Modding the EC on a low level?

I prefer using the default UI, but I would like to be able to edit some of the 'action' icons to give me more choice, not the ones to perform the action, just the ones you pull into a hot bar to represent your macro - something like swapping one of the number icons to be a red coloured fishing skill icon to use for a lava fishing macro.
I have no knowledge of where to even start!  Any chance of an idiot's guide from someone?
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Comments

  • TimStTimSt Posts: 1,779
    edited April 2022
    You need to create your own custom UI directory structure such as: C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Ultima Online Enhanced\UserInterface\Petra's UI\Icons\Macro Icons\Numbers then add the appropriate file to override such as 04.dds.  Unfortunately I do not know how to edit such a DDS file (yet).

    The beauty of UO's custom UI is that if you want to override just one thing you only need the appropriate directory structure and that one file.
  • Petra_FydePetra_Fyde Posts: 1,321
    Thank you! I have the dds plug in for Gimp, so editing is np. 
  • TimStTimSt Posts: 1,779
    Since you mentioned the fishing skill icon you can find it here: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Ultima Online Enhanced\UserInterface\Petra's UI\Icons\Skills\Fishing.dds". Open the file. copy the graphic for it, add the red for lava, and then put it in the .DDS file you are overriding under Icons\Macro Icons\Numbers

  • Petra_FydePetra_Fyde Posts: 1,321
    done that, thanks. In fact made 2, one has the fishing icon with a bait pot in bottom left corner, and one has a red circle top left corner - making the whole thing red didn't look right :(
  • done that, thanks. In fact made 2, one has the fishing icon with a bait pot in bottom left corner, and one has a red circle top left corner - making the whole thing red didn't look right :(
    Should have just put a little fire icon up there. that or a cookie, cookies always work.

    A Goblin, a Gargoyle, and a Drow walk into a bar . . .

    Never be afraid to challenge the status quo

  • Petra_FydePetra_Fyde Posts: 1,321
    done that, thanks. In fact made 2, one has the fishing icon with a bait pot in bottom left corner, and one has a red circle top left corner - making the whole thing red didn't look right :(
    Should have just put a little fire icon up there. that or a cookie, cookies always work.

    What a good idea! Why didn't I think of that. :)
  • JackFlashUkJackFlashUk Posts: 883
    and I was hoping this would be in English so I could understand :(

  • Arroth_ThaielArroth_Thaiel Posts: 1,020
    edited April 2022
    I've been thinking about doing a walkthrough for creating icons but haven't had the time. Since this thread is current and Petra asked a direct question that has a straightforward answer, I'm going to post some steps here (a very skimpy walkthrough, if you will).

    What TimSt and Petra have worked out above is great way to replace an icon. Like with most things in the EC, there are multiple ways to do the same thing.

    Rather than replacing a file, I'm going to post some instructions for how to add custom icons to your macro icon selection.

    To edit/create the icon files, you might want GIMP, the GNU Image Manipulator Program. I see that both Petra and I are using it. The button/icons in the EC are saved as ".dds" files, which GIMP can interact with. For reference, "dds" stands for "direct draw surface", and now my knowledge of dds is exhausted.


    --
    First, go into your EC install directory, into the UserInterface folder, and unzip "default.zip" to somewhere you can keep a copy of your un-modified UI files, like your desktop. Your EC install directory will be something like:
    C:\>Program Files (x86)>Electronic Arts>Ultima Online Enhanced Client>UserInterface

    Since you are already in the EC install UserInterface folder, create a folder for your custom UI. We'll go with Petra's UI from earlier in the thread.

    Within the Petra's UI folder, create two (2) additional folders: Icons, and Source. Within the Icons folder create another folder named Petra's Icons. Don't worry, I'll post a picture of the directory structure in a few steps. For right now it should look like this:
    Petra's UI
    ---Icons
    -----Petra's Icons
    ---Source

    To add icons to the list of macro icons available in game you will need to change information in two EC files. Go into the files you unzipped from "default.zip". Go to Default>Icons and copy icons.xml into Petra's UI>Icons. Then go to Default>Source and copy MacroPickerWindow.lua into Petra's UI>Source. Your directory should now look like this:
    Petra's UI
    ---Icons
    -----Petra's Icons
    -----icons.xml
    ---Source
    -----MacroPickerWindow.lua

    That's it, you've setup your custom UI to be able to add icons. Now, let's make and add an icon.

    --
    In your default files, in Default>Icons>actions, you will find the grey button background, "blank2.dds", that is used in all the default EC's hotbar icons, etc. Open "blank2.dds" in your editing software.



    Next we need an image to put on the background. Since Petra wanted something with fishing, and she has mentioned being a 69 year old grandmother a couple times, we'll find something typical of a 69 year old woman with 3 three kids and a fishing theme.


    No judging.

    Now, we'll resize the pic, merge it into the background button, and save it with a name we'll remember (CB_Pirate.dds) to Petra's UI>Icons>Petra's Icons.


    That should do. Directory structure should now look like so:
    Petra's UI
    ---Icons
    -----Petra's Icons
    ---------CB_Pirate.dds
    -----icons.xml
    ---Source
    -----MacroPickerWindow.lua

    Directory structure as an image:



    With the button/icon created, we'll edit icons.xml (in our custom UI folder) to tell the EC what number to associate with that file (Notepad will work to edit the .xml). As you look through icons.xml you will see a ton of numbers. We want to make sure any number we choose will not interfere with previous numbers. It's easiest to go to the bottom of the list and start with a higher number sequence, as in the highlighted line in the image below:


    Notice that not only have we input the number, 900000, but we've also input the directory and the filename "Icons/Petra's Icons/CB_Pirate.dds". We've also assigned a name "Happy Pirate" that may or may not show on mouse over.


    Finally, we'll tell the EC to actually call the icon we've assigned number 900000. Open MacroPickerWindow.lua (Notepad will work) and add the number 900000 to the list of numbers, as in the highlighted line below.


    We're done. Save the files and load the client. At the login screen choose Petra's UI from the Custom UI button. If you've followed the instructions correctly, the new button/icon will appear at the bottom of the list when selecting a macro icon.



    --

    I hope people have fun with icons (which are technically called buttons depending on where you are in UO's code).

    Good luck!
    -Arroth
  • McDougleMcDougle Posts: 3,742
    I'm surprised there's not more user created mods we can add easily well really any other than Pinco
    Acknowledgment and accountability go a long way... 
  • YoshiYoshi Posts: 3,322
    edited April 2022
    " @Arroth_Thaiel you should make one that is only bug fixes and spell/buff description corrections and publish"
    Posts on this account have been pre filtered from personal comment or opinion in an effort to suppress conservative views in order to protect the reader.
  • gaygay Posts: 358
    edited April 2022
    And to think, we used to get perma banned for changing trees into stumps or fields into tiles with only speculation and (usually faked) local screenshots as evidence. Now people can freely modify the new client, and upload videos of gameplay showing full on scripted/automated play in pvp without any repercussion.

    What a time to be alive.
  • ArchangelArchangel Posts: 460
    gay said:
    And to think, we used to get perma banned for changing trees into stumps or fields into tiles with only speculation and (usually faked) local screenshots as evidence. Now people can freely modify the new client, and upload videos of gameplay showing full on scripted/automated play in pvp without any repercussion.

    What a time to be alive.
    "new client"?  yea, fresh out of the oven, lol
    "Now people can freely modify"?   Yup, now, since its creation, thank Heavens it's new then!  :D
  • SethSeth Posts: 2,904
    @Arroth_Thaiel

    Fabulous... wish if there is a generic guide to create a custom search for anything in the game, from jewelry box, house, bods etc... 

    We are all getting old.
    If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 
    ESRB warning: Some Blood. LOTS of Alcohol. Some Violence. LOTS of Bugs
  • Petra_FydePetra_Fyde Posts: 1,321
    edited April 2022
    @Arroth_Thaiel thank you for that comprehensive guide! I'm not too sure about that image though :D

    I will continue to just change out a few image files. My reason being, if either of the files you mention are updated 'at source' by the team, those changes will not be reflected in your UI and you will have to update. I touch no 'functional' type file, so am, to all intents and purposes, still using the default UI.

    For general information, there were several UI's developed when EC first came out, you can see images from some examples back on Stratics. Pinco so outstripped them though that the others gave up, also some are no longer playing, so the places they hosted them on for download have gone.

    I had to learn about .dds files when writing for Stratics. I needed to convert the files from .dds to .gif in order to include them in regular browser pages. For that I needed to be able to read them. Hence Gimp. At the time I had to search for a gimp plug in to do it. That's how pages like the one on 'weapons specials' and the one on 'buff-debuff icons' have the appropriate images on them.

    @gay to the best of my knowledge no one has edited the EC to re-create the particular cheats you mention. Not even Pinco. Perhaps there's a reason for that?
  • gaygay Posts: 358
    @ gay to the best of my knowledge no one has edited the EC to re-create the particular cheats you mention. Not even Pinco. Perhaps there's a reason for that?

    And you would be very incorrect. Just because you close your eyes and shove your head into the sand as a measure to not see what you don't want to see, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I do believe it was Pinco who actually published it with his very own installer, an artfile editor. With presets for tile fields, and even the being able to use old KR artfiles, over a year ago.

    So how about coming off that high horse of yours and giving that argument another go, sport.
  • vortexvortex Posts: 200
    gay said:
    @ gay to the best of my knowledge no one has edited the EC to re-create the particular cheats you mention. Not even Pinco. Perhaps there's a reason for that?

    And you would be very incorrect. Just because you close your eyes and shove your head into the sand as a measure to not see what you don't want to see, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I do believe it was Pinco who actually published it with his very own installer, an artfile editor. With presets for tile fields, and even the being able to use old KR artfiles, over a year ago.

    So how about coming off that high horse of yours and giving that argument another go, sport.
    Very game changing... Oh what a time to be alive... Prove these cheats on the EC or shut up... Go sport
  • gaygay Posts: 358
    edited April 2022
    vortex said:
    gay said:
    @ gay to the best of my knowledge no one has edited the EC to re-create the particular cheats you mention. Not even Pinco. Perhaps there's a reason for that?

    And you would be very incorrect. Just because you close your eyes and shove your head into the sand as a measure to not see what you don't want to see, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I do believe it was Pinco who actually published it with his very own installer, an artfile editor. With presets for tile fields, and even the being able to use old KR artfiles, over a year ago.

    So how about coming off that high horse of yours and giving that argument another go, sport.
    Very game changing... Oh what a time to be alive... Prove these cheats on the EC or shut up... Go sport

    Glady. Here is step 1 and 2.


    And here is a video.



    I took the time to install EC specifically for this, so I hope you appreciate that. Also I think you dropped this when you came in, https://i.imgur.com/n6G1MDj.png. Might wanna stick it back on your shirt.

    Oh right, and this too:

  • Petra_FydePetra_Fyde Posts: 1,321
    I stand corrected. I don't use Pinco's and was not aware of that. Obviously on this occasion my knowledge was insufficient.
  • Arroth_ThaielArroth_Thaiel Posts: 1,020
    edited April 2022
    I wouldn't necessarily call a resized field spell or floor tiles from a previous client "cheats". The spells were resized to match the CC (if I remember correctly) because the default EC fields, like the default EC energy vortex, are much larger and the graphics much more difficult to click-target than in the CC. The floor tiles were officially released art and were in the game for like 4 years. 

    The short wall tiles were posted to this forum (by someone other than Pinco) prior to being added to Pinco's.

    The Kingdom Reborn floor tiles are, I believe, Khryo's work.

    I could be completely wrong on who developed them, I don't have Pinco's installed at the moment to check. Pinco actually gives credit to both developers, either when you click the install button, or somewhere else in the UI. That why I remember they were developed by other people.

    Pinco also provides the option to hot-swap custom icons, and gives credit to those icon's original developers.



    As I've said before, if you create a usable mod, Pinco can add it to his UI so the whole community can use it. In this way, Pinco's is really more of a mod manager.



    The entire point in developing and releasing a mod-able client is so that...you know...players will mod it.
    -Arroth
  • gaygay Posts: 358
    edited April 2022
    They were enough of "cheats" to warrant players being permanently banned (in the past) for following the same exact method of applying them to CC as it was done with EC using the same exact (albeit updated) programs. That's the point I am making, I have no qualm with the fact that it can be done at all. Only the controversial hypocrisy that surrounds it in some dishonest scheme to elevate "EC players" over "cheating CC players".

    The fact that people immediately rose up to to call it cheating in an effort to tout their client of hypocrisy was just the cherry on top and proves the point. Since I took the time to install EC maybe I should publicly show how people use the EC to script (in both pvp and pvm) as well as bot AFK and just completely shatter the misnomer of the EC being an "anti cheat" client altogether.

    Also yes, a russian player and an EU player (ypog and gandalf) figured out how to patch artfiles in EC. Pincos added it to his launcher, how the KR files came to be I have no idea, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was Khyro, he's got a talent for working the EC.
  • McDougleMcDougle Posts: 3,742

    gay said:
    They were enough of "cheats" to warrant players being permanently banned (in the past) for following the same exact method of applying them to CC as it was done with EC using the same exact (albeit updated) programs. That's the point I am making, I have no qualm with the fact that it can be done at all. Only the controversial hypocrisy that surrounds it in some dishonest scheme to elevate "EC players" over "cheating CC players".

    The fact that people immediately rose up to to call it cheating in an effort to tout their client of hypocrisy was just the cherry on top and proves the point. Since I took the time to install EC maybe I should publicly show how people use the EC to script (in both pvp and pvm) as well as bot AFK and just completely shatter the misnomer of the EC being an "anti cheat" client altogether.

    Also yes, a russian player and an EU player (ypog and gandalf) figured out how to patch artfiles in EC. Pincos added it to his launcher, how the KR files came to be I have no idea, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was Khyro, he's got a talent for working the EC.
    Why aren't any of these talented people working for UO?
    Acknowledgment and accountability go a long way... 
  • ArchangelArchangel Posts: 460
    I stand corrected. I don't use Pinco's and was not aware of that. Obviously on this occasion my knowledge was insufficient.
    You were not wrong.
    He somehow thinks the inherent advancements of EC are cheats, and that  modding the UI is also a cheat. I would say its someone else who might be misinformed, as it were. 
  • gaygay Posts: 358
    McDougle said:

    gay said:
    They were enough of "cheats" to warrant players being permanently banned (in the past) for following the same exact method of applying them to CC as it was done with EC using the same exact (albeit updated) programs. That's the point I am making, I have no qualm with the fact that it can be done at all. Only the controversial hypocrisy that surrounds it in some dishonest scheme to elevate "EC players" over "cheating CC players".

    The fact that people immediately rose up to to call it cheating in an effort to tout their client of hypocrisy was just the cherry on top and proves the point. Since I took the time to install EC maybe I should publicly show how people use the EC to script (in both pvp and pvm) as well as bot AFK and just completely shatter the misnomer of the EC being an "anti cheat" client altogether.

    Also yes, a russian player and an EU player (ypog and gandalf) figured out how to patch artfiles in EC. Pincos added it to his launcher, how the KR files came to be I have no idea, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was Khyro, he's got a talent for working the EC.
    Why aren't any of these talented people working for UO?

    Because they probably have real jobs and careers.
  • gaygay Posts: 358
    edited April 2022
    Archangel said:
    I stand corrected. I don't use Pinco's and was not aware of that. Obviously on this occasion my knowledge was insufficient.
    You were not wrong.
    He somehow thinks the inherent advancements of EC are cheats, and that  modding the UI is also a cheat. I would say its someone else who might be misinformed, as it were. 

    And you clearly only read what you want to read. You're a joke with no substantial opinion or applicable knowledge to weigh in with.
  • Arroth_ThaielArroth_Thaiel Posts: 1,020
    edited April 2022
    gay said:
    They were enough of "cheats" to warrant players being permanently banned (in the past) for following the same exact method of applying them to CC as it was done with EC using the same exact (albeit updated) programs. That's the point I am making, I have no qualm with the fact that it can be done at all. Only the controversial hypocrisy that surrounds it in some dishonest scheme to elevate "EC players" over "cheating CC players".
    Ah, I see what you're saying. I've been thinking for awhile about how we define cheating in UO. 

    I think in order to define something as a cheat it has to provide both an advantage over others and be outside the product pipeline. If it was within the product pipeline, anyone would have access to it. You might have found it first and not shared it, but that'd still be legit. Other players could still discover it.

    For a long time the CC + Unapproved provided a significant advantage that you couldn't access from within the product pipeline. That's where a lot of the "cheating CC" stuff comes from.

    The EC has mitigated or eliminated those advantages. Many players might not realize the EC can do all that, but 'tis so.

    All the "CC players are using XXX to do something, that's cheating!" needs to stop. The actual functionality of "doing something" most likely exists in the EC as well. With mods, the EC "something" can probably far surpass whatever people think is the "cheat" in the CC + Unapproved. 

    The only real "cheating" would be that the Unapproved portion of CC + Unapproved is outside the product pipeline, but if it's not giving anyone any in-game advantage, what's the point?

    gay said:
    Since I took the time to install EC maybe I should publicly show how people use the EC to script (in both pvp and pvm) as well as bot AFK and just completely shatter the misnomer of the EC being an "anti cheat" client altogether.
    Many players would probably appreciate additional knowledge about how to script things in the EC. Especially the default EC for those that don't use Pinco's.
    -Arroth
  • ArchangelArchangel Posts: 460
    edited April 2022
    gay said:
    Archangel said:
    I stand corrected. I don't use Pinco's and was not aware of that. Obviously on this occasion my knowledge was insufficient.
    You were not wrong.
    He somehow thinks the inherent advancements of EC are cheats, and that  modding the UI is also a cheat. I would say its someone else who might be misinformed, as it were. 

    And you clearly only read what you want to read. You're a joke with no substantial opinion or applicable knowledge to weigh in with.
    I'm a joke? That's rich, ad-hominem in the first blow... sad. It just shows the level of conversation you are capable of and instantly devalues all you could have said. Most unfortunate to say the least, specially coming from someone who "just downloaded EC".. We all bow to your deep knowledge of EC... I have only played it for bit over a decade.

    BTW, you know me not, so don't presume to define, it goes above your station.
  • gaygay Posts: 358
    edited April 2022
    Archangel said:
    gay said:
    Archangel said:
    I stand corrected. I don't use Pinco's and was not aware of that. Obviously on this occasion my knowledge was insufficient.
    You were not wrong.
    He somehow thinks the inherent advancements of EC are cheats, and that  modding the UI is also a cheat. I would say its someone else who might be misinformed, as it were. 

    And you clearly only read what you want to read. You're a joke with no substantial opinion or applicable knowledge to weigh in with.
    I'm a joke? That's rich, ad-hominem in the first blow... sad. It just shows the level of conversation you are capable of and instantly devalues all you could have said. Most unfortunate to say the least, specially coming from someone who "just downloaded EC".. We all bow to your deep knowledge of EC... I have only played it for bit over a decade.

    BTW, you know me not, so don't presume to define, it goes above your station.

    Case and point, you mistake your time spent using something as measurable point of experience and knowledge, whilst simultaneously displaying a fundamental lack a of said knowledge in regards to the most basic of features and their capabilities within the EC, kind of like how there are people who have played for 25 years, but know nothing of the game outside of plants and toggling armor ignore 5 times to kill a dragon. I don't need to know you to take 20 seconds and glance over your post history and see example after example of that stunted logic first hand, you speak for yourself. Now I'm done bickering with you over nothing but your fragile ego just to de-rail a thread, my point on the topic has been made. Accept it or don't, I couldn't care less.

    @Arroth_Thaiel: Good points, I agree.
  • ArchangelArchangel Posts: 460
    gay said:
    Archangel said:
    gay said:
    Archangel said:
    I stand corrected. I don't use Pinco's and was not aware of that. Obviously on this occasion my knowledge was insufficient.
    You were not wrong.
    He somehow thinks the inherent advancements of EC are cheats, and that  modding the UI is also a cheat. I would say its someone else who might be misinformed, as it were. 

    And you clearly only read what you want to read. You're a joke with no substantial opinion or applicable knowledge to weigh in with.
    I'm a joke? That's rich, ad-hominem in the first blow... sad. It just shows the level of conversation you are capable of and instantly devalues all you could have said. Most unfortunate to say the least, specially coming from someone who "just downloaded EC".. We all bow to your deep knowledge of EC... I have only played it for bit over a decade.

    BTW, you know me not, so don't presume to define, it goes above your station.

    Case and point, you mistake your time spent using something as measurable point of experience and knowledge, whilst simultaneously displaying a fundamental lack a of said knowledge in regards to the most basic of features and their capabilities within the EC, kind of like how there are people who have played for 25 years, but know nothing of the game outside of plants and toggling armor ignore 5 times to kill a dragon. I don't need to know you to take 20 seconds and glance over your post history and see example after example of that stunted logic first hand, you speak for yourself. Now I'm done bickering with you over nothing but your fragile ego just to de-rail a thread, my point on the topic has been made. Accept it or don't, I couldn't care less.

    @ Arroth_Thaiel: Good points, I agree.
    Fantastic, coming from you it is a compliment!
    Now you can go bickering to the next thread you perceive as needing your injection of ignorance and negativity. Your post history is there, always a beacon of unfriendliness.
    It is I who couldn't care less, we are indeed, not equal.
  • RorschachRorschach Posts: 503Moderator
    This conversation has become a toxic EC vs CC argument. Return to the original topic of modding EC or the discussion will be closed.
  • Petra_FydePetra_Fyde Posts: 1,321
    *sigh*  I only wanted to know how to make a few more pictures to represent my macros! These are what I've made so far:  A weaving macro, a spinning macro, lava fishing, fishing with bait, emptying my lobster traps, mining a saltpeter rock, demon slayer, energy, demon slayer cold, repond slayer fire, repond slayer energy Number 8 I left alone because I use that when fishing for a macro that does 'say slow forward' delay 8.0 'say stop'. Takes me to the next resource square when the fish stop biting.


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