A Guide to Coat of Arms

[Measter]

Introduction

In this guide, I will show how a Coat of Arms is created for a dynasty by showing you how to recreate this Coat of Arms:

Template

The first part of defining a Coat of arms, is deciding which template you will use. While the Muslims only have access to a circular plain template, the following templates are available for use by Christians in order of ID:

Spoiler

0 : Plain

1 : Per Fess

2 : Per Pale

3 : Per Cross

The numbers in the images are the order in which the given layers are used. You must use all layers, or the game will crash. When emblems are used in a layer, they well be scaled and positioned to the centre of that layer. For this Coat of Arms, we will be using the Per Fess template, which has the ID of 1. The variable used for selecting the template is:

template = <id>

where <id> is the ID of the selected template.

The /interface/coats_of_arms.txt and /interface/coats_of_arms.gfx define a triangle template, though the files are not where the definition links to. As such, it will not be included here. For reference, the ID of the triangle template is 4, if you wish to test it.

[edit]The Party Triangle template uses the top two parts of the Per Cross template and the bottom half of the Per Fess template, making three layers in total.[/edit]

Patterns

The next step is to select which patterns well be used. You can have a different one for each layer as seen in the example, and each layer can have its own emblem and colours.

These are the patterns available for the Christians:

Spoiler

0 :

1 :

2 :

4 :

And for the Muslims:

Spoiler

0 :

1 :

While they are a bit of an eyesore, the colours do serve a purpose as we'll see later. When selecting a texture to use, you must first give the ID of the image, and then the ID of the pattern used. The pattern ID starts at 0 on the top right, and starts counting right. So the vertical lines on the 10th column, 1st row of Texture 0 has an ID of 9 while the diagonal lines on the 1st column of the 2nd row has an ID of 10.

The Christian pattern definition does define a texture with the ID of 3, which seems to be intended for the major houses in the game though I cannot find the image.

For this Coat of Arms, we will be using the texture with the ID of 0 on both layers, with patterns 21 (2nd column, 3rd row) and 5 (6th column, 1st row). The variables for selecting the textures and patterns are:

 texture = <id>

and

texture_internal = <id>

where <id> in each is the texture ID in the first, and the pattern ID in the second. Unlike emblems, the selected pattern will be cropped by the template selected, not scaled. So in this case, we will only get the bottom half of pattern 5, and the tip of pattern 21.

Emblems

Emblems are only available for Christian Coats of Arms. As said in the Template section, a chosen emblem will be scaled down and centred in the layer that its been selected for. Here is the image containing the emblems:

Spoiler

As with the other parts, the ID starts with 0 on the left, which is an empty emblem. For our Coat of Arms we will be using the last emblem, which has an ID of 24, in the first layer only. The variable name for selecting the emblem is

emblem = <id>

where <id> is the ID of the emblem. If you do not wish to have an emblem, either set the ID to 0, or do not include the variable. You cannot recolour an emblem.

Colours

Now we come to the colours for the Coat of Arms. You have to select the colour from a pre-defined palette. The colours available to the Christians in order of ID is:

And for the Muslims in order is:

As expected, the ID starts from 0 on the left, and counts up. Here's where the garish colours of the patterns comes into play. You can select up to 3 colours for each pattern, depending on what the pattern itself supports. All green will be replace by the first colour you choose, all red by the second chose colour, and all blue by the third chosen colour. The variable used for choosing a colour is

color = <id>

repeated for each of the 3 colours chosen for the layer. You only need to define as many colours as the pattern will use. If the pattern only needs two colours, there's no point defining a third, as it won't be used.

For our Coat of Arms, we will be choosing colour IDs 1 (white) and 2 (blue).

Defining You Coat of Arms

Now that we've gone over the parts we can use for our Coat of Arms, now we will define it. First we'll start with a simple dynasty definition:

1000010011 = {
  name="Bishop"
  culture = english
}

To define a Coat of Arms, we need to add a new tag, like so:

1000010011 = {
  name="Bishop"
  culture = english
  coat_of_arms = {

  }
}

Now we add in the selected template ID:

1000010011 = {
  name="Bishop"
  culture = english
  coat_of_arms = {
    template = 1
  }
}

Now we must add the layers. Each individual layer is its own tag, with its own sub-variables defining the pattern, emblem, and colours. Now we add the first layer tag, and define the texture, pattern, emblem, and the two colours.

1000010011 = {
  name="Bishop"
  culture = english
  coat_of_arms = {
    template = 1
    layer = {
      texture = 0
      texture_internal = 21
      emblem = 24
      color = 1
      color = 2
      color = 0
    }
  }
}

This gives us the first layer of the emblem, which with the pattern we chose is the top half of the Coat of Arms. I've defined a third colour here (gold) to show how it will be ignored because the selected pattern ony supports two. All subsequent layers are added below the first layer tag, like so:

1000010011 = {
  name="Bishop"
  culture = english
  coat_of_arms = {
    template = 1
    layer = {
      texture = 0
      texture_internal = 21
      emblem = 24
      color = 1
      color = 2
      color = 0
    }
    layer = {
      texture = 0
      texture_internal = 5
      color = 1
      color = 2
    }
  }
}

That sums up how to define a Coat of Arms for your dynasties.

 

[Olaf the Unsure]

Very nice!

 

[Zaldax]

This is fantastic, thank you! I really hope this gets stickied.

 

[Brent15]

This is a really useful resource. Thanks for posting it!

 

[Darrigan]

Good stuff!

 

[Syren]

Thanks for this!

 

[Kaineous]

Very helpful, thank you.

 

[Diemaco]

I have a problem getting the Per Cross template to work correctly. I want the upper left and lower right portions to show a diagonal line, and the upper right and lower left portions to show parts of an eagle. But I keep ending up with either 3 parts eagle, or 3 parts diagonal line. This is the code I used:

coat_of_arms = {
		template = 4
		layer = {
			texture = 0
			texture_internal = 4
			color = 5
			color = 0
			emblem = 9
			}
		layer = {
			texture = 4
			texture_internal = 2
			color = 5
			color = 0
			}
		layer = {
			texture = 4
			texture_internal = 2
			color = 5
			color = 0
			}
		layer = {
			texture = 0
			texture_internal = 4
			color = 5
			color = 0
			emblem = 9
			}

I can't figure out what I do wrong. Had no problems making a 2-layered emblem.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Arko]

I have a problem getting the Per Cross template to work correctly. I want the upper left and lower right portions to show a diagonal line, and the upper right and lower left portions to show parts of an eagle. But I keep ending up with either 3 parts eagle, or 3 parts diagonal line. This is the code I used:

I can't figure out what I do wrong. Had no problems making a 2-layered emblem.

Thanks in advance!

You should have a look to this toOl

 

[Measter]

Your template ID needs to be 3, not 4. 4 is used for the Party Triangle template, which has three layers, the top two from the Per Cross template, and the bottom half from the Per Fess template. In the parent post, I mistakenly said the Party Triangle template was ID 5.

 

[Diemaco]

Thanks, and thanks!

 

[tonkatoy5]

Really obvious question but what number is the first emblem, the golden lion, I though it was 0 but that doesn't work. BTW before I asked I reread this post like 100 times to find my error, so now I submit myself to probably embarrassment.

 

[Measter]

The first emblem in the file is a blank slot, and that has the ID of 0. The lion would have an ID of 1.

 

[tonkatoy5]

The first emblem in the file is a blank slot, and that has the ID of 0. The lion would have an ID of 1.

That's what I thought too but number 1 for me is the saints symbol(not sure what it's called) so am I doing something else wrong?
template = 0
layer = {
texture = 0
texture_internal = 5
emblem = 1
color = 5
color = 0
color = 3
}
}
}

 

[Measter]

That looks like it should work to me. Unless you're using a mod that changes the files, I don't understand why it won't work.

 

[Hundhedning]

Any differences for pagan dynasties?

 

[Arko]

Any differences for pagan dynasties?

nope. but defining a fix Coa for muslim seems to make them having a christian frame instead of a msulim one.

 

[jursamaj]

It looks easy to add new templates & get the random generator to use them, but is it possible to get the Ruler Designer to use them? Obviously, I'd need the template in coat_of_arms.gfx, and graphics for the partions, and probably a string or 2 in RulerDesigner.csv. But will that get RD to *use* them?

 

[Measter]

I believe the Ruler Designer just lets you pick from what the game has loaded.

 

[jursamaj]

Well, I decided to try it and see what happens. I think I did everything right... and the game crashes as soon as I select "Single Player". I suspect it's because the RD part of the game has the GFX_lobby_coa_* tags hard coded, and freaks out when it gets a new one.

Oh well, it was a nice idea. And I learned stuff about modding & Photoshop.