessk said:

 

I'm new to modding IL-2, but I just wanted to drag and drop (and not use a mod manager) but that doesn't seem to be doing anything. I dragged the contents into the IL-2 directory and overrode some files, but still there was no change in the map itself. What am I doing wrong?

Depending on how you un-zipped the .zip file, you will have either a data folder in the same location where you downloaded the mod, or a folder with the name of the .zip file.  If you un-zipped it to a folder with the .zip name then the data folder is within that folder.  Anyway, either way you should copy the data folder into you main sim folder (where the existing data folder is located).  It will over-write your data folder.  The mod data folder has the correct folder tree structure with graphics and swf sub-folders, etc.  This should work. However, I recommend using a mod enabler like JSGME to insert the mod because you can easily remove it if you don't like it and want to try a different mod. 

[Skycat1969]

Also, make sure you have 'Mods Enabled' in the game settings. If you correctly do, there will be a message every time you launch the game that mods are enabled.