SIEGE UNIVERSITY 2

Siege University II Tutorials
Modding FAQ
095: Upgrading DSII
100: The Basics of Siege Editor
201: Compass Map Radar
202: Conversations
203: Journal
204: Quest Indicator Icons
205: Start Positions
206: Teleporters
207: Town Portal Restrictions
208: Weapon Effects
209: Flick
210: Tuning Grids
211: Setting Up Good Map Lighting
212: Setting Up Simple Node Fading
215: Building Data Tables

Siege University I Tutorials
200: Concepts and Terminology
201: Templates
203: Triggers
204: Moods
205: Fades
206: Elevators
211: Naming Key
213: Dungeon Siege Resource System
301: Introduction to Dungeon Siege Architecture

Third Party Tutorials
A Simple Mod Part One - Armor Textures
A Simple Mod Part Two - A New Armor
Beginners Guide to Stitching Regions
How to Open and Create Tanks
Making Chants Work in a New Map
Ornaments
Understanding the NKK

Useful Links
Siegetheday.org
Dungeon Siege Outpost
Dungeon Raider
Kdawg.org - List of useful Links
MCarp DS Nodes
Dungeon Siege 2 at Gamefront
Broken World at Gamefront

What are the Overhead Icons?

These are bitmaps that float over the head of npcs. They give information about what the player can do when interacting with that character.

Meet the Icons

Shops

Armor Seller
Armor Seller


Weapon Seller


Magic Seller


Pet Seller


Reagent Seller

Quest


Primary Quest Available


Secondary Quest Available


Party member Quest Available
The character has a secondary quest that requires the player to have a certain party member with them.


Task Active
This character has given the player a task, but the player doesn't meet the requirement to complete it. Speaking to the character will give a quest prompt.


Primary Task Complete
Speaking to this character will complete a primary quest task.


Secondary Task Complete
Speaking to this character will complete a secondary quest task.

Misc


Lesson Giver
This character has tutorial-style information for the player. Likely results in a handbook entry.


Hireable Charcter
This character will offer to join the party.


Enchanter
This character will offer to enchant items.


Innkeeper
This character can increase a player's party size. Also, you can re-acquire disbanded party members here.


Mug
Old Icon for the Inn, not used in DS2.

Combo


Combo Icons
These are used when a character has both a Quest and another function.

How Do I Add One?

You can add one by putting an [indicate_emitter] block in an actor's template, or by placing an emitter_indicate via the editor. It's preferable to put it in an actor's template. The gizmo should be used with actors that can't use scidbits (hireables, spawned) or in special case situations.

Both methods use indicate_emitter.skrit, found here ..world\contentdb\components\emitters\indicate_emitter.skrit

This component handles all the streaming and saveload issues for the icon.

There are several modifiable properties in this skrit, These are the relevant ones:

// Indicator textures
indicator_texture_1$ = "b_gui_el_talk2me" // primary quest !
indicator_texture_2$ = "b_gui_el_question-mark" //primary quest ?
indicator_texture_3$ = "b_gui_el_question-mark_grey" //grey ?
indicator_texture_4$ = "b_gui_el_info" // info icon
indicator_texture_5$ = "b_gui_el_join" //hirable icon

// Parameters used to customize the look of many of the effects
scale$ = 1.0 //generally not changed
height$ = 0 //left to 0, it defaults to the actors bounding sphere radius * 1.5 when placed on an actor
ignore_actor_height$ = false //set to true if you want to explicitly set the height


//initial state
initially_active$ = true //Whether this effect is initially active when it is first loaded.
initial_texture$ = 1 // Which of the above indicator_textures to use

Examples

By modifying these setting you can show any of the icons. These values can be modified in the tempates (preferred), or in the instance.

indicator block for a pet seller
[indicate_emitter]
{
indicator_texture_1 = b_gui_el_pack-mule-exclamation;
}

indicator block for a hireable
note: change the inital texture when using icons that are defined as defaults. In this case b_gui_el_join
[indicate_emitter]
{
initial_texture = 5;
}
indicator block for a Quest Giver, Quest not yet active
note: no icon is present over this character until it recieves a message telling it to display.
[indicate_emitter]
{
initially_active = false;
}
indicator block for a combination Quest Giver / enchanter 
note: this character starts with a combo questgiver/enchater icon. And later switches after being messages (more below)
[indicate_emitter]
{
indicator_texture_1 = b_gui_el_hand-exclamation;
indicator_texture_2 = b_gui_el_hand-q-mark-o;
indicator_texture_3 = b_gui_el_hand-q-mark-g;
indicator_texture_5 = b_gui_el_hand;
}

Changing the Icons in Game

You can activate, deactive, and switch the icons in game. The indicate_emitter.skrit will look for and act on several messages to manage its state. The skrit also talks care of all streaming/saveload issues. Lastly, these emitters are client/server objects. That means that messages must be broadcast to them , not just sent. Failure to broadcast the message results in the change only taking place on the host's machine.

WE_USER_INDICATE_EMITTER_ON turns on the icon
WE_USER_INDICATE_EMITTER_OFF turns off the icon
WE_USER_INDICATE_EMITTER_SWITCH requires data1 to be set to a value between 1 and 5. The active texture is set to the matching indicator_texture. This will also turn on an icon if its currently off.
WE_USER_INDICATE_EMITTER_INFO set the active texture to indicator_texture_4. By default, this is set to the info icon.
WE_USER_INDICATE_EMITTER_TASK_ACTIVE set the active texture to indicator_texture_2. By default, this is set to the active task icon.

Messaging Via Flick

This is the preferred method of messaging indicate_emitter, as most of the time they're updated from talk flicks. Use the flick BroadcastMessage command.
BroadcastMessage (role_name, Message);

Messaging Via Triggers

You can also message the indicate_emitter directly from a trigger. Set up your trigger action like this:

Bitmaps

Here is a list of the available icon images from DS II. They can be found in ..art\Bitmaps\GUI\Elements

b_gui_el_talk2mePrimary Quest
b_gui_el_exclamation-orangeSecondary Quest
b_gui_el_exclamation-greenParty Member Quest
b_gui_el_exclamation-greyQuest, not yet available
b_gui_el_question-mark_goldPrimary Task
b_gui_el_question-mark_orangeSecondary Task
b_gui_el_question-mark_greyTask Prompt
b_gui_el_amuletReagent Seller
b_gui_el_shieldArmor Seller
b_gui_el_swordWeapon Seller
b_gui_el_pack-mulePet Seller
b_gui_el_innInnkeeper
b_gui_el_handEnchanter
b_gui_el_infoLesson Giver
b_gui_el_joinHireable
b_gui_el_tombstoneCorpse Summoner
b_gui_el_amulet-exclamationReagent / give quest
b_gui_el_amulet-q-mark-gReagent / Task prompt
b_gui_el_amulet-q-mark-oReagent / Task complete
b_gui_el_potion-exclamationMagic Seller / give quest
b_gui_el_potion-q-mark-gMagic Seller / Task prompt
b_gui_el_potion-q-mark-oMagic Seller / Task complete
b_gui_el_pack-mule-q-mark-oPet Seller / Task Complete
b_gui_el_pack-mule-q-mark-gPet Seller / Task Prompt
b_gui_el_pack-mule-exclamationPet Seller / Quest Available
b_gui_el_hand-exclamationEnchanter / Quest Available
b_gui_el_hand-q-mark-gEnchanter / Task Prompt
b_gui_el_hand-q-mark-oEnchanter / Task Complete
b_gui_el_mugMug