Load screen background.

[cjb135691]

HI, could somebody tell me how exactly you make load screen backgrounds for the game. I'm not so sure if its as simple as just taking a picture and placing it in the right folder. Or if there's specific changes that need to be made to it to allow it to load on start up.

[thermador]

There is a tutorial on making Oblivion loading screens here...

It's basically the same process for Fallout New Vegas, except the tip text and loading wheel / animation are in different places.

If you're unsure, just take a file that already is a loading screen (a .dds file I believe) and download the DDS plugin for Photoshop or the GIMP (depending on which program you are using).  You can edit the file as a JPG or PSD or whatever, and then save it as a DDS file when you're done.

[cjb135691]

Ok, i have that plugin for Gimp. So i could take a favorite screen cap from the game say. Open it in Gimp and save it as a dds file and it should work. Also, when adding the files to the correct folder, will arranging their order determine when they show up on the load screen.

[thermador]

I have no idea on the rest of it; I've never made loading screens for Fallout.  I would look at how the game's normal loading screens are set up.

[cjb135691]

Ok, i'll check it out. Thanks for the help.

[TJ]

If you're using FOMM go into your data folder and open Fallout - Textures2.bsa. If windows pops up a box that says it doesn't know how to open the file click open with and browse through to you FOMM install folder. Select FOMM.exe and click ok. Make sure you check always use this to open files of this type. You will now be able to double click a bsa file to open it with TESsnip automatically. When it opens click the plus beside Fallout - Textures2 then the plus beside textures. Click the plus beside interface, then highlight loading. Click extract all and save to Desktop/ Documents or where ever you prefer. This will give you all the load screens (for NV) plus the assets for the roulette wheel/ startup screens. Alternatively, if you already have Data>Textures>Interface>Loading and load screen files therein, you can just use those and replace the ones you don't like with whatever you want. As for changing the order they're shown: I believe the game chooses randomly UNLESS a loading screen tip has a specific one listed. I'm fairly certain you could make an esp with just loading screen data to add in new loading screens/ tips/ make the tips NV/ CW specific, but I've not tried so I'm not completely positive.

[cjb135691]

Ok, thanks. So i take it i need all the other stuff like the loading wheel and that too. Even if i plan on taking a picture of my choosing and turning it into a dds file to place in the load screen folder. I had thought about creating my own screen pictures independent of the originals to add along with them on startup.

[TJ]

No if you don't need it you can delete it. The game will still use the original in the bsa file if you don't have a replacement. Adding your own screen will involve using the geck to add loading screens but should work just fine. Again, I haven't tried but I'm pretty sure that can be done. In the geck it's under Misc> Load screen in the object window.

[cjb135691]

Ok.