Re-coloring the TOAW IV Counters

[gliz2]

Because of the legacy code not much can be achieved.
Some basics though are missing which are not related to the above:
1. The counters per colours/country
2. The no animation movements (even if set to 0 it is with animations)
3. Icon for units that are digging in (I'm always confused whether a particular unit do dig in or was it moved)
4. Better panels (some good work done but some is missing)
5. 4k resolution support (now it's done by some modding)

[Lobster]

Why bother with 4k when 8k is just around the corner and then 16k and then 32k and then 100million k. Instead of focusing on a certain 'k' make it possible to display in any resolution or definition.

[76mm]

I'm getting frustrated again...I've revised a col file but cannot get it to show up in the scenario editor...I've tried putting it in:
--a scenario subfolder under graphics override;
--directly in the graphics override folder;
--the main scenario folder;
--in a scenario subfolder under the scenario folder.

Nothing works...

[cathar1244]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

I'm getting frustrated again...I've revised a col file but cannot get it to show up in the scenario editor...I've tried putting it in:
--a scenario subfolder under graphics override;
--directly in the graphics override folder;
--the main scenario folder;
--in a scenario subfolder under the scenario folder.

Nothing works...

The .col file has to match the scenario name. Thus is the scenario name is "Rhine", the .col file should be named "Rhine.col" and be found in a folder called "Rhine" under graphics override.

Re: editor. I found that if I had TOAW open when I put the .col file in the proper folder, I had to back out of TOAW and restart it for the .col file to be loaded and change the colors.

Cheers

[76mm]

But I've placed the named col file in the named folder, and exited and re-entered the game...but the "counter color picker" in the editor does not show the revised color scheme. Is it supposed to, or are the new colors only reflected on the counters themselves rather than in the force editor's "counter-color picker"? I'm just not getting something...

[cathar1244]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

But I've placed the named col file in the named folder, and exited and re-entered the game...but the "counter color picker" in the editor does not show the revised color scheme. Is it supposed to, or are the new colors only reflected on the counters themselves rather than in the force editor's "counter-color picker"? I'm just not getting something...

Right, they do NOT show in the "counter color picker". If you click on a color, though, the new colors -should- show on the counter itself. You'll have to have the color scheme you designed nearby to know which color square to click on in the editor.

Cheers

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: cathar1244
Right, they do NOT show in the "counter color picker". If you click on a color, though, the new colors -should- show on the counter itself. You'll have to have the color scheme you designed nearby to know which color square to click on in the editor.

OK then duh, that is what I have been missing. I will check to see if it is working after all... Thanks!

[cathar1244]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

ORIGINAL: cathar1244
Right, they do NOT show in the "counter color picker". If you click on a color, though, the new colors -should- show on the counter itself. You'll have to have the color scheme you designed nearby to know which color square to click on in the editor.

OK then duh, that is what I have been missing. I will check to see if it is working after all... Thanks!

The "color picker" buttons appear to be part of a series of image files starting with the name "Standardbuttons" in the game's installation directory "Graphics" folder.

Not sure if those could be copied into a scenario folder and the colors changed as one wished so that the picker would show the changes. Be a lot of work.

Cheers

[76mm]

OK, got it. Seems to be working. Would love to get the counter color picker to show the right colors but doubt I'll be willing to spend the time to do it...

[Zovs]

You should see some of the mods I have done, lol.

The Next War 1979 is a great example of using the color file to make the counters look exactly like the 1970's SPI colors (have done the same with CFNA and others), but when you look at them in edit mode you still have the standard icons in the edit Forces dialog, but while deploying or playing the game these dialog boxes show the correct color changes.


Just an overview of the modified counter colors (using my 2D board war game flat counters and my custom color file):

2D Large:


The Unit Report shows the correct colors:


The Formation Report shows the correct colors:


The Order of Battle shows the correct colors:


The Air Unit Report shows the correct colors:


The Expected Reinforcements shows the correct colors:


The Recent Reinforcements and Withdrawals shows the correct colors:


2D Large:




I think my color changes look fantastic I might add...I have redone around 20 or 25 of the stock games colors and have about 5-10 modified (lost maybe) scenarios and other interesting ones that I have updated to use the newer features of TOAW IV. I do plan on posting these by the end of the year or sooner as they get finished.

The color mods will go first since its mainly just an color xml file change.

[76mm]

Indeed, they look good. Thanks for the efforts.

[76mm]

Now I'm frustrated again; some of the color changes work, some don't. Here is an excerpt from the col file:
<COLOR ID="5" MainBackground="10257457" Background="16250871" Foreground="8652808" Numbers="15527148"/>
<COLOR ID="6" MainBackground="10257457" Background="16250871" Foreground="0" Numbers="15527148"/>
<COLOR ID="7" MainBackground="10257457" Background="16250871" Foreground="14549033" Numbers="15527148"/>
<COLOR ID="8" MainBackground="10257457" Background="16250871" Foreground="255" Numbers="15527148"/>
<COLOR ID="9" MainBackground="10257457" Background="16250871" Foreground="12982296" Numbers="15527148"/>

The background for all of them is the same, and yet some of them show different colors. What could the issue be now?

[EDIT] It seems to work if I save the scenario twice after opening it with the new col file...bizarre.

[Zovs]

Tom,

I plugged in your ID 9 and it seems to work.

Try this:

<COLOR ID="5" MainBackground="16711680" Background="16711680" Foreground="0" Numbers="0"/>
<COLOR ID="6" MainBackground="16711680" Background="16711680" Foreground="16777215" Numbers="16777215"/>
<COLOR ID="7" MainBackground="65280" Background="65280" Foreground="16777215" Numbers="16777215"/>
<COLOR ID="8" MainBackground="16777215" Background="16777215" Foreground="0" Numbers="0"/>
<COLOR ID="9" MainBackground="16776960" Background="16776960" Foreground="0" Numbers="0"/>

Just some crazy colors...

[Zovs]

You should not have to save it twice.

Once I have a scenario defined, then if I make any edits or create a new color file, then I just reload the scenario in the editor, its a pita, but its the only way to refresh things. Too bad you can't hit r or F5 or something to refresh the counters.

[Zovs]

So updating another series of scenarios, here is the base:

Northern sector:


Southern sector:


Have about 12 more to map out and tweak for this group.

[sPzAbt653]

Too bad you can't hit r or F5 or something to refresh the counters.

Ctrl + R reloads the graphics but for some reason it doesn't reload the col file. [:(]

[Zovs]

Yeah, I found that out a while ago (Ctrl+R), too bad and quite annoying.

[William the Silent]

Changing colours is super simple with these instruction.
Much easier then changing whole bitmaps.
I just used all the existing colors in the color file.
Creating some napoleonic counters.

Nap.jpg (132.82 KiB) Viewed 1417 times

[Cpl GAC]

Really nice work. I enjoy that they made changing colors so easy. We are staring at these things for hours.

I almost exclusively play the WW2 Eastern Front. At the 75,000 feet up view, I don't need the four Hungarian stacks screaming at me in un-naturally bright green. I know where they are. And they're gonna pay. You too Romania!

[ElizabethRStevenson]

very good thread. fairly easy to make any scenarios units any color, and doesn't seem to come with performance issues then played