Preliminaries

What you need to know and do when making new graphics

To write:

- explain GRFCodec / GRFWizard

- explain hex codes: specific examples using Windows calculator, ideally with screenshots

- maybe: explain DOS/Windows version and how to convert between them

- other things?

-=What's a .GRF file?=-

As you probably already found out TTD can load new graphics files with help of the patch. All files have the extension .grf. The original .grf files arelocated in your TTD directory, the additional .grf files should be located in your newgrf folder.

These .grf files are made by GRFcodec, this program merges a .pcx file and a .nfo file. (should these link to an example?YES) In this tutorial we won't look at those 2 file types yet, at first we shall try to explain the basics.

-= The GRFCodec and the GRFWizzard=-

Like said before a .grf file is a file made by the GRFCodec. The Codec is a package of 3 programs:

  1. GRFCodec: Convert a GRF into an editable PCX file and vice versa

  2. GRFDiff: Compare two GRF files for differences, and write only the differences to a GRD file

  3. GRFMerge: Take a GRD file and merge it back into the GRF file

In this tutorial we will only use the first program, if you want more info about the other programs look [1].

The GRFCodec is a commandline program. This means it's option are only been set in the comand line, there is no nice user interface. For the nice interface you can download the [2]. This program is really helpful. Be warned though: for the GRFWizard to work you need the GRFCodec too!

When you run the GRFWizard for the first time you have to point it to the GRFCodec. When you have done this everything is realy straight forward, you can encode your homemade sprites (sprites are the little drawings that represent (one side of ~does this add anything?~) a building/vehicle) or you can decode a .grf file from someone else.

When you want to encode graphics you have to point the wizard wich .grf file you want to encode. The 2nd step is to tell it where you placed the NFO and PCX. All these file should have the same name.

If you want to encode totaly new graphics you have to make a "fake" grf. Just make a new txt file and rename it to the grf you want to encode.

////sory I had to do some urgent things, I will look on it again later today?////

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