How to tell which images files are used?
 

Hi,

Looking at the SkinDictionary, the IDs don't relate to either the image names or the image asset IDs from the SkinDefinition, so how are you supposed to know which images a panel is using?

Thanks in advance.

Hi, this is the fun part, you have to guess it all ! :)

Not the answer I was hoping for :( but thanks for the quick response.

Do you have any suggestions on how to do so efficiently? I've been working on a custom skin and I'm running into issues with getting the wrong element when trying to change things. Usually I can't figure out what I actually *did* change, it's just not what I'm trying to.

In first place I create a skin including all picture files provided in the skinning pack.

Then from the picture filenames I try to put them in directories corresponding to the various game panels.

And at this point, I use some tricks to find out which picture file is my definitely my target.

If I'm uncertain I found the right picture, I use xnview to push its red balance at max, then push the "save" button, then I force the refresh of the skin ingame, by wearing another skin, then wear back the previous, and then I check if the element I expect has become reddish, and then I can cancel the change in xnview.

If I have no idea which is my picture file target I eliminate suspects by lots :

I send half of my present skin folders into the trash then I refresh the skin. If my target file is in the trash, it will appear greyed at the screen ingame.
If yes I restore all the files sent to the trash and delete only half of the previous deleted folders in order to get a sharper elimination test.
And I reduce the targeting test after test.

Thank you Adra, that will be very helpful. I've already been trying a little bit of that, and I've been reading the SkinDefinition files in your Azure Glass set to help me work out what is what, but it's been slow going since I'm completely new to this. Many elements I try to change *sound* like the right one but then I view it in game and can't find anything anywhere that has changed in the slightest.

In the first years of the game, the skins were more simple to start with for beginners, as they had many less files. With years it became much more heavy to deal with.

I had NO idea you could force refresh. I'm moving things around and for literally 11 years I'd shut down the entire game then reopen.

I cannot believe I never tried this.

Thank you

I didn't know that, either, but I've installed another skin (I only had mine installed because I intend to keep adding onto it whenever I want more skin functionality instead of installing more of them) so I can do that because of that tip. Thanks again Adra!

switching skins refreshes only the pictures, not panel changes, and only on pictures that are already logged in the skindefinition file.