Can anybody explain the mysteries of DLOGS and DITLS for me?

Specifically, I want to do the following things in Frozen Heart 2 (incorporating Femme Fatale 2 and Flight of the Eagle):

• Larger map space
• Longer side bar
• Larger mission text (all kinds)
• Larger planet and bar text

Please only answers from people who have tried this, and not the usual list of people saying 'I'm sure this can't be done'; I know that there are people out there who have done it (eg, EVO Map Embigulator).

Regards and Thanks

Martin

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M A R T I N • T U R N E R

For larger map space: study the EVO Map Embigulator, or ask Ryan if you can include it. I haven't studied it myself, but I could pick it apart for you if you want. DLOGs and DITLs are easy to modify in ResEdit.

For longer side bar: there is no DLOG or DITL for the side bar (assuming you mean the status display radar bar thing), and I couldn't find a defining RECT resource. I tried simply elongating the graphics, but EVO simply scaled it to fit. It seems there is no way.

For larger mission text: I've seen it done, it's pretty simple. The DLOG defines dialog bounding size and position, the DITL defines the contents. Make the window larger using the DLOG, then resize and reposition the buttons and fields. Again, I could do it for you, but it's kind of hard to explain how in a simple post.

For larger planet and bar text: same thing. But, you can also make larger planet pictures, larger shipyard graphics, everything like that is possible. It's hard to explain in a post, but maybe over internet chat...or, like I said, I could do it for you.

I hope that helps, but it probably doesn't. Email me with further questions, so I might actually be able to explain them... :rolleyes:

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I enlarged several of the mission text windows for Secession to allow more text. Feel free to copy them from my plug if you want. Or, if you want to do it yourself, the "offer" dialog (ie, the first one that pops up, with "Yes" and "No" at the bottom) is DITL/DLOG 1016, and the other (BriefText, LoadCarg, DumpCarg, CompText, and/or FailText) dialog is DLOG/DITL 3003. Like Weepul said, all you gotta do is resize the dialog, then move/resize the various DITL items. So easy, even I can do it!

Glenn

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Martin Turner wrote:
**Can anybody explain the mysteries of DLOGS and DITLS for me?...

**

I think the previous answers have generally covered anything I could contribute, except to mention the limitations. The EVO Map Embigulator produces a maximum size map, making a larger one would apparently require rewriting some game code. Also there is a limit to the size of mission dialogue boxes, but it is irrelevant since there is an absolute limit of 1024 characters in a mission desc (thanks Frandall), so you run out of characters before you run out of space.

I also have some modified mission desc dialogue resources I would be glad to contribute, but the DLOGs and DITLs are relatively easy to work with - the fact thet I can successfully modify them is evidence of that.

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Thanks everyone, you've given me the information I needed.

Cheers

Martin

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M A R T I N • T U R N E R

I tried messing with that stuff one time and found that Matt Burch left the "Buy Drink" and "Back Room" buttons in the bar window. If you make your screen at least 800x600 it's really easy to find. You just move the bar DLOG to the top left corner of your screen and start making it bigger. Eventually you'll find two more buttons down there. Just move them up towards the top and shrink the window again. Unfortunatly they still don't do anything.

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just a note-the radar bar can't (to the extent of my knowledge) be adjusted because if you set your monitor to 640 x 480, it will fill up the enire right side of the screen. so even if you COULD make it longer, anybody playing at that res would have major problems.