BG2: Item descriptions the Icewind Dale Way

Baptor

Hello everyone. I'm working on something for BG2 that I plan to share with everyone soon. One thing I am looking into is if there is a way to make the item inspection screen in BG2 look like the Icewind Dale one. In BG2 you get the description on the right and a sketch art on the left. In IWD there is no sketch art and the words take up the entire window. I tried just selecting "NONE" on the item window in NI but that just results in a blank sketch. I'm pretty sure there's actually not a way to do this but I still wanted to ask around before abandoning the idea.

jmerry

Actually, it probably is possible. You just have to start mucking around with the less used components that control interface stuff. And if it works, it would be a global change.

Not that I know exactly what to look for - someone who has actually done interface modding would know more.

Baptor

jmerry wrote: »

Actually, it probably is possible. You just have to start mucking around with the less used components that control interface stuff. And if it works, it would be a global change.

Not that I know exactly what to look for - someone who has actually done interface modding would know more.

Yeah I don't know how to even access the interface tools. If anyone who does sees this please let me know where I should go next.

Baptor

@argent77 I hate to bother you, but you're the best modder I know. Do you know anything about the UI controls or can you point me to someone who does? Thanks for reading.

argent77

Unfortunately I don't know enough about UI modding to be of any help. You could try your luck with the authors of the more prominent UI mods (e.g. lefreut or Pecca).

Baptor

@Pecca Do you have any insight into this? I'm sorry for name dropping you but I've been at work trying to do this myself and I just have no idea what I'm doing.

kjeron

The modification has to be made in the UI.menu file. This is the relevant section of code that determines the text/image screen space for item descriptions:

	text
	{
		area 356 180 430 353
		text lua "itemDesc.item.description"
		scrollbar 'GUISCRC'
		text style "normal_parchment"
	}
	label
	{
		area 66 210 280 327
		bam lua "itemDesc.item.descPicture"
		sequence 0
		frame 0
		align center center
	}

Turn that ^^ into this vv

	text
	{
		area 66 180 720 353
		text lua "itemDesc.item.description"
		scrollbar 'GUISCRC'
		text style "normal_parchment"
	}

The area values differ slightly between bgee/sod/bg2ee.
Alter the text's first area value to match the label's first area value.
356 -> 66
Increase the text's third area value by the difference between their first area values.
430 + (356 - 66) = 720
Delete the label.

Baptor

kjeron wrote: »

The modification has to be made in the UI.menu file.

@kjeron I can't find this file. I searched both my installation folder and the folder in Documents. Can you help me by telling me where to go to find this file?

kjeron

Like most it is in the game's BIF files. You can view/extract it with Near Infinity/Weidu.

Baptor

@kjeron I found it and made the changes you suggested. It worked! However there is one small problem: as you can see in the SS below, the actual name of the item is on top of the text. I would think that means we need to move the text of the description down a bit, but I am unsure how to do that. Thoughts?

Baptor

Update: I tinkered with the numbers. If you increase the second number, it makes the text go down. So there is now no conflict there. I still think it could look better though, maybe if the name of the item could be enlarged and centered. Thanks @kjeron !

I'm sure the answer lies in changing the numbers on one of the "label" entries below, but I am not sure which ones.

name 'ITEM_DESCRIPTION'
align center center
modal
label
{
area 0 0 864 710
mosaic GUIINVHI
}
label
{
area 81 11 700 44
text "ITEM_TITLE"
text style title
}
label
{
area 402 66 52 52
icon lua "itemDesc.item.icon"
}
label
{
area 57 170 295 40
text lua "itemDesc.item.name"
text align center center
text style "label"
text color '5'
}
text
{
area 66 210 720 353
text lua "itemDesc.item.description"
scrollbar 'GUISCRC'
text style "normal_parchment"
}

kjeron

label
{
area 57 170 729 40
text lua "itemDesc.item.name"
text align center center
text style "label"
text color '5'
text point 16
}

SoD already has the name centered and above, so there's no inherit conflict there.

Baptor

It says centered in mine too, and yet the name is clearly off-set to the right in my SS above. So strange. The only difference between what you have and what I have is that last "text point 16" - could that be the difference?

Baptor

Update: The number that you need to change to move the label is the first number in the label above text, increasing it makes it shift right.

Baptor

Update: I've got everything where I want it, now. Thank you @kjeron for all your help. For those interested, my recommended settings for the UI window are below. I think it looks very nice and I can't believe it was not only possible, but required so little effort once I knew where to go. This community is awesome.



label
{
area 70 190 295 40
text lua "itemDesc.item.name"
text align center center
text style "normal_parchment"
text color '5'
}
text
{
area 66 220 720 300
text lua "itemDesc.item.description"
scrollbar 'GUISCRC'
text style "normal_parchment"