E2150 - Custom Interface Guide

Getting needed files

If you bought Earth 2150 - Digital Deluxe Content, you obtained necessary tools for creating your own custom interface. In the game directory you should find a folder Digital Deluxe Content with MyInterface pack inside. It contains all the tools and template interfaces you can edit.

Available items:

Interface templates from MyInterface

• Tools - folder with essential tool executables
  • AddFileInfo.exe
  • InterfaceMap.exe
  • MyInterface.exe - an app for people curious about element names, may help with changing font colors
  • Pic2Tex.exe - needed for converting graphic files into game-understable format
  • WDCreator.exe - packing tool for creating one file containing final interface
• MyInterface - folder with interface templates
  • InterfaceED
  • InterfaceEDsolid
  • InterfaceLC
  • InterfaceLCsolid
  • InterfaceUCS
  • InterfaceUCSsolid

As a first step I suggest copying selected template and Tools catalogue to another location so you will not overwrite anything by mistake. All the graphic files (.bmp or .tga) you can edit with GIMP free software. BMP files can be edited though you should leave in peace files that have @ symbol in their names. TGA files contain elements that use transparency like cursor or compass.

Editing graphic files

Change the colors of elements as you wish. Just before saving a modified file proceed like described below.

Exporting BMP

• turn Indexed mode with setting to convert everything into optimal 256 color pallet

Indexed option selected

Changing index preferences to 256

• set 8-bit fixed point precision

Selecting precision

• while exporting check compatibility option of not saving information about color space

Setting compatibility of exported file

Exporting TGA

• turn off the RLE encoding (compression) while exporting edited file
• leave origin set as default - bottom left

Export options for TGA

Exported in that way files should work in game after compilation.