Beleg Cúthalion on 16/11/2007 at 19:21
So it looks for the filenames. If the size gets too big, I could offer a smaller version for those with John's texture pack, but I doubt that it will be so much bigger when there are only the necessary textures inside the ibt file. We'll see. The MP changes are the next step.
Bardic on 21/11/2007 at 03:34
No, it looks for more than just the file names. My FM Forgotten Stash only compressed about 50% unilike the others that were more like 10% or 30% of the original size. So the textures that were high res weren't stripped out.
Using the high res textures is up to the FM maker. They can start with John P's textures, or they can add them in and check the level (for alignment) before the final packaging step. After that point, the end user can't replace the low res with the high res textures.
Unless John P has worked on a way to hex edit texture names from FM ibts and not just the original ones like his patches did when I started following this.
John P. on 28/11/2007 at 11:38
Hi all. Sorry, I haven't been looking at Thief DS for quite some time.
Only reason I came back here now was because someone e-mailed me asking if my textures would work in fan missions. And to be honest, I don't know the answer myself(!). I haven't dabbled in the T3 editor at all. And now I've forgotten some of the technical things of how things work in the game.
One thing I'd like to add to the thread now that I read it though, is that my Collective Texture Pack 1.0.3 contains all the character and environment textures I've previously made, but in updated versions.
If I was the "King of the Internet", I would've removed all older separate texture packs from it, because I feel the latest pack is what I'd like to represent me, so to speak. So I would appreciate it if you'd use the textures from the 1.0.3 pack (in addition of course, the installer itself works a lot better, but I guess that's a little beside the point in this discussion).
Could some sort of point-by-point instruction be made for how to use my textures with the fan missions? I'm thinking I'll be getting more e-mails about this in the future, and it would be nice to have something to point them to.
As I haven't really looked into it (and the little I did was long ago), I'm not really up to the task myself.
As for how my texture pack works technically, it's really a rather simple process: ibt_patcher.exe searches for texture names within the .ibt files, and if the texture is in the PCTextures\DynamicallyLoaded folder, then ibt_patcher.exe will change the texture name within the .ibt file.
That 'forces' the game to look for the texture in the PCTextures\DynamicallyLoaded folder instead, and when it finds it, it will use it, even if it is of a higher resolution than the original.
So my installer first extracts the chosen textures into PCTextures\DynamicallyLoaded, ibt_patcher.exe then changes those texture names within the .ibt files, and... that's it, more or less.
Some textures/files don't have to be 'overridden' by ibt_patcher.exe, so they are only backed up and replaced instead.
Sorry I can't add anything when it comes to the compression of .ibt files and the like, for use in FMs.
Beleg Cúthalion on 29/11/2007 at 09:23
Quote Posted by John P.
Could some sort of point-by-point instruction be made for how to use my textures with the fan missions? I'm thinking I'll be getting more e-mails about this in the future, and it would be nice to have something to point them to.
I just loaded a saved game (Auldale, iirc), minimized the game and copied everything I found in the Dynamically Loadad folder into the PC textures (and sub folders) of my editing directory. That's why I'm not sure if I got all the textures (although things like Kurshok were included).
Quote:
As for how my texture pack works technically, it's really a rather simple process: ibt_patcher.exe searches for texture names within the .ibt files, and if the texture is in the PCTextures\DynamicallyLoaded folder, then ibt_patcher.exe will change the texture name within the .ibt file.
That would suggest the Dy.Lo. folder was always filled textures, wouldn't it? On my PC it's almost empty, though, if no game is started. Or does the ibt patcher work on every start? Don't think I've figured this out, yet.
One more thing: I thought str8g8 was using the ibt compression from version onepointsomething on with
The Bridge, but if I installed the CTP 1.0.3 before, the Garrett texture was overwritten though it should have been kept because it's there on every machine and so not part of the files that GL has to install. This is getting a little tricky. :weird:
John P. on 29/11/2007 at 16:08
Quote Posted by Beleg Cúthalion
That would suggest the Dy.Lo. folder was always filled textures, wouldn't it? On my PC it's almost empty, though, if no game is started. Or does the ibt patcher work on every start? Don't think I've figured this out, yet.
No, it's not filled with textures originally; only a few textures are there initially. The game loads most of its content from the .ibt files, but we discovered early on that it will
also load from DynamicallyLoaded if it can't find the texture name within the .ibt (if the name has been changed by us, for instance).
So originally, most textures are loaded from the .ibts, but when ibt_patcher.exe has renamed the textures within the .ibt files (the ones it finds in DynamicallyLoaded), then the game will load the textures it finds in DynamicallyLoaded instead of the (now "missing") textures within the .ibt files.
ibt_patcher.exe runs only once, on install of the pack (unless of course you manually run it afterward).
Again; the texture pack installer extracts the new textures into DynamicallyLoaded, ibt_patcher.exe then looks through the DynamicallyLoaded folder for texture names, and then goes through the .ibt files and renames those texture names. On uninstall of the pack, the .ibt files are changed back to their original state by ibt_patcher.exe, and the new textures are deleted from DynamicallyLoaded.
Beleg Cúthalion on 1/12/2007 at 09:03
I'm sorry I cannot pay with cash, but I hope I can pay with encouragement to support massimilianogois request: I'd also be quite thankful for that. :) Just to see it in action.
Bardic on 1/12/2007 at 16:26
John P.
I have read through your installer document and downloaded the latest version (excellent work). I just had some questions for clarification.
In this version, does it only change the original ibt files using the ibt names? Or does it just scan all the ibt files?
If it uses the full name, can we put an FM ibt into the game folder with an original mission name and have the patcher change the textures in the FM?
John P. on 1/12/2007 at 21:54
Quote Posted by Bardic
John P.
In this version, does it only change the original ibt files using the ibt names? Or does it just scan all the ibt files?
If it uses the full name, can we put an FM ibt into the game folder with an original mission name and have the patcher change the textures in the FM?
I'm actually not sure exactly how ibt_patcher.exe does things; if it searches within specific files like for instance "Clocktower1.ibt", or if it simply searches within all *.ibt
ibt_patcher.exe was made by a community member called Boye; I only made the graphics for its interface. But I would guess that he, as a programmer, most likely made it search within *.ibt, and not the specific file names.
You'll just have to try it and see what happens.
massimilianogoi on 2/12/2007 at 09:09
Quote Posted by Beleg Cúthalion
I'm sorry I cannot pay with cash, but I hope I can pay with encouragement to support massimilianogois request: I'd also be quite thankful for that. :) Just to see it in action.
Beleg, you encorage me though!! :D
Unfortunately John hasn't answer to my request, but I hope that he's also thinking about.
Between some ten minuts a will put online the whole mechanists package.
