Custom Loading Screen?

Ive seen an map (dont remember which now) that used the normal melee loading screen
(the one where you see the minimap and all the players)

And somehow they managed to change the Loading Screen and had written a description of the map there.

Someone can help me do this?

Basically that involves importing a new skin for the pre existing screen model. Get the pictures in the correct dimensions, and import them into the map and change the directories.


I'd reccomend getting the warcraft 3 viewer from wc3sear.ch to help you find the exact pictures and the directories.

Well, To be able to use them dont I have to use them in
"Use Imported File" in "Map Loading Screen" ?
Cause when I use that Its just the usual custom loading screen with the new image instead (not the one with minimap showing)

No. You need to replace one of the already existing Mele screens. (Human, Orc, Undead, Night Elf, Random) Dont choose 'Use Imported'

Ok so how do I find them, export them and modify them?

I assume I just then import them to make it change?

Use the warcraft 3 viewer I mentioned earlier to export them. Modify them with whatever art program you hvave handy. Then import the new pictures into your map and set the directory.

Well I cant find them with Wc3 Viewer. Can someone export them and send them to me?

Of course they are there. First make sure you have war3.mpq opened with wc3viewer. Then, in treeview, select to view .blp files and look under UI/Glues/loading/. There are all the loading screens.

oh haha, looked at the mdx:s..

EDIT:
ok I exported "bot-right and top-right"
So I just have to edit them and them import them into the map?
Or do I have to export bot-left and top-left too?

Look, a loading screen's skin is too big to fit on 1 image (Max size 512x512) So the skin is broken into 4 sections. If you replace 2 sections, they will change, but the 2 remaing sections will not. Skin only what you want skinned.

Ok nice :) played some with photoshop and got some really nice results.

Thank you all for your contribution!

EDIT:
Also, should I remove the path or put in
UI/Glues/loading/<filename>?

You need to REPLACE the original files. Hense, use the original file path for the original textures.

so its UI/Glues/loading
ok thx

EDIT:
Ok I got it working but the quality "in-game" is awful! Is there anyway to fix that?

Can it be because I converted the .tga to an .blp?
It tested it with tga but then it showed the regular screen.

.tga wouldn't have worked, because what this involves is replacing an existing file, and since that file is a .blp, it'll ignore the .tga.

I'm not 100% sure what you did that messed up the quality, I've seen plenty of custom loading screens and a few overwrites of the original like what you're asking about, and they've looked fine.

This is a similar issue to my weapon skins. Its a pallete problem. Please http://www.imageshack.us a picture of the loading screen when its in TGA (just save to JPG) and a screenshot from in-game. If it looks how I think it will, you need to tweak the palletes in Photoshop.