Portrait.mess!

Discussion in 'The Temple of Elemental Evil' started by Allyx, Sep 7, 2005.

Remove all ads!
  1. Allyx

    Allyx Master Crafter Global Moderator Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2004
    Messages:
    5,001
    Likes Received:
    250
    Anyone who has ever downloaded more than 1 portrait set from Sorcerer's Place Will know that swapping them around is a major PITA!

    So I've been playing around with a few things and I think I have a solution. It's more of a workaround than a solution but has it's advantages. Here's what to do...

    First download the portrait sets from the link above (forget about the greenlion420's set) and put the pictures in your art/interface/portraits folder. Then delete the three gnome portraits from the baldurs gate set (they have the same file names as the default pictures) EG... GNF_0030_b_rogue (there are 15 in total and I've included renamed versions).

    Download this and put it in the portraits folder.

    There are now 5 portrait.mes files. A default and 4 named files. To plug in a portrait set other than the default rename the portrait.mes file "all portrait.mes" then rename the portrait.mes file for the set you want to use to portrait.mes, and create your character. When your finished making characters with that set, rename back again, then repeat the process with the other sets. when your done rename all portrait.mes back to portrait.mes to see all your new characters with the portraits you chose.

    NOTE: I've asked Agetian for a button in frontend 3 to toggle portait sets so this could (hopefully) be a lot easier.

    All portrait sets are compatable for Shiningted's 1.2.0 mod and any older mod combinations.
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2005
  2. Lord Plothos

    Lord Plothos Established Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2004
    Messages:
    550
    Likes Received:
    0
    Awesome. Haven't tried it yet, but thanks for doing all the busy work so we don't have to! You rock. :rock:
     
  3. Allyx

    Allyx Master Crafter Global Moderator Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2004
    Messages:
    5,001
    Likes Received:
    250
    No problem Mi'lord, I just wanted to have a party of 8 female PC's with the horniest pictures available from all the sets, thought you guy's might like that pleasure too! :love:
     
  4. krunch

    krunch moving on in life

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2005
    Messages:
    3,280
    Likes Received:
    0
    I made 41 characters using the expanded BG I & II series downloads. There are 51 available in his set, but, according to him, you can only see 48 in the character creation window. It's amazing you were looking at something related.

    I was planning on figuring out which of the remaining 7 character portraits I am not using by file name and remove them from the list and make 7 new portraits for a total of 48. But since reading your post and becoming inspired *thanks*, I'm now thinking about making a new portrait.mes with all new portraits I will rip from like LoTR and a couple other games [whatever I can get my paws on] and making a simple batch DOS menu program to swap the portrait.mes and related files.

    Anyway, it's something I will be working on this fall. I wish I had more time to devote to this in a shorter time frame, but alas, such is life. Outside of what people call work, studying for the MCSE 2003 and CCNA v3 tests to upgrade my certifications, my home Intranet, my self-driven computer video and audio projects, and with a renewed vigorous ToEE'ful' purpose in the last month, I am quite busy and probably will continue to be busy through Christmas.
     
  5. krunch

    krunch moving on in life

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2005
    Messages:
    3,280
    Likes Received:
    0
    I want to start making a new MOD, but I fear I don't have time right now to devote to that end, at least, until maybe next spring. *sigh*

    I have worked with MODs, and I even helped one friend hexedit (btrieve) his legit version of MegaMUD with a 256 connection license [he ran on a business server of his friend who allowed connections to MegaMUD at his business over the Internet] to resolve problems for his MODding MegaMUD, but I have never actually made a MOD myself. *grumble* One day, Alice, to the the moon! (I hope you don't mind the musing)
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2005
  6. krunch

    krunch moving on in life

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2005
    Messages:
    3,280
    Likes Received:
    0
    Allyx: Is the limitation of viewing 48 portraits hardcoded in the ToEE executable?
     
  7. Allyx

    Allyx Master Crafter Global Moderator Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2004
    Messages:
    5,001
    Likes Received:
    250
    I was testing this yesterday and lo and behold for some (unknown) reason the (default) portrait.mes in the download above is capable of displaying about 70 pictures! PLEASE SOMEONE test this out and let me know if it works for others as well as me? If it does, maybe I can get every picture displayed with just 1 portrait.mes!
     
  8. halarious

    halarious Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2005
    Messages:
    91
    Likes Received:
    0
    i know it's simple for most of you guys, but i've never been able to figure out how to install the portraits.
    if somebody can fix it so that it's really really easy, or at least post simple step by step installation instructions, that would be fantastic.

    this would be an excellant thing, even better than excellant :beer:
     
  9. krunch

    krunch moving on in life

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2005
    Messages:
    3,280
    Likes Received:
    0
    Excellent job Allyx.

    I worked on trying to add more portraits. When you add Baulders Gate I and II series character imports to add 51 portraits, you can see 7 rows of 7 columns (49 portraits).

    I was able to get that boosted to add another, 8th, row to show 56 portraits.

    After reading Allyx's new post, I added more portraits, below.
    51 - BG I & II series portraits
    21 - IceWind Dale portraits
    36 - Royo's Steelwraith portraits
    And, using Allyx's portrait.mes, he's right, the new character creation window now shows 70 portraits. WooHoo! However, there are a lot more than 70 portraits in the portraits folder and there should be more showing according to what's in his portrait.mes file. I, too, will also work on getting this number increased according to my schedule.

    Thanks, Allyx, for inspiring and motivating me even more. :)
     
  10. Allyx

    Allyx Master Crafter Global Moderator Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2004
    Messages:
    5,001
    Likes Received:
    250
    @hilararious, there's a link in the first line of the first post of this thread to "sorcerer's place", there they have 4 ready made portrait sets to download. Download these and put the .tga files in your data/art/interface/portraits folder, then follow the rest of the instructions in the first post to delete the Baldurs gate gnome pictures and install the download I have linked there, when this is all done, you should have 70 portraits to choose from instead of 42!

    @krunch, thanks, any and all help you can provide will be a great help!
     
  11. krunch

    krunch moving on in life

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2005
    Messages:
    3,280
    Likes Received:
    0
    One problem I see reviewing the portrait.mes is that Atari/Troika [whomever] made the call designated the portrait.mes addresses 0040 to 0490 to be the addresses (addresses for 46 additional portraits) where people add [import] additional portraits. Whoever made the call never envisioned people wanting to add more portraits than those addresses would allow. Anything we come up with will be a workaround to their built-in limitation.

    [EDIT]
    Oh yah, one more thing. Hack the MES!!! Smirk.
    [EDIT]
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2005
  12. krunch

    krunch moving on in life

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2005
    Messages:
    3,280
    Likes Received:
    0
    For those of you who cannot wait and, right now, you want 70 portraits available to your character creator window [10 rows by 7 columns of portraits], download and use these portraits.

    It's simple.

    1. Make a copy of the content of your portraits folder (data\art\interface\portraits) and keep it in a safe folder location.

    2. Delete what is in your portraits subfolder (data\art\interface\portraits).

    3. Download the zip file. (ZIP file = 4,103 KB when I downloaded it)

    -> http://www.savefile.com/files/7255181

    4. Extract the executable file from the downloaded zip file to your ToEE game program folder.
    * default -> C:\Program Files\Atari\Temple of Elemental Evil

    5. Open or run the executable file.
    * It will place a copy of what is currently in my portraits folder in your portraits folder.

    6. Start ToEE and create a new character. :)

    enjoy..
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2005
  13. halarious

    halarious Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2005
    Messages:
    91
    Likes Received:
    0
    thanks guys, i'll give it a shot soon as i can! :punch:
     
Our Host!