Text colors and fonts

**SigniferOne** · December 23, 2008, 05:09 PM

Since there is no thread about this, I figured I'd start one to collect the info about changing text colors (and potentially fonts).

The main file that controls text colors is descr_ui_colour_db.txt. I've already managed to change color for the main menu ("Single Player", "Multiplayer", "Options"), for titles ("Single Player", "Select Faction" large-size titles), etc.

This entries in this file are extremely cryptic about which text regions they control, so the following are the ones that I've already found the functions of (its function is the first line of each section):

Code:

; shadow for main menu options, etc
menu_general_text_shadow   127, 0, 0, 0              ; used for menu_text and miscellaneous menu text items

; highlight over main menu text
menu_textlist              255, 182, 122, 80
menu_textlist_shadow       255, 0, 0, 0

;'Confirm Exit Game?' pop-up, etc
menu_dialog                255, 254, 254, 254
menu_dialog_shadow         255, 0, 0, 0

; Faction descriptions
menu_string_pair           255, 188, 188, 188
menu_string_pair_alternate 255, 188, 188, 188

; Back Next arrows, titles of filled-in menu squares, etc
menu_static_text           255, 254, 254, 254
menu_static_text_shadow    255, 0, 0, 0

What I need now is the entry which regulates the yellow color of the general's/settlement name in the strat map interface. This color is also possibly used by the 'season' text, and by the money amount text.

**GrnEyedDvl** · December 23, 2008, 05:39 PM

I am not seeing anything that would show up as any sort of yellow unless my color blindness as gotten really bad

Code:

menu_textlist              255, 182, 122, 80

The first number is opacity and the next 3 are rgb??

**SigniferOne** · December 23, 2008, 06:57 PM

In strat map mode, look at the color of the settlement or general's name, on the right hand of your interface. Or, color of the season text. There's actually quite a bunch of yellow colors. I mean look at the money amount; or turn amount. Did you ever guess that there was a blue colored text? There is, in the diplomacy window. Etc, it's all quite tricky.

BTW, yes, the first number is opacity, and the next 3 are the RGB.

**Mythic_Commodore** · December 23, 2008, 07:16 PM

Would that be in the strat.sd?

**SigniferOne** · December 24, 2008, 12:57 PM

As far as I know the .SD files only control graphical components, such as the various icons on the interface window.

**GrnEyedDvl** · December 24, 2008, 01:28 PM

Thats what I thought about .sd, and .int file only specifies location in x y.

I cant find anything Sig, shoot makanyane a PM shes pretty good with that stuff.

**SigniferOne** · December 26, 2008, 03:52 PM

This is totally not good. Not only did I try to change everything possible, but I removed the descr_ui_colour_db.txt completely, which screwed up the whole game's text representation, but a few text strings on the screen retained their color, indifferent to everything around them.

I send a pm to makanyane, we'll see what she says.

**makanyane** · December 26, 2008, 05:13 PM

Hi, I've not looked at that much for M2TW, but I know we got totally stuck trying to change the building and unit description text colour in RTW etc... which seemed to be either hardcoded or somewhere in the unreadable font files. I changed every graphic file I could think of for that incase it was picking the colour up from something and didn't manage to change it... Sorry I suspect this might be the same.

Only other file that I found that changes font colours is 'descr_event_images.txt' but that is only for event messages as far as I can tell. The .lnt file I don't think does anything after the initial menu/loading screens.

**Augustus Lucifer** · December 26, 2008, 11:49 PM

It's indeed a shame about the font files, was trying to figure them out to no avail.

**Blackomur89** · July 17, 2009, 04:10 AM

So its realy not possible to put custom fonts in the descriptions...?

**Augustus Lucifer** · July 17, 2009, 06:07 AM

Originally Posted by Blackomur89

So its realy not possible to put custom fonts in the descriptions...?

Unless you can convert TTF files to the font format CA uses, in which case it shouldn't be a problem. The key issue is the format from my understanding, so it requires the same type of work put in to make model/texture converters.

**Blackomur89** · July 17, 2009, 06:29 AM

Originally Posted by Augustus Lucifer

Unless you can convert TTF files to the font format CA uses, in which case it shouldn't be a problem. The key issue is the format from my understanding, so it requires the same type of work put in to make model/texture converters.

Could you please tell me how to do that.

I would like to put several different fonts in the building descriptions names.

Thank you in advance.

**Augustus Lucifer** · July 17, 2009, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by Blackomur89

Could you please tell me how to do that.

I would like to put several different fonts in the building descriptions names.

Thank you in advance.

It isn't a matter of doing it, it's a matter of the tools to do it not existing. Files are packaged in 'formats' which determine their makeup and how they're read as well as which programs can read them. Converters are made to take the meat of a file and put it in the wrapping of another format. There's no such thing which converts the most common text format (.ttf) into the one that CA uses. A programmer would need to create one before we could attempt to modify fonts, presumably.

**Blackomur89** · July 17, 2009, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by Augustus Lucifer

It isn't a matter of doing it, it's a matter of the tools to do it not existing. Files are packaged in 'formats' which determine their makeup and how they're read as well as which programs can read them. Converters are made to take the meat of a file and put it in the wrapping of another format. There's no such thing which converts the most common text format (.ttf) into the one that CA uses. A programmer would need to create one before we could attempt to modify fonts, presumably.

And a programmer is hard to find.
Thank you in any case.

**Werebear** · October 14, 2009, 06:03 AM

Hi

Can you tell me plz line in descr_ui_colour_db.txt for unit card text description

**Druvatar De Bodemloze** · October 14, 2009, 10:50 AM

from my research into the issue it can be done! but like Lucifer says "it involves a programmer" cause we need to write a new hardcoded CUF. java script every time and we would have no way to do preliminary testing

**Werebear** · October 14, 2009, 12:11 PM

but i dont want change font, only colour

**makanyane** · October 14, 2009, 03:53 PM

yup, but unless CA coded a line into the descr_ui_colour_db.txt
that lets you do that - (suggest you experiment by changing all lines in there to something silly like 00 00 255) - then whatever codes the colour is hidden somewhere in the CUF files or even worse the .exe....

I've not specifically tried to get to that one in M2, but as SigOne said above, there are some colours we can't seem to get to.

**Werebear** · October 15, 2009, 02:03 AM

i havent time for experiment, thats why i asked...

**Gigantus** · October 15, 2009, 09:31 AM

Well, the color for unit and settlement names are connected to the faction colors. Guess that might be tied in with another input as well. So Makanyane's suggestion might be the only way to find out.