hangar screen matter

[UllyB 1,206]

I try to learn the ropes for SF2 and the directories changing is a big pain for me used to the SF1 one. What I did ? I copied two screen files, for loading and hangar from SF1. They were bitmaps of course. I changed them to jpg and I put them into the plane's folder and changed accordingly the plane ini file. The loading screen works (it's in 2560x1440) but the hangar one won't show. I looked to other hangar screen in download section for SF2, they are all 1024x768. In SF1 the stock one were too 1024x768 but I could change them for 16:9 in 1920x1080. However they won't work, I don't know why, in 2560x1440. My question for the hangar screen jpg is: can I make it work for 1920x1080 or should I give in to the stupid 1024x768 resolution ? And if is the latter could anyone explain to me why I can't change it please ? Thank you

[Spinners 15,985]

Double check your spelling and also check for a hidden alpha layer.

[UllyB 1,206]

Did both. It won't work. I checked the name in plane's ini file. I took a jpg, resized it to 1920x1080, I added an alpha layer saved it and I put it in the plane's folder, where is the loading screen jpg also. Any other suggestions ? Maybe you could give me a reworked larger hangar screen jpg to take a look ?

Edited June 8, 2020 by UllyB

[UllyB 1,206]

After a few trials I realize the whole picture. I was trying, above, to make hangar screen for a STOCK plane and it won't work. When I tried to make a hangar screen for a third party plane , it worked !  It even read directly the hangar bitmap!  How can I make a hangar screen for stock planes ? Is the stock hangar screen jpg stored in another folder other than the stock plane itself as it was in the SF1 series?

Edited June 9, 2020 by UllyB

[Spinners 15,985]

Later on in SF2 there were hanger screens in the skin folders.

[UllyB 1,206]

I solved it. It is logic and simple now but in my mind I was following the SF1 pattern or close to it and I couldn't see it. You have to put the WHOLE path, to the mod folder, in order to work! For me it looks like this :

[AircraftData]
AircraftFullName=Kfir C2
AircraftShortName=Kfir
AircraftDataFile=KfirC2_data.INI
LoadoutFile=KfirC2_Loadout.INI
UserList=KfirC2_UserList.INI
CockpitDataFile=KfirC2_cockpit.INI
LoadoutImage=KfirC2_loadout.TGA
HangarScreen=C:\GAMES\StrikeFighters2 Israel\Objects\Aircraft\KfirC2\KfirC2_Hangar.JPG
LoadingScreen=KfirC2_Loading.JPG
AvionicsDLL=Avionics70.DLL
AvionicsDataFilename=KfirC2_avionics.INI

 

Thank you anyway. Changing opinions with you helped me finding, in the end, the solution.

[Spinners 15,985]

You can also rename your hangar screen to Kfir_C2_Hangar and change the ini to read;

HangarScreen=Kfir_C2_Hangar.JPG

I've just tried it with a homemade screen for the Kfir C2.

[Wrench 9,811]

you just name it what you want, place the jpg/bmp INSIDE the aircraft folder, and do a rename in the aircraft's main ini. Remember how the game engine LOOKS for files --- folders, then cats. Folder always takes precedence.

You've NEVER ever had to use  a whole pathway -- all the back to 2003. Believe me, I know. I cut my teeth making hangar and loading screens in the early 2000s. That's how I got started modding these games

Hangar and loading screens are the easiest things to do in this game.

[UllyB 1,206]

1 hour ago, Wrench said:

you just name it what you want, place the jpg/bmp INSIDE the aircraft folder, and do a rename in the aircraft's main ini. Remember how the game engine LOOKS for files --- folders, then cats. Folder always takes precedence.

You've NEVER ever had to use  a whole pathway -- all the back to 2003. Believe me, I know. I cut my teeth making hangar and loading screens in the early 2000s. That's how I got started modding these games

Hangar and loading screens are the easiest things to do in this game.

If by "aircraft's main ini" you mean the "ini" file where are declared the hangar and the loading screens (among other entries) , I already did that and it didn't work for me. I put them in the aircraft's folder, too, both JPGs. So I am puzzled when you say they should work 'cause I couldn't make them work this way no matter how hard I've tried. The only way I made them work for me was when I modified the whole path. Maybe it mattered that I saved separate folders for all SF2 games.

[Wrench 9,811]

well, something's wrong. I, and others, have been doing it that way since 2003. It's never failed

and yes ...

[AircraftData]
AircraftFullName=F-15A Eagle (3W)
AircraftShortName=F-15
AircraftDataFile=F-15A_data.ini
LoadoutFile=F-15A_loadout.ini
UserList=F-15A_UserList.ini
CockpitDataFile=F-15A_cockpit.ini
LoadoutImage=F-15A_loadout.TGA
HangarScreen=F-15A_hangar.JPG         <<<---------THIS LINE
LoadingScreen=F-15A_Loading.JPG      <<<-------and this line
AvionicsDLL=Avionics70.dll
AvionicsDataFilename=F-15A_avionics.ini
 

 

[Spinners 15,985]

The game engine looks for the hangar screen in the skin folder first. I checked this out on the Kfir C2 - it ignored my new hangar screen. I changed the name slightly on the ini and on the hangar screen (obviously names must match) and it worked just fine.

[+russouk2004 6,958]

yeah also hangar screens as long named correct can be different for eack skin.......so you can have the skin show unique...like so.

[Wrench 9,811]

yes, when each unique one is placed WITHIN that skin sub-folder. Been there, done that! Got the t-shirt!!! 

[UllyB 1,206]

well, at the end of the day , what matters is that I made it work even if we chose different approaches.