How to install the HalfLife crosshairs / sprites found
on this page:
By: BBR.
(Although for most users this process is pretty much self explaining,
i figure not everyone is as bright as most users are...)
So here's how to do it:
Right Click on any Crosshair, Rpg-sprite, or series of images you'd
like to have,
and select "Save image as..." (Just save the image to you hard disk)
Now a little window should pop-up asking you where you'd like to save
the image you just seleted.
-Place it in your "My Documents" Folder, or wherever you like.
( Note: If you want to use a non-standard halflife crosshair pack. Being
the 640-pack, or the GL-pack,
then you must check out the downloads
area and get the Full pack first.
(It includes the nessecary textfiles) it might also help it
you read the Advanced Tutorial.)
Now you will need some fancy image converting tool to make
a BMP image from the GIF image you just downloaded.
Again, i suggest PaintShopPro, which you can buy from Jasc,
or download from some fancy Warez site.
What you need to do now is open the GIF image, and save it as a BMP
image,
make sure the name is correct, check the QC file that you need to compile
the thing.
(the standard one is included in Sprite Genarator)
Thus Sprite
Generator is what you need. It will compile the BMP & QC into
a nice clean SPR file, so that HalfLife can read it, And you can see
it on your screen.
Let me give you a little example QC file:
Crosshairs.QC
$spritename crosshairs
$type
vp_parallel
$texture alphatest
$load crosshairs.bmp
$frame 0 0 128
128 |
$load crosshairs.bmp will give you the hint you need,
it means that you need to save the GIF image, as: crosshairs.BMP
(or just rename the BMP you already converted)
That is, assuming you downloaded the standard crosshairs pack.
If you just downloaded a 24x24 sized crosshair then you need to implement
the crosshair into
another pack, like done in the Basic Tutorial.
Ok, ok, i know some people might still not get it, therefore another
example:
320_train.QC
$spritename 320_train
$type
vp_parallel
$texture additive
$load 320_train001.bmp
$frame 0 0 48
48
$load 320_train002.bmp
$frame 0 0 48
48
$load 320_train003.bmp
$frame 0 0 48
48
$load 320_train004.bmp
$frame 0 0 48
48
$load 320_train005.bmp
$frame 0 0 48
48 |
This time $load is called 5 times, that is because the 320_train.spr
is a sprite consistent out of
5 seperate frames. (Or a 5 Layer image if you might call it.)
Each image is 48x48 in size (Which is defined by the $frame command)
and the compiler will begin compiling each of the 5 images at coordinates
0,0.
If for example (It is very unwise though) you have an image that is
100x100 in size.
and you want the compiler to make the first file ($load 320_train001.bmp)
from this image. then your $frame command would be: (Depending on what
you'd like your starting
coordinates to be)
$frame 20 20 48 48
The compiler will then grab a rectangle of 48x48, starting at position
20,20.
It really is that simple.
Once you successfully compiled the sprite, just place the "crosshairs.spr"
(Or whatever the name of your sprite is)
In the: c:\games\Half-Life\valve\sprites
If this directory does not exist within your valve directory, then
create it.
If at any time you would want your old, standard & ugly crosshairs
back, then just delete
the crosshairs.spr and remove all TextFiles from that directory as
well. Remember the
origonal files are safe within your "pak0.pak" and as long at that
one remains undamaged
you will always be able to get the normal ones back without any trouble.
Extra notes:
The standard HL-Crosshairs are no bigger than 24x24, with an exeption
to the Zoomed-in Sniper.
Unlike quake 2, all crosshairs are placed in a single file: crosshairs.spr
Which (by default) is located safe within your pak0.pak and cannot
be deleted easily.
But if HalfLife detects a user-made Sprite file with the same name
as its default one,
then HalfLife will prefer to select the user-file.
You can create this file from a crosshairs.qc and a crosshairs.bmp
(which are both given with the sprite generator. along with a series
of other QC files)
you then run Sprite
Generator: sprgen.bat (this wil invoke: sprgen.exe sprites.qc)
And voila, depending on how many files you fed it, you should now have
a few sprite files.
You can read the sprites.qc in Notepad to see how the BMP files should
be named.
When you created a *.spr file, you need to place it the: c:\games\Half-Life\valve\sprites
directory to make them appear in the game.
Note: On the Halflife crosshair palette, the color in the bottom right
corner is used for transparency.
thus you can look righ through it.
By standard this color is (77,77,77) but in fact it can have
any color value.
The RPG Targetting Sprite (Laserdot.spr) is standard 16x16. but if you
modify the QC for it
Just change the $frame to: ($frame 0 0 32 32) Or bigger, or smaller,
whatever you feel is needed.
You could make is any other size that is a multiple of 8... : 8,16,24,32,40,48
and so on.
The same goes for all other Sprites in halflife,
Only use Multiples of "8" with a maximum size of: "256".
Note: If after reading this text you STILL can't get it to work,
a few hours of Trail & error can get you pretty far.
But if you really can't get it to work, just drop
me a mail and state your problem. |