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BG2: Item descriptions the Icewind Dale Way

BaptorBaptor Member Posts: 341
edited August 2021 in General Modding
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.

Comments

  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,829
    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.
  • BaptorBaptor Member Posts: 341
    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. :smile:
  • BaptorBaptor Member Posts: 341
    @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.
  • argent77argent77 Member Posts: 3,433
    edited August 2021
    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).
  • BaptorBaptor Member Posts: 341
    @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.
  • kjeronkjeron Member Posts: 2,367
    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.
  • BaptorBaptor Member Posts: 341
    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?

  • kjeronkjeron Member Posts: 2,367
    Like most it is in the game's BIF files. You can view/extract it with Near Infinity/Weidu.
  • BaptorBaptor Member Posts: 341
    @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?

    i17iqlak8yd1.jpg
  • BaptorBaptor Member Posts: 341
    edited October 2021
    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"
    }
  • kjeronkjeron Member Posts: 2,367 
    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.
  • BaptorBaptor Member Posts: 341
    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?
  • BaptorBaptor Member Posts: 341
    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.
  • BaptorBaptor Member Posts: 341
    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. :)

    4ntn1n9853e6.jpg

    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"
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