Change Billboards for BF2142

Here's a tut on how to do billboards for 2142

It's done by Called from Tournament Gaming World....

Two different methods are listed here.

**Method 1:**

First, you need to download and unzip to a folder the texture re-path tools:

**BF2 material Shader wrappers**

In order to place a BF2 static object into a BF2142 map, you need 2 things:

1) The static object folders from BF2 Object\_Client.zip & Object\_server.zip
for your object. ie, office\_building

2) You need the texture re-path tools from the above link.

**How to get that cool Custom Billboard into your BF2142 Map**

It's not too hard once the complexity of the issue is solved. I've only got it
to work if the static object is customized specifically for each map. Here's
how.

1. Copy the static object "folder" of your choice to your map folder,
into a new fiolder called "stuff". I found it works only if you use a
non-map type folder name. Who knows why? I've used "billboard",
"stuff" with success. (w00t!) So the folder hierarchy looks like
## levels/mymapname/stuff/office\_building

2. Make a new folder in your map folder "textures"
## levels/mymapname/textures -- all your object textures will go here.

3. In the init.con file place the line(s) for your object's .con file at the
bottom of the page: run
## Levels/maymapname/stuff/office\_building/office\_building.con.

4. Open you static object's .bundlemesh in ShaderWrapper.exe from within your
map folder. You will see a list like this:

```
lod0

Shader: StaticMesh.fx

Technique: BaseDetailNDetail

Type: 0

Texture: objects/staticobjects/common/textures/common_01_c.dds

Texture: objects/staticobjects/industry/textures/industry_02_de.dds

Texture: objects/staticobjects/industry/textures/industry_02_deb.dds

Texture: Common\Textures\SpecularLUT_pow36.dds you don't need this one, it's in
BF2142 already so it's ok.

```

5. You will see a text list of all the textures and where they are linking to.
Open the mods/bf2/Objects\_client.zip file and find all the textures your static
## needs, and copy them into your levels/mymapname/textures folder.

6. In ShaderWrapper.exe, replace the path to the texture to point to your map's
"texture" folder.
"Texture: objects/staticobjects/common/textures/common\_01\_c.dds"
should look like this:
"Texture: levels/mymapname/textures/common\_01\_c.dds" Do this for all
textures except the SpecularLUT\_pow36.dds. You don't need this one, it's in
## BF2142 already so it's ok.

7. Open your map in the Editor. On top of the Level Editor you will now see
"Levels", then the normal folders. Place the object into your map
from there. If you are getting the Uncle Sam texture, redo your .bundlemesh in
ShadderWrapper, since you have a typo somewhere.
## remember, the .bundlemesh must be loaded from you map folder!

8. Once the static object looks fine in the editor, you can pack your map and
run it. If you are updating a map here's where the folders go: the
"textures" folder goes in the client.zip of your map. Put the
"stuff" folder without textuers into both client.zip &
## server.zip. (Works for me!)

9. In the case of my custom billboard, I took the "billboard image"
.dds file and changed it in Photoshop. Save it "create MIPS" and
you'll see the new billboard in the editor and ingame!

**Method 2**

# ```

```

You can just copy vanilla textures, edit them and rename to smth like
billboard\_c\_new.dds where billboard\_c.dds is the original one.

Then you must set "new" suffix as your map's custom texture suffix in
```
if v_arg1 == BF2Editor  LevelSettings.CustomTextureSuffix ""

else

texturemanager.customTextureSuffix ""

endIf

```

and change them to

```
if v_arg1 == BF2Editor  LevelSettings.CustomTextureSuffix "new"

else

texturemanager.customTextureSuffix "new"

endIf

```

you can use anything instead of "new" suffix.

But then you will be only using the
default soldier and vehicle textures,
which would not be appropriate on a snow map,or a map which has custom textures
So you would then have to rename your "wanted" textures to match the
same name as your "suggested" suffix fix

Then, use Snow suffix instead of the
'new" one.

But it will change the boards in all the snow maps.