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No expert but anyhow.....
1\ Your diffuse.dds is basically your textures.
2\ Your normal.dds is a method for giving the appearance of a structure when there is none actually on the mesh, the appearance of more 3D detail.
Below I have generated a new normal map for the Roman soldier (will explain how later) As you can see I have simplified the map by removing all the other detail because I wish to only show the cross as an example.
The normal map now creates the appearance of a cross on the Roman shield even though there is none on the mesh.
[/IMG]
Normal maps are generated within a 3D program from the model, what game developers can do is create a high polygon model with a lot of detail create a normal map and use this to give the appearance of more detail on a low polygon model for a game.
We do not have access to the models but you can also create a normal map from an image.
The simpler the better for the cross I created an image like this, black , white or greys seems to be the best for clarity.
[/IMG]
In Adobe go to filter then in the drop down menu go to Nvidia tools \ Normalmap filter
Here you can adjust settings etc and generate a normal map. You could then copy and paste that into your Roman normal map where the shield is and tidy up.
3\ Your Specular.dds is a method for telling where a texture should shine and in what color.
Not sure how it works in Rome but certain colors will translate into different colors on the model. Green turns objects red. You could turn the whole specular .dds black and all the textures from the Diffuse file will show, but because its also used in Rome to give a different color for the rebels by reversing or changing the instructions for what a color will do you better not.
I think you could ignore it unless it affects a color that you want, for example if you want a blue shirt and the specular.dds keeps turning it red your going to have to change it.
Final note I am not an expert so be careful what you take from this, nothing will blowup and it should help but more research is needed.
Edit: by the way the Wreath was not finalized because I could never get Rome to do what it was supposed to do with the Blender files. It would put it in the game but use the wrong textures.
Could never figure out why and then I stopped playing Rome.
1\ Your diffuse.dds is basically your textures.
2\ Your normal.dds is a method for giving the appearance of a structure when there is none actually on the mesh, the appearance of more 3D detail.
Below I have generated a new normal map for the Roman soldier (will explain how later) As you can see I have simplified the map by removing all the other detail because I wish to only show the cross as an example.
The normal map now creates the appearance of a cross on the Roman shield even though there is none on the mesh.
Normal maps are generated within a 3D program from the model, what game developers can do is create a high polygon model with a lot of detail create a normal map and use this to give the appearance of more detail on a low polygon model for a game.
We do not have access to the models but you can also create a normal map from an image.
The simpler the better for the cross I created an image like this, black , white or greys seems to be the best for clarity.
In Adobe go to filter then in the drop down menu go to Nvidia tools \ Normalmap filter
Here you can adjust settings etc and generate a normal map. You could then copy and paste that into your Roman normal map where the shield is and tidy up.
3\ Your Specular.dds is a method for telling where a texture should shine and in what color.
Not sure how it works in Rome but certain colors will translate into different colors on the model. Green turns objects red. You could turn the whole specular .dds black and all the textures from the Diffuse file will show, but because its also used in Rome to give a different color for the rebels by reversing or changing the instructions for what a color will do you better not.
I think you could ignore it unless it affects a color that you want, for example if you want a blue shirt and the specular.dds keeps turning it red your going to have to change it.
Final note I am not an expert so be careful what you take from this, nothing will blowup and it should help but more research is needed.
Edit: by the way the Wreath was not finalized because I could never get Rome to do what it was supposed to do with the Blender files. It would put it in the game but use the wrong textures.
Could never figure out why and then I stopped playing Rome.
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The specular file tells the game if it's going to use country colours in the texture (found in common/countries under color and color2). The green colour in the specular file refers to the first of the country colours. This country colour is red for Rome, which is why it turned out red on your model.
Thanks Modestus, finding out about the diffusemap was easy, but I wasn't sure what the others do and how to create them easily. Now it's much more clear 
I ran into a big unexpected prob with my flags: when I posted the first preview, I had only created a handfull of those flags, and the game did run well, displaying them without any probs.
Now I created much more, but the game doesn't like them anymore. It either crashes in the scenario selection, or right after the selected scenario has been loaded. I tried to narrow down the reason, but so far I only know it has to be from my modded flags - if I restore the (fortunately backed up) originals it runs fine again. But after checking my modded flags back and forth I can't figure out why they cause that trouble.
I used IrfanView to check them, and unless I overlooked something I saved everything in .tga 24bit, 64x64 pixel, without alphachannel. Some of the originals have RLE compression on, some have not, so I assume it plays no role whether you activate it or not (I didn't pay much attention to it)? Are there any other conventions I am not aware of, but need to follow?
So far I created two versions of every flag: normal and for the revolt version. For a working flag do I need to take care of anything else? Is there anything to know specifically about the revolt version? I also noticed that the original flag folder has lots of other flag files with filenames starting with q (like qro.tga, which looks Roman, but doesn't exactly match the Roman flag which is shown in game) - what are they for, do I need to modify them too?
Now I created much more, but the game doesn't like them anymore. It either crashes in the scenario selection, or right after the selected scenario has been loaded. I tried to narrow down the reason, but so far I only know it has to be from my modded flags - if I restore the (fortunately backed up) originals it runs fine again. But after checking my modded flags back and forth I can't figure out why they cause that trouble.
I used IrfanView to check them, and unless I overlooked something I saved everything in .tga 24bit, 64x64 pixel, without alphachannel. Some of the originals have RLE compression on, some have not, so I assume it plays no role whether you activate it or not (I didn't pay much attention to it)? Are there any other conventions I am not aware of, but need to follow?
So far I created two versions of every flag: normal and for the revolt version. For a working flag do I need to take care of anything else? Is there anything to know specifically about the revolt version? I also noticed that the original flag folder has lots of other flag files with filenames starting with q (like qro.tga, which looks Roman, but doesn't exactly match the Roman flag which is shown in game) - what are they for, do I need to modify them too?
First of the flags starting with Q are for regions, if they declare independance. So you don't have to modify those.
A crash after you reached the main menu, but before you enter the game properly, is usually due to history files. Are you sure you only modified the flags? I've never seen a crash due to flag editing.
A crash after you reached the main menu, but before you enter the game properly, is usually due to history files. Are you sure you only modified the flags? I've never seen a crash due to flag editing.
Seems I solved it
It was indeed due to the flags, TGA files can be saved in "normal" or "extended" mode, and the game does not like the latter, must have accidentally activated it while changing some of the gfx. I only noticed by checking the files again, noting that some of my own flags had filesizes ca. twice as big as the usual P'dox flags.
Well, I played now a bit over a year without any probs using my modded flags after I saved them again in normal mode, so I think that's it.
Here's a little screenie showing some new flags (some still unchanged):
Now that this problem is gone I'll finish all the flags I want to change, then offer them as upload in one package. I'll also look to do your request during the next days
It was indeed due to the flags, TGA files can be saved in "normal" or "extended" mode, and the game does not like the latter, must have accidentally activated it while changing some of the gfx. I only noticed by checking the files again, noting that some of my own flags had filesizes ca. twice as big as the usual P'dox flags.
Well, I played now a bit over a year without any probs using my modded flags after I saved them again in normal mode, so I think that's it.
Here's a little screenie showing some new flags (some still unchanged):
Now that this problem is gone I'll finish all the flags I want to change, then offer them as upload in one package. I'll also look to do your request during the next days
Sute]{h;9260313 said:
Worked on this one today, do you like this:
Hadn't time to do the other one, but shouldn't be a prob.
Overall it looks great. The bull looks a bit skeletal somehow though. Perhaps it is the eyes? Don't know if anything can be done with it. Also the nose ring should perhaps be gold as well to make it stand out more clearly? Finally a minor detail that might look good would be to paint the black bulls eyes red as well. That will make it look less "inverted". Other than that I love them.Worked on this one today, do you like this:
Hadn't time to do the other one, but shouldn't be a prob.
Next try (probably a little jpeg loss in the pic below):
Added colored eyes for the bullhead(s). Kept the 'skullish' look, didn't change much else (experimented a bit with a nosering - didn't turn out so well IMO so I scrapped it). I could try a completely different style if you rather prefer another look.
Then there's the first version for the other flag. Is that the kind of tree you have in mind? As for the tulips, it's hard to implement them on a 64x64 pic, since there's not much space above and below the tree. Would be quite difficult to have good looking tulips that are just 3-5 px wide/high, so I just added red bars so far. Revolter flag could come with blue or green bg
Added colored eyes for the bullhead(s). Kept the 'skullish' look, didn't change much else (experimented a bit with a nosering - didn't turn out so well IMO so I scrapped it). I could try a completely different style if you rather prefer another look.
Then there's the first version for the other flag. Is that the kind of tree you have in mind? As for the tulips, it's hard to implement them on a 64x64 pic, since there's not much space above and below the tree. Would be quite difficult to have good looking tulips that are just 3-5 px wide/high, so I just added red bars so far. Revolter flag could come with blue or green bg
The tree is great even with the lack of tulips. And the black bull is quite good as well. Especially the border is quite cool. Something about the skullish appearance just doesn't seem right with me though. So if I could bother you for a more 'living' bull, I'd be very grateful.Next try (probably a little jpeg loss in the pic below):
Added colored eyes for the bullhead(s). Kept the 'skullish' look, didn't change much else (experimented a bit with a nosering - didn't turn out so well IMO so I scrapped it). I could try a completely different style if you rather prefer another look.
Then there's the first version for the other flag. Is that the kind of tree you have in mind? As for the tulips, it's hard to implement them on a 64x64 pic, since there's not much space above and below the tree. Would be quite difficult to have good looking tulips that are just 3-5 px wide/high, so I just added red bars so far. Revolter flag could come with blue or green bg
Here we go again:
Replaced the bull's head completely with another one shamelessly stolen from city heraldry. I think that gets rid of the 'skull' look. Plus the revolter version for the second flag. If you like'em I can upload them somewhere in the right format....
Replaced the bull's head completely with another one shamelessly stolen from city heraldry. I think that gets rid of the 'skull' look. Plus the revolter version for the second flag. If you like'em I can upload them somewhere in the right format....
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I like the new "fleshy" bull. A couple of minor color details though. Think both bulls should have red eyes. The blue eyes makes it much to peaceful. Secondly I think it might look great if the white bull flag had gold borders matching the horns. The final color issue is the green background. Green is good, but a different shade of green would be nicer on the eyes. Also I might be mistaken but it looks like tiny dots of the yellow background is still present on the green flag between the leaves.
And I have to say it again... that black bull is really amazing.
And I have to say it again... that black bull is really amazing.
Next one: White bull with red eyes, golden borders. The second tree is changed somewhat - but I dunno what green tone you'd prefer as bg, is this one better? Had to adapt the tree itself too a bit (is darker than in the one with yellow bg)
Ok, it's all in a small zip here: http://files.filefront.com/13178117
You just need to rename the .tga files to what you need after unzipping.
I think you know it already, but due to the stability probs I had earlier I want to stress to usual "make backups, use everything at your own risk" routine. I didn't test them in game, but I don't expect any probs though. If there's still something wrong, let me know it and I'll try to iron it out
You just need to rename the .tga files to what you need after unzipping.
I think you know it already, but due to the stability probs I had earlier I want to stress to usual "make backups, use everything at your own risk" routine. I didn't test them in game, but I don't expect any probs though. If there's still something wrong, let me know it and I'll try to iron it out