How to modify UI?

[Bulvik]

I'd want to modify the inventory UI, none of the mods I found suit me so I'd like to try to make my own. I am a noob to modding, so please, try to make it as simple as possible. Thank you.

Edit: just in case there already is such a mod and I missed it, this is basically what I need: split "miscellaneous" into more categories and make containers display categories, WITHOUT changing whole UI

[Dark Heart]

Have you checked out SkyUI? It does break container content into categories. The Misc category is the same as in the unmodified game , but you can sort items by type.

It does make other changes to the UI, though. I don't know if that's too much for you.

[dzio]

In my opinion SkyUI is such a vast improvement over the vanilla interface that once you play with it for a while, you'll find it impossible to do without it. OP, I'd consider giving it a try, even if it looks like too much at a first glance.

[Bulvik]

SkyUI is way too much for me, plus I don't really like the look of it. Unlike what seems to be a lot of people I don't have any problems with the default UI, I just want to make it easier to find the item I want.

[dzio]

Oh, okay, I wasn't sure if you tried SkyUI before. Can't say I understand your choice, but hey, you know better what you enjoy.

[pleasenoname]

I am making some icons to put on the map screen. So far I have made one in svg file format.

So far I have gathered that the screen overlays and icons were made with flash. Flash is a proprietary software so there is little information to come by. Also some of the files are in gfx format which seems to be a version of flash with even more obfuscation associated with it.

Inside the swf files are various parameters written in a code called "Actionscript" by adobe. It seems highly similar to Java. There are decompilers that will decompile the swf into it's base constitutant scripts (.as files) and xml-type image definitions (SVG image format files(which are themselves entirely definedby a text file)), however the trick is finding out how to recompile it all together again the correct way. In a way it is encrypted.

Also it appears to have been originally compiled in adobe flash 8 or 10 with action script 2.0. The current Flash building program from adobe costs $700 and doesn't compile into action script 2.0, but 3.0 instead.

There are command line editors that will compile the files, however text must be entered into a text file to batch process the update we want to make to the icons. I am not a programmer so I do not know how or what text tags i must enter into the text file for correct results. I tried once and accessing the map screen crashed the game. However this is a good this because it tells me the recompile worked, but in the wrong way. I must read diligently and ascertain the correct code tags to enter into the file.

We should collaborate on this, as our goals are aligned. Send me a private message with your steam name and we can share info whenever one of us learns something.

Modding civ 4 was much easier. Just stck the file in the folder and link it with some text in XML.
If Beth continues to use such unwieldy proprietary software, I think I will go mod legend of Grimrock or some other less popular game.

[Deandra]

By icons on the map screen, do you mean the pins that indicate things like towns, ruins and other points of interest?