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How to install and work with new graphics
New Graphics Installation
How to install and work with new graphics
TTDPatch enables the player to load new graphics of various kinds. Most of these require certain TTDPatch switches to be enabled, please read New Vehicle Graphics for more details.
Downloading new graphics
Several websites are available for locating and downloading TTDPatch compatible graphics sets.
- Graphics Page at ttdpatch.net - official patch graphics
- Crawler - a database of graphics sets
- Topic for new graphics -- TT Forums topic with lots of graphics sets
Make sure that when you download graphics, you download the right version: DOS graphics for DOS TTD and Windows graphics for Windows TTD. If the graphics look very strange, you have probably downloaded the wrong version.
Installation
To add a new graphics set to TTDPatch, follow these three steps:
- Download and unpack (with Winzip/Winrar/etc) the set into your "newgrf" folder. If you do not have a "newgrf" folder, simply create a new folder in the TTD folder and name it "newgrf".
- Add the set to your graphics configuration: open -+newgrfw.cfg+- (Windows) or -+newgrf.cfg+- (DOS) in for example Notepad, and add a line like the following:
+
-+newgrf/''newset.grf''+-
where newset.grf is the name of the file you've added in step 1
- Enable the set in the Graphics Status Window
(Note, if the graphics set is not a .grf file but either .grd or .exe, read below under "Old style graphics".)
Both TTDXC or Graphics Manager can help with step 2 and make it easier for you. You can find them on the Tools page.
Normally most sets will try to activate when you start a new random game. If you don't want to use a certain sets by default and rather only enable them when you want, add an exclamation mark after the filename, like this:
-+newgrf/dullset.grf !+-
Some graphics sets also support certain "parameters" you can change. You do this by adding the parameters as numbers after the filename (and after the exclamation mark if you have one) in newgrf(w).cfg, separated by a space:
-+newgrf/niceset.grf 15 3+-
This sets the first parameter to 15 and the second parameter to 3. What the parameters do depend on each set, so be sure to read the documentation that they provide.
In particular, the base graphics set for TTDPatch 2.5 or higher has the following parameters:
||Parameter|Meaning
|Foundation type in temperate climate*
|Foundation type in arctic climate*
|Foundation type in tropical climate*
|Foundation type in toyland*
|Canals type, 0=default style, 1=old style||
<nowiki>*</nowiki> The value of each foundation type may be 0, 1, 2 or 3 for temperate, arctic, tropical or toyland foundations, respectively.
All parameters are optional, and if you omit them, the default graphics will be used.
Old style graphics
Before TTDPatch had sophisticated newgrf capabilities, graphics sets were distributed as .grd or .exe files. These do not go into newgrf(w).cfg, and instead they modify your TTD graphics directly.
Often, the most convenient way to use them is to convert the .exe or .grd file into a TTDPatch .grf file, for which you can use the above methods of adding, enabling and disabling the set. For this, download [1], and use that to convert the .exe or .grd file to a .grf
Otherwise, since these graphics sets modify your TTD graphics, the first thing you should do is to backup the following files:
||Filename|Contains
-+trg1r.grf+-|temperate terrain tiles, all vehicles and buildings
-+trgcr.grf+-|sub-arctic terrain tiles
-+trghr.grf+-|sub-tropical terrain tiles
-+trgir.grf+-|start screens
-+trgtr.grf+-|toyland map||
Note: The DOS version has grf-filenames without an r.
While some sets come with an "undo" file to restore the original graphics, it is still safer to make a backup first in case anything goes wrong.
Always make sure you download the correct version. Windows executables won't work with TTD for DOS and the opposite won't work too!
Once you have the set, here's how to install a .exe graphics set:
- Download the set and if necessary unpack it in your TTD directory
- Locate the executable and double-click it
- Run TTDPatch and enjoy the new graphics
To install a .grd graphics set, you need the "grfmerge" tool from the suite, read its documentation for more details.
If you didn't enjoy the new graphics follow one of these steps:
- Copy the original grf-file(s) over the modified one(s)
- Locate the UNDO-executable and double-click it