Quote: --- Original message by: IGM_theServer
As far as I know, the bitmaps.map has nothing (OK, for the most part) to do with the game. Instead, tool uses it to read and compile bitmaps from it into the newly (or about to be) created map (so every map can have a different loading screen). So in a sense, this is not possible. But if you wanted to make a map with a custom loading screen, this is how you would do it:
I had to do this with IG-WYS_beta. It is true that the bitmap for the loading screen is stored in the bitmaps.map. However, when tool compiles the map (using build-cache-file), it uses the bitmap from the bitmaps.map. The specific tag that we're talking about is ui\shell\bitmaps\background.bitmap. This tag isn't referenced anywhere in the map (that I could find), but is used by the game. What I did was this:
1) I had my friend, Atlan, create the background (which I then compiled properly into a .bitmap).
2) I backed up my old background image (just in case), and pasted the custom background into the tags\ui\shell\bitmaps\ folder as background.bitmap.
3) DO NOT COMPILE THE MAP AT THIS TIME. It will not work... At this point, get a Hex editor if you do not already have one (XVI32 is good).
4) Using the hex editor, open the bitmaps.map file in the CE maps folder.
5) Search for ui\shell\bitmaps\background.
Note: There are actually two results that come up for this. One is the pixel count and the other is the actually bitmap.
7) On the first search, change the ui (at the selected area) to ig (for IG, of course).
8) Search again for that same string. Again, change the ui to ig.
Note: You don't have to use ig; any two character string will do.
9) Save the bitmaps.map.
10) Recompile the map.

What we've basically done is forced tool to use the bitmap in the tags folder since it cannot find ui\shell\bitmaps\background in the bitmaps.map.
Edited by IGM_theServer on Feb 11, 2008 at 01:44 AM
Edited by IGM_theServer on Feb 11, 2008 at 01:45 AM