Here is a trick I found out with .bin editing: So, you made your nice new background.pcx for your mod eh? You probably want to .bin edit it and get rid of the SMK's, and align everything properly. Now, as anyone who has done this knows its a pain to line everything up. So, have no fear, this is where transparent windows come in! Look: [img]http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/4669/omgtranzkx8.jpg[/img] As you can see, I have the gimp open with my background, and made that window transparent over the .bin edit preview. In order for it to come out correctly, you obviously have to align the two windows directly over each other. Note: You will need a windows skin or program that supports transparent windows to do this. If not, I suggest you go hit [url]www.google.com[/url] Otherwise, life will be a lot easier .bin editing for you now!

Here is a trick I found out with .bin editing:

So, you made your nice new background.pcx for your mod eh? You probably want to .bin edit it and get rid of the SMK's, and align everything properly. Now, as anyone who has done this knows its a pain to line everything up. So, have no fear, this is where transparent windows come in!
Look:

As you can see, I have the gimp open with my background, and made that window transparent over the .bin edit preview. In order for it to come out correctly, you obviously have to align the two windows directly over each other.

Note: You will need a windows skin or program that supports transparent windows to do this. If not, I suggest you go hit http://www.google.com
Otherwise, life will be a lot easier .bin editing for you now!

Nice. Is that some Vista magic or is it some program you found?

Nice. Is that some Vista magic or is it some program you found?

Now try that with WIDESCREEN. The editor, preview, and overlay can exist at the same time without overlapping! ...I could make it so you can make the preview window transparent, too. I'll just need to remember how. :P Or I could simply make it so you can load a background image.

Now try that with WIDESCREEN. The editor, preview, and overlay can exist at the same time without overlapping!

...I could make it so you can make the preview window transparent, too. I'll just need to remember how.
Or I could simply make it so you can load a background image.

[quote=FlyingHat]Nice. Is that some Vista magic or is it some program you found?[/quote] Actually, I am on XP, just using a Vista skin that happens to have transparency. [quote=FaRTy1billion] Or I could simply make it so you can load a background image.[/quote] I like that idea.

Quote from FlyingHat

Nice. Is that some Vista magic or is it some program you found?

Actually, I am on XP, just using a Vista skin that happens to have transparency.

Quote from FaRTy1billion

Or I could simply make it so you can load a background image.

I like that idea.

Have you not heard of user32!SetLayeredWindowAttributes()? Just be sure that the target window has the WS_EX_TRANSPARENT bit set (if it isn't, you could use user32!SetWindowLong()), and specify LWA_ALPHA for dwFlags.

Have you not heard of user32!SetLayeredWindowAttributes()? Just be sure that the target window has the WS_EX_TRANSPARENT bit set (if it isn't, you could use user32!SetWindowLong()), and specify LWA_ALPHA for dwFlags.

Umm.... Could you translate for us? Not all of us are programmers. Nor do we know Portugese.

Umm.... Could you translate for us? Not all of us are programmers. Nor do we know Portugese.

[quote=name:brew]Have you not heard of user32!SetLayeredWindowAttributes()? Just be sure that the target window has the WS_EX_TRANSPARENT bit set (if it isn't, you could use user32!SetWindowLong()), and specify LWA_ALPHA for dwFlags.[/quote]Are you saying that you want me to implement transparency? I have used SetLayeredWindowAttributes before... (I made a little window that sits in the top right corner to keep notes in. Hovering the mouse over it makes it fade in, and moving the mouse away made it fade out. :P) [quote=name:FlyingHat]Umm.... Could you translate for us? Not all of us are programmers. Nor do we know Portugese.[/quote]Don't bother. If you don't understand, it is likely that you needn't worry. :P

Quote from brew

Have you not heard of user32!SetLayeredWindowAttributes()? Just be sure that the target window has the WS_EX_TRANSPARENT bit set (if it isn't, you could use user32!SetWindowLong()), and specify LWA_ALPHA for dwFlags.

Are you saying that you want me to implement transparency? I have used SetLayeredWindowAttributes before... (I made a little window that sits in the top right corner to keep notes in. Hovering the mouse over it makes it fade in, and moving the mouse away made it fade out. )

Quote from FlyingHat

Umm.... Could you translate for us? Not all of us are programmers. Nor do we know Portugese.

Don't bother. If you don't understand, it is likely that you needn't worry.

it's a good thing I am utterly HORRIBLE at photoshop or anything image-editing related for that matter, otherwise I might have actually had to try this for AO

it's a good thing I am utterly HORRIBLE at photoshop or anything image-editing related for that matter, otherwise I might have actually had to try this for AO

It isn't that hard to make stuff for this... Just find a fancy background or something. :P

It isn't that hard to make stuff for this... Just find a fancy background or something.

Anything fancy gets mangled by the palettes involved. Or, consequently, mangles the UI tiles which I am too lazy to change the palettes on.

Anything fancy gets mangled by the palettes involved. Or, consequently, mangles the UI tiles which I am too lazy to change the palettes on.