Legend of Dragoon Styled Portraits in Battle Menu Proposal

[ajthedj747]

Hello All,
I would like to propose a new option to the Menu Overhaul. Character Portraits next to the names of the Characters. I understand that this would be very difficult to do, that is why I would need other members of this forum to help me do this. It would great if @DLPB could tell me his opinion on this idea of mine. Other members of the forum, your input is also requested. This is currently going to only be for the 1998 PC version of the game.

I hope you like my humble artist rendering:



I understand that is a graphical topic, yet I also understand that getting these graphics to actually happen as shown is a Huge Reverse Engineering Project that would take months on end to figure out.

Update: I just realized that in the Menu Overhaul, the text and bars for the MBarrier and Shield were replaced by Graphics:



This may mean that the names of each Party Member could be replaced by a .PNG image of their portrait. Hmmmmm........ 

This image was made by @Felix Leonhart. I will ask about how it was created.

Credits:

Menu Overhaul was made by @Luksy, @DLPB, @sl1982 and @Kranmer as well as many others.

One of the biggest issues is the spacing, and the programming required to correctly insert the correct spacing for different screen resolutions.

@LeonhartGR has pointed out to me that this project should support the .PNG files in the Menu folder of the Mod folder. This is an important part of the project itself.


UPDATE:

I understand that as of right now, 0 members on this forum will help me with this project. So, I have decided to do things the hard way.

I have discovered that you can place three tiny squares in one spot - next to the text in red (for most, it is grey) that says, "NAME." I will make a total of 24 different variations of the .PNG file called, "btl_win_a_l_07."

Now you may ask, why would one do that?

Quite simple.

Let  one say that you have a party of the following

Aerith / Cloud / Tifa

A btl_win_a_l_07.png with the portraits in that order should be put into the menu folder inside the folder currently being used in the mod folder.

For example, this directory:

C:\Games\FF7\mods\Bootleg\menu\btl_win_a_l_07.png

I will add an extra number to the end of each .PNG file so that each .PNG file can easily be changed out to the one that a player wants to be used.

I got this idea from @Grimmy. He did this with the different images for Cait Sith's Limit Break called "Lucky Girl."

Another question you may have is why all the hassle.

Answer: Not too many members on this forum have free time to make this pending release less of a hassle, so one will have to wait until a method of switching out each of the 24.PNG files is no longer a hassle.


Result One





Not exactly what I wanted, yet it is a result. I used Photoshop to get this result.


Result Two





Hey, this will work! Now I need to see if I can do the same for the Final Fantasy X styled Battle Menu.

For now, I shall release a Photoshop file for anyone to use. Original artwork by @DLPB and @sl1982.





I will have the files ready for download and release soon. Please send request for your portraits to be used.

If anyone has any ideas to help me, please let me know.

The creators should have left the following portraits in the Battle Mode...

[LeonhartGR]

Haha... i see you are taking it further... nice thought!

[ProtoX]

giving battle seene a final fantasy 4 complete collection feel just by added the pics next to there names

[ajthedj747]

giving battle seene a final fantasy 4 complete collection feel just by added the pics next to there names

Easier said than done. I mean, this is some serious work that needs to be done, if it will be taken up by the professionals like @DLPB and @Bloodshot. From what I understand, a brand new code would have to be used to make this happen.

Maybe @Sithlord48 could help me when he is not busy with his projects. I will have to send him a PM.

[weeemus]

Usually I'd say take it out if it looks too congested. But In this case, I actually prefer it better with the portraits. That's just my opinion. Good idea though!

[ajthedj747]

Usually I'd say take it out if it looks too congested. But In this case, I actually prefer it better with the portraits. That's just my opinion. Good idea though!

I totally agree. I was trying to get a point across in a hurry before making 24 USD through tips as a delivery driver for Domino's Pizza. One of the best International Pizza Joints, I must say. I wonder if they are in Toronto.

[LeonhartGR]

I totally agree. I was trying to get a point across in a hurry before making 24 USD through tips as a delivery driver for Domino's Pizza. One of the best International Pizza Joints, I must say. I wonder if they are in Toronto.

Haha... nice promotion through qhimm... There's one branch in Thessaloniki Greece where I live but it's really frustrating that it delivers only 1Km around it. It doesn't offer tables to sit though, it's a small branch, but I've tried and love the dough. It reminds me of Arabian bread. I support it more than Pizza Hut, the last they ruined their dough taste imo.

[ajthedj747]

Haha... nice promotion through qhimm... There's one branch in Thessaloniki Greece where I live but it's really frustrating that it delivers only 1Km around it. It doesn't offer tables to sit though, it's a small branch, but I've tried and love the dough. It reminds me of Arabian bread. I support it more than Pizza Hut, the last they ruined their dough taste imo.

Only one kilometer? What are they nuts? One kilometer? What? That is a first for me. My store delivers in a radius of the equivalent of 14 kilometers. Same here, I love Domino's Pizza over slow moving Pizza Hut any old day. They do not call me an Expert for nothing.

[Tenko Kuugen]

1km you can do if theres another shop of the same chain 2 kilometers away
if you have one shop cover one square kilometer each, sure, that makes sense
other than that? lol, crazy people exist

[ajthedj747]

1km you can do if theres another shop of the same chain 2 kilometers away
if you have one shop cover one square kilometer each, sure, that makes sense
other than that? lol, crazy people exist

Where I live, there are entire areas not covered by my workplace's range. Or by another store's range.

[ajthedj747]

By the way, @Kuugen theFox, would you be interested in helping me with the portrait project. I have seen your skills in Reverse Engineering throughout this forum.

[Tenko Kuugen]

My what?
You must be mistaking me with NFITC1, Kranmer, Aali, myst6re, etc
the people who actually do the real reverse engineering

I have no idea how you would even go about adding portraits.
I assume that, technically, you could include portaits in the menu graphics and try to bind in a check for which character ID is where but I don't know if that's possible. Those portraits would always be the same, regardless of which avatars you have installed.
I assume one way to do it would be to place all portraits in the same row, in every row, but off screen and then use some kind of memory edit that places the respective portrait in place. that'd mean manually loading the memory though. hext by DLPB can probably do that, but im not sure if it handles real time updates.

honestly I don't think it can be done, at least not without absurd effort.
even if I could help, I'm still stupidly busy with my overhaul. I've just learned how to randomize battle music and in the process of adding that to all maps.

[ajthedj747]

My what?
You must be mistaking me with NFITC1, Kranmer, Aali, myst6re, etc
the people who actually do the real reverse engineering

I have no idea how you would even go about adding portraits.
I assume that, technically, you could include portaits in the menu graphics and try to bind in a check for which character ID is where but I don't know if that's possible. Those portraits would always be the same, regardless of which avatars you have installed.
I assume one way to do it would be to place all portraits in the same row, in every row, but off screen and then use some kind of memory edit that places the respective portrait in place. that'd mean manually loading the memory though. hext by DLPB can probably do that, but im not sure if it handles real time updates.

honestly I don't think it can be done, at least not without absurd effort.
even if I could help, I'm still stupidly busy with my overhaul. I've just learned how to randomize battle music and in the process of adding that to all maps.

Thank you, you are right. I apprecaite your help for who I should ask for help.

[Tenko Kuugen]

your best bet are DLPB, Kanmer, NFITC and Aali, combined.
DLPB and Kranmer made the menu overhaul and this certainly is related to that, NFITC knows a lot about stuff in general and Aali is simply important to get the whole thing working fine.

[ajthedj747]

your best bet are DLPB, Kanmer, NFITC and Aali, combined.
DLPB and Kranmer made the menu overhaul and this certainly is related to that, NFITC knows a lot about stuff in general and Aali is simply important to get the whole thing working fine.

Thank you for your advice, @KuugenTheFox. I may be annoying and obnoxious, yet I can easily change those behaviors to wise and smart.

[xenokain]

This certainly would be a cool creative idea. wish i had thought of this. by the way are there any games that even do this? like show the character portraits on screen in battle mode? i mean just rpg's by the way

you know who would be usefull as well? this guy = http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=8181.0

i know they just changed the icons of the characters on the menu but if that can be done on psx version seeing the pc version has been so broken down its def possible.the idea you have

[omega res novae]

I assure u that switching an avatar is alot easier than doing the portraits. Avatars from what i understand are just a tex file in the menu lgp.