There are a number of GUI elements that can be modded, although not drastically changed they can be improved.
We'll also throw a lot of generic icons and other user interface elements into here.
Texture Upscales
Textures starting "gui_" are key in the GUI of NWN and can be upscaled. This includes:
- Mouse Cursor Icons
- Scroll bars
- Button outlines
- Other GUI elements
Simple 4x upscales (likely also in DDS) would be enough here. Retains the look and feel well without having any issues with the look and feel.
Can use:
- DXT1 for anything without alpha (all PNL and CT(L) files for starters)
- DXT5 for anything with alpha
- Alpha ones use Separated Alpha, 8 bit
Icon Texture Upscales
These are going from a tiny 32x32 size, which means some of the upscaling can look a bit weird sometimes with alpha.
Anything with Alpha needs some work. All background alpha should be black.
Really most icons need a blacker "edge" and the main icon parts to have no transparency at all. This is due to the background of some instances - such as Radials, the character Sheet and the Spell Book are a transparent texture meaning it washes out the icon detail/colours if left all transparent. A "Color to Alpha" on black, threshold of 0.1 or so seems to be about right to retain opaque in the main icon parts, and some black around the edges.
Icon Type | Prefix | Typical Alpha | Preferred Upscale Settings | Final File (Example for new ones) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Domain | id_ | Solid border alpha | Separated Alpha, 1 bit | This retains the black hard edge | |
Effect | ie_ | Entirely solid | No alpha | Only used on a black background so unlikely to need additional transparency | |
Feats | ife_ | Transparency with some black borders | Separated Alpha, 8 bit | These feat icons are from consistency fixes. They're fully transparent usually with a hint of black border (or alpha to black). I did use Channel Alpha, but it lost the legs on the Ambidexterious icon, so meh. | |
Skills | isk_ | Transparency with some black borders | Separated Alpha, 8 bit | Most are in the consistency fixes, with some done by myself (Color to Alpha → 0.1 threshold) | |
Spells | is_ | Entirely solid | No alpha since upscaled then converted to transparent by Arakhor | These have now been properly made alpha/transparent around them with a small border - thanks to Arakhor! | |
Spell Scrolls | iss_ | Solid alpha around edges, but this is a bit off compared to other items, see notes. | Separated Alpha, 8 bit | Decided to go with this option when discussed, it adds a slight dithering and some slight black around the edges which helps make it "pop" a little like other icons.
To retain the no-black with no-dithering use these additions:
Note: Due to the way the colours are (in fact this applies to most icons), you must use Separated Alpha really to keep the main image portion opaque. The other two options make a lot of changes inside the main opaque part, making it partially alpha and fixing this by hand is such a pain. | |
General GUI | ir_ | Transparency with some black borders | Separated Alpha, 8 bit | These include classes, general GUI and actions. A few were fixed by the consistency pack, most are already black-bordered alpha by Bioware. Also found one that could be added, "Empty Quickslot" which is simply misspelled (ir_empytqs instead of ir_emptyqs) Some are also old icons that really need an update:
Note that ir_wave is actually used in the DM client (if you drag and drop a creature onto the quickbar from the Creator menu). Note that ir_x2dyearmor is actually used in spells.2da Cut content of note:
There are also various recoloured unused icons for things like parry (in red) knockdown (in yellow) which mostly match their feat/skill icons. Some of these though are unique and may be worth reusing. | |
DM speciifc | dm_ | Transparency with some black borders | Separated Alpha, 8 bit | These needed revamping to have transparency similar to others. Method:
The reason for the cutting of the original main icon bit is to paste back what should be opaque, unchanged colours - else it'll lose a lot of the black even if you use the anti-transparency eraser tool. |
New Icons
Some potential to add icons that might not fit nicely elsewhere:
- Effect icons - can add new ones now using EffectIcon and hiding the current ones. Some ideas:
- Bring Fatigue back into use
- Bard Song and Curse Song to identify you're under those effects
- Madness and other Confusion variants
- Solipsism - which would use cutscene paralysis - if we add it https://nwn2.fandom.com/wiki/Solipsism
- Knockdown could use an icon even if the actual feat doesn't apply one (eg Gust of Wind does)
- Make new variants for the various "Immunity" ones which all share one called ief_immunity currently (or find someone to ask permission from to use theirs)
- Emoticon Icons
- Many packs already exist with these, would be worth searching for one to use and get permission from or making nice icons up for it
- A few replacement for generic action ones.
Load Screen GUI
The Load Screen GUI can be improved; see: Load Screens.
The images need re-capturing as the models and so forth are improved. The base game ones should be reasonably easy to recreate.
The improvements to make:
- Larger box for the picture area - make it more widescreen compatible (and on a square screen it should just "cut it off" as if it were square)
- move the loading bar, area name and tooltips if necessary
- Extend black area for 8K (need someone with an 8K monitor to test!)
Or alternatively full overhaul:
- Use the 1080p version Symmetric made - big big images. Need to redo everything from scratch. Would mean any custom content needs new loadscreens made however.
- Maybe an optional extra/hakpack to reset to the old version...
Chargen GUI
There are some minor improvements that could be made here;
- A slightly more zoomed in view of the character when deciding tattoos and clothing perhaps
- Possibly change some of the TLK strings of GUI items to change them more easily without SetTlkOverride (Note: need to test in Multiplayer - might be an override only thing?)