How to Change or disable the Splash screen/(Shell Map)

[JaiOwl]

Ok, for those who weren't aware- the 'Splash' screen or 'Shell Map' is what everyone is refering to as the background battle you see in the background when in the main-menu. The 'Splash' is actually refered to as the 'Demo_Attract' game which is played between two AI players in a skirmish game. ATM there are three different possible 'Demo_Attract' games playable with the retail version however I already tested the .rec files created automatically when playing a skirmish game and that works (it just isn't in camera mode  :'() ... so when Petro fix the camera-recorder and we should be able to have our own battles as the 'Splash' screen  ;D.

 

WARNING : Try the other .rec at your own risk, the 'Demo_Attract' .rec don't have maps available in the retail version and trying the 'CAM' .rec caused a unrepairable error (meant unistall and fresh install). YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

 

Note: The game searches for the .rec file in '/GameData/Recordings' as the root.

 

Anyway, the lines responsible for the 'Splash' screen are the ones below taken from 'GameConstants.xml' just after the armour and damage settings  :

  Quote

Front_end_demo_attract.rec

1000000

1200

 

However the 'Splash' screen is directly loaded by the line below which is also in 'GameConstants.xml' :

  Quote

Yes

 

To Disable the 'Splash' screen's battle simply comment out those lines or simply turn it off ie. :

  Quote

or

  Quote

No

 

The other two available 'Splash' battles available in the retail version can be activated by disabling the original 'Spalsh' screen (like the first disable option) then include one of the below in the .xml (include only one of them at a time).

 

  Quote

bench_land.rec

1000000

1200

 

  Quote

bench_space.rec

1000000

1200

 

I didn't play with the map_cycle or start_timeout values so if anyone does get the true effects of these then post them but the names really do speak ominously about what they do.

 

Enjoy ... well hopefully after we get a proper camera-recorder anyway 

 

Edit : added the 'Shell Map' reference so people understood what this related too (I know I forgot something) and added the 2nd disable option

Edited April 7, 2006 by JaiOwl

[swgbex]

Hmmm weird.. recordings.. that was unexpected for a use as a shell map..

maybe someone can make a "randomizer" and we can have all the battles we played before as shell maps

[1upD]

Wow! This is very cool! Any way to switch between the space and land? ???

[Eric072691]

You could do a land skirmish and use that, but it wouldn't be in camera mode.

[1upD]

Sorry, I wasn't clear on that. How do you make the splash alternate between Space and land. And how do I make a skirmish appear as the splash, camera or not.

[swfan654]

I always thought that the Splash screen was the Empire At War screen you see whan you first start the game....

 

thats why its file is called Splash.DDS..............

[Eric072691]

The splash screen is the background battle.

 

You could record a land battle. Then add it to the list. Just add another battle .rec to that list.

  Quote

[Lord_of_the_Sith]

Does Geo stand for Geonosis?

[1upD]

Yes, it does.

 

And I tried using the others, and it crashed my game. ???

 

And how do I record a game?

[Kelathin]

get a program called fraps or gamecam...

[1upD]

*mouth hits floor*

*eyes pop out and hit unfortunate persion*

 

I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A FREE AND EASY GAME RECORDING PROGRAM!!!

 

I gotta get started

[Kelathin]

uh... you're welcome

[Eric072691]

There's also one from skirmish, it'll be in the EaW Application Data folder. It's where the screenshots are.

 

There's a folder call Recordings in there. Just rename it after you do a skirmish battle. (Skirmish automatically saves and overwrites after every battle)

[1upD]

  Eric072691 said:

There's also one from skirmish, it'll be in the EaW Application Data folder. It's where the screenshots are.

 

There's a folder call Recordings in there. Just rename it after you do a skirmish battle. (Skirmish automatically saves and overwrites after every battle)

 

What's the .REC called?

 

And how do you make .RECs with fraps?

[Eric072691]

It's called Autosave.rec

 

It can be found:

C:\Documents and Settings\____\Application Data\Petroglyph\Empire At War\Recordings

 

Fill in the blank with your computer username. The Application Data folder will be hidden.

 

You can't make .recs with fraps, only EaW can play them so far.

[Kelathin]

what about gamecam? or bink editor?

[1upD]

  Eric072691 said:

It's called Autosave.rec

 

It can be found:

C:\Documents and Settings\____\Application Data\Petroglyph\Empire At War\Recordings

 

Fill in the blank with your computer username. The Application Data folder will be hidden.

 

You can't make .recs with fraps, only EaW can play them so far.

 

 

OH THANKS!

 

Order 66, here I come!

[1upD]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I spend my entire day making a .REC, and code it only to find a "Synchorization error"! >

 

How the heck do I fix it!? I wanna see my hour long battle!!!!

[Droid803]

Yep thats what I'm getting as well. This blows.

[1upD]

hmmmmmm.........

 

Did you ever use camera mode? I did. I'm thinking this whole crap explains this:

  Quote

I already tested the .rec files created automatically when playing a skirmish game and that works (it just isn't in camera mode)

:'(

[Mr.Crisp]

Yea its fun to have multiple battles on startup. I got one ground and one space.

[1upD]

  Mr.Crisp said:

Yea its fun to have multiple battles on startup. I got one ground and one space.

HOW!?!?!?!

[Mr.Crisp]

Simple. Its just like reskinning. Copy your Front_end_demo_attract.ted and paste it inside the maps folder. Rename it to Front_end_demo_attrac2. Now go to your Gamedata folder and go to Recordings folder and copy Front_end_demo_attract.rec, Rename it to Front_end_demo_attract2. Now open up Front_end_demo_attract2.rec with the hex editor. Type "rec" in find and rename the Front_end_demo_attract.ted. Rename it to Front_end_demo_attrac2. just replace the T at the end of attract with a 2. Now after this open up your Gameconstants. Scroll down to  this and replace it with this.

  Quote

Front_end_demo_attract.rec Front_end_demo_attract2.rec

1000000

120, 150

[1upD]

  Mr.Crisp said:

Simple. Its just like reskinning. Copy your Front_end_demo_attract.ted and paste it inside the maps folder. Rename it to Front_end_demo_attrac2. Now go to your Gamedata folder and go to Recordings folder and copy Front_end_demo_attract.rec, Rename it to Front_end_demo_attract2. Now open up Front_end_demo_attract2.rec with the hex editor. Type "rec" in find and rename the Front_end_demo_attract.ted. Rename it to Front_end_demo_attrac2. just replace the T at the end of attract with a 2. Now after this open up your Gameconstants. Scroll down to  this and replace it with this.

*ehblah.....*

 

Whoa.. ???

[Mr.Crisp]

ROFL!! It works...Seriously. Now can you help me out with getting those Imperial Officers How to get rid of those helments?