change graphics “RocksHeroes.pcx” file in RnD 4.3.8.2

[Jasper]

Hi everyone,
I’m new to the forum. I’m playing boulderdash since it was available on the c64
And now for years I’m playing Rocks ’n’ Diamonds.

Because I always loved the old graphics I changed the “RocksHeroes.pcx” file and drew a figure there which looked like the old Rockford.
I was happy and this was all working fine on my old mac but now since I have a new mac the 3.3.1.2 version of RnD doesn’t work anymore and I had to download 4.3.8.2 but it seems this one hasn’t got the “RocksHeroes.pcx” file which I can change?

Or is there any other (easy) way to customize graphics?

[Holger]

First of all, welcome to the R'n'D forum, Jasper! I'm happy that you have joined us!

Regarding your R'n'D graphics replacement for the player graphics to look more like Rockford: You can still (relatively) easily replace the standard graphics with your own! Even the file name is the same -- nearly! It's just "RocksHeroes.png" now, as I've switched from PCX to PNG years ago. But you can still replace it, if you like (the game even looks for both ".pcx" and ".png" files for all graphics specified as one of these two formats).

The "dirty way" to replace those graphics (which you might have done before) is to just replace the following file in the application bundle on your Mac:

- Rocks'n'Diamonds.app/Contents/Resources/graphics/gfx_classic/RocksHeroes.png

This will work fine, but would have to be done for each new version you might install in the future.

But there's a more elegant way, as R'n'D supports custom artwork: Navigate to the directory

- /Users/<your account>/Documents/Rocks'n'Diamonds

and create a new directory "graphics" there (if it does not exist already). Inside this directory, create a new sub-directory with some arbitrary name (like "my_own_player_gfx") and put your own file "RocksHeroes.png" into this sub-directory (and any other graphics file you might like to replace). Then, add a text file named "graphicsinfo.conf" with the following content:

Code: Select all

name: My Own Player Gfx

Restart R'n'D, and go to the menu "setup -> custom artwork -> custom graphics". Find your newly defined graphics set and select it. This should load your graphics for use in R'n'D.

[amirnatsheh7]

wow i like that

[Jasper]

Thank you for your time Holger!

I’m happy that you think it is still possible!


I’ve already (and now again) looked for any document which has the name “RocksHeroes” but I don’t see any .png file. Also opened all the “RocksHeroes” files on my Mac and I don’t have any file with the original yellow character in the place where I shared the image of. So I don’t know how come, that if I open RnD it plays with the "yellow man”..

(see attached image. I have multiple files with this name because I had been playing around with it, but the ones I don’t use are in an unrelated folder so it doesn’t interfere)

For me it seems like there are no directories for version 4.3.8.2. It seems like this only is an direct app (the “green diamond” logo)
(see attached image)

I still have the old 3.3.1.2 on my Mac and the new version does open my own created levelsets automatically. It also comes with the custom elements I created.
Maybe the best way to try this all again is to remove all the RnD material from my HD and than download the new version again? But before that I want to save my Custom elements which I used in my own levelsets. I’m not sure where these files are saved (in the old version) If the custom elements are saved in the levels itself than I already placed them in a temporary folder and there isn’t a problem.

Also the “elegant” way you shared sounds interesting. But since I can’t find the folders I can’t do this.

[Jasper]

Hey Holger,

I deleted both RnD versions from my HD en downloaded the latest again and than I could find the folders and used your "elegant" way.
Now it works!

Perfect! Thanks!

[Jasper]

I was studying the post and levels of: "How to create custom graphics: The basics”
All very interesting and many possibilities!

For me to make easier and change a lot of graphics at the same time. I’ve been changing the “RocksElements.pcx” file with photoshop and called it "RocksElementsgerommel.pcx”. I would like this to be my permanent graphics file.
How to go from here?

The weird thing is that I can’t find the original RocksElements.pcx (or “RocksElements" with another extension) on my mac. I see a lot of pcx files (they all seem to be from "Zelda 2”). I got this original RocksElements.pcx file from the 3.3.1.2 version which I saved on an USB.

In this graphics folder: /Users/ImacJasper/Documents/Rocks'n'Diamonds/graphics/my_own_player_gfx I only have the “my_own_player_gfx” the file where you’ve helped me with..

On the 3.3.1.2 version I have had a folder inside the graphics folder called "gfx_classic" which contained all the pcx files which contain the original artwork.
(but this version doesn't work on my new mac)

..My girlfriend already said I’m crazy because I’m spending so much time on trying to understand this :p

Thanks!

[filbo]

Holger is on vacation and might be slow to reply :)

It is simple: some years ago, all of the PCX graphics files were replaced with PNG. They mostly have the same names, whatever.pcx => whatever.png. I think he did this because PNG is generally a better format, and more widely supported by modern tools (paint programs etc.) and libraries (SDL and so on).

I also think that RnD still knows how to read and use PCX files if presented with them. Or this may depend on things like whether a PCX-reading library was available at build time (so some RnD binaries may support it, and others not). But all recent (>10y!) RnD binaries will definitely support PNG.

You should be able to just save your whatever.pcx file as whatever.png, change the RnD graphics files to refer to that name, and it should just work.

=====

Oh, I reread and see:

I can’t find the original RocksElements.pcx (or “RocksElements" with another extension) on my mac.

ummm... it should be there! On my Linux system it is /usr/share/games/rocksndiamonds/graphics/gfx_classic/RocksElements.png -- for you it should be /path/to/RnD/stuff/graphics/gfx_classic/RocksElements.png -- whatever that path is on a Mac.

[Jasper]

Thank you Filbo!

Yes, I already understood the first part.

And the way you described is the way I did this earlier.

But like I said I don’t have these files in my latest RnD not as an PNG and not as an PCX. If I look on my Mac for (parts of) the title “rockselements” in any location, I find nothing. So where does the new version gets its graphics from than? The game does work like it should.

For my first question which started this thread, I had to make a new folder called “graphics” because it wasn’t there. And than by adding the “graphicsinfo.conf” file (like Holger said) it worked to get my own Rockford again.

As a test I just now added the whole old “gfx_classic” folder to the “graphics” folder and changed the RocksElements.png. Restarted the game and it still works but not with my changed .png file.

And I already Re-indexed my HD so Spotlight and finder should find anything which is stored on my HD

I now have the feeling that my Mac hides these files. Because I have graphics in the game and you both are sure that they should be somewhere as loose files. I have other unrelated pcx and png files on my mac which I can find and open without a problem.

Are there any other RnD fans with a Mac here see these files in the latest version?

[filbo]

I'm sure the files are there somewhere, and the Mac 'finder' etc. are just being stupidly 'helpful'.

[Holger]

Hi, back from vacation, and ready to help (at least I hope so)!

First if all: The Mac tries to be "user friendly" (as always), which all too often has the exact opposite effect (as always ).

In this case, it's this problem:

For me it seems like there are no directories for version 4.3.8.2. It seems like this only is an direct app (the “green diamond” logo)

That's true, if you use the Mac's graphical file browser (the "Finder") -- but the "direct app" (the one with the "green emerald" icon) is nothing else than a simple, stupid directory (folder) that contains all files for the application, with the "little" difference that it is displayed in the Finder just like an executable file (which it is not). You can start the game by double-clicking that icon. And you can browse that folder by pressing the right mouse button on that icon, opening the context menu and selecting the second entry from the top (which should be something like "Show package content" or something similar).

When using a shell ("Terminal" program on the Mac), game graphics can be found in the following directory (as written in my very first post in this thread):

- Rocks'n'Diamonds.app/Contents/Resources/graphics/gfx_classic/RocksHeroes.png

Regarding PCX and PNG files: Since I added PNG support, both PCX and PNG graphics are supported for all versions and all platforms. Especially, you can explicitly specify graphics files like "foo.pcx" or "bar.png" in your "graphicsinfo.conf", and the game will always also look for "foo.png" and "bar.pcx" if it cannot find the file as specified.

But to replace some original graphic files with your own, you don't need to replace graphics in the game's "application bundle" directory -- just use the described "elegant" way to add your own graphics set (and configure to use that graphics set in the setup menu, as described above), but make sure that the graphics file name to be replaced is the same as in the original graphics set (while PCX or PNG does not matter). Then your own version of the graphics file should be preferred over the original graphics file.

Hope that helps!

[Jasper]

Wow, Holger,

I really apreciate you taking time to explain all this.

First of all it all works now!

I didn’t knew that it was possible on Mac to have a folder sort of disguised as one file! It was driving me kind of crazy that I couldn’t
find the files ..and indeed the OS was being “helpful”

Also I believe I tried before just putting the new other graphics in the “my_own_player_gfx but then nothing happened when restarted but maybe I’ve done something else wrong that time
Anyway I’m happy and many thanks!!


Also thanks Filbo! I sort of gave up after looking around and googeling for a long time.