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IWD:EE gui for BG2:EE

trinittrinit Member Posts: 705
edited March 2015 in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
Presumably if one has both games, is it possible to change gui in bg2:ee into that from iwd:ee by copying files between games? If possible, could someone make a mod like this? I think gui from iwd:ee is way more pleasing to the eye obviously and would like to see it in my bg2 game...

Any help from knowledgeable sources is greatly appreciated. :)
Post edited by trinit on

Comments

  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    I would love it as well!

    Can anyone help us on how to edit .mos files and edit GUI ?
  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,212
    This is possible, check around to see if someone hasn't already done it. I know there are a few modders out there who specialize in UI things.
  • lunarlunar Member Posts: 3,460
    @Pecca has done the awesome bg2:ee gui in bg:ee mod. Check the thread:
    http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/31069/gui-mod-bg2-ee-gui-in-bg-ee/p1

    He may be of help with your request too, if you ask nicely. :)
  • trinittrinit Member Posts: 705
    @lunar thanks!

    @Pecca hey there, my plight is simple: i believe iwd:ee's gui is much more aesthetically pleasing and communicates all the info with much less visual clutter and distracting details than bg2:ee.

    i see you made some sucessfull transition between games and i'm ready to beg all you want if you could make iwd gui for bg games, or at least bg2:ee.

    keep in mind i have no idea how much work this entails, so please don't get mad if i seem too flippant about it. if such venture wouldn't interest you, can you direct me to some tutorials, modders or stuff that would?
  • PeccaPecca Member Posts: 2,196
    It is a lot of work, unfortunately. I did several mods in the last two years, I was a student with a lot of time on my hands, but those times are gone. So I can't do it, but I can tell you everything you need to know to make it. I will post a tutorial here sometime during next week.
  • trinittrinit Member Posts: 705
    aww, that is too bad. but i really appreciate any info and help you can give. i am willing to try at least and i i fail miserabyl, maybe someone more competent than me might do it anyway. :)
  • PeccaPecca Member Posts: 2,196
    edited March 2015
    Alright, some tips about GUI modding. The best way is to download my GUI mod and see what files are there (sort by type). I think that the GUI files in IWD:EE are the same. There are BAM files, several BMP, one GUI, then CHU and a lot of MOS and PVRZ files.

    BAM files:
    These files are images of icons (non-static images), like weapon icons, buttons or slots.
    BMP files:
    These few files will not be necessary for the mod, they are BG DLC pictures and No portrait pictures.
    GUI file:
    This file contains information about GUI features, that were added by EEs (new buttons and screens).
    CHU files:
    These files contain information about everything that appears in GUI screens (position, size and (BAM) images of buttons, screen (MOS) images, size of GUI screens) - except those that are added by EEs.
    MOS files:
    These are images of GUI screens (inventory, etc) and other static images (game screen GUI elements like text window and sidebars).
    PVRZ files:
    These files were added in EEs and contain graphic information of image (BAM and MOS) files. This format allows images to have more than 256 colors, semi-transparency and anti-aliasing (edge smoothness), which are features that many images use (but not all of them). All BAM and MOS files in the game have their graphic information stored in some PVRZ file, but PVRZ files are a mess. They aren't paired with image files individually, but are massed together with each other (just look at them in Near Infinity to see what I mean). This makes GUI modding a bit uneasy.

    Faster method:
    Use Near Infinity (in IWD:EE game) to export all BAM and MOS files that are present in my GUI mod (right click on the file -> export), you can use "mass export" function for MOS files and delete those you don't need afterwards (BAMs are too many for mass export to be of any use). Then export all PVRZ files from the game that start with "MOS" - zero to 177.
    Now put these files in the override of BG game. Now all graphics should look like from IWD:EE. (Actually, I don't know if it still works this way, but the first version of my mod was like this).
    Now you will most likely see a lot of buttons and others misaligned, because you didn't add the CHU files yet. Problem with CHU files is that some of them differs from game to game, so you can't easily export them. Wrong CHU file will crash the game - at least it's pretty obvious for testing. You must experiment which IWD CHU files are compatible with BG and those who are not, you must edit manually. That takes A LOT of time. I did this in DLTCEP program, which has less cluttered interface and so is better for this. I opened it twice and loaded both games - one to change and one to see what to change. In the end you must also export BGEE.GUI file from your IWD:EE game and open it in some text editor (notepad++ is good for this) - but editing right values is quite complicated and I will post about this another time.

    The slower method is different in that you must export all BAM and MOS files as PNG files and then convert them back with individually paired PVRZ file. The advantage is that the mod is more cohesive and universal. But it's also possible that the faster method no longer works and this is the only way.

    I will edit this post in the future and add the information about editing BGEE.GUI file and more information about the slower method.
  • trinittrinit Member Posts: 705
    excellent post, thank you very much! i'll try to work something out hopefully it will be soon and successful! :)
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