the basics of adding new graphics:
here's a (basic and incomplete-ish) list of graphics files used internally:
https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=UNITShttps://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=UFOGRAPHhttps://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=GEOGRAPHwhen defining new graphics, you will either be adding to/replacing sprites in one of these sets, or creating your own new ones.
so, for example:
extraSprites:
- type: BIGOBS.PCK
files:
1: Resources/Chiko/SuperCoolWeapon.png
would replace entry 1 in
BIGOBS.PCK, the rifle (remember to count from 0) with the contents of Resources/Chiko/SuperCoolWeapon.png.
if you define a sprite entry within the bounds of the original file, it will replace an entry in that set, for example, the
Moriarty armor replaces the corpse for the power suit in
BIGOBS.PCK and
FLOOROB.PCK, and the torso sections of
XCOM_2.PCK. mods that replace original graphics may override each other, load order in the config is the key to priority here. if you define a file name, it will only replace that particular entry, if you define a directory name (ie: ends with "/") it will use the entire contents of that folder, in alphanumeric order, starting from the entry you define.
if you define a sprite entry HIGHER than the contents of the original file, it will create a new entry in that set, so you can define a new item that refers to it, for example, the
Moriarty armor adds new flying armor corpse sprites to
BIGOBS.PCK and
FLOOROB.PCK. you don't need to worry about your sprite additions conflicting with someone else's mod, i already worried about that for you. so, for example, two mods can define a new bigobs item 57, and they won't override each other. it uses internal mod indexing, so define your additional sprites in the same ruleset as the additional items.
you can also define entirely new sprite sets, for example:
extraSprites:
- type: GIANTBUNNY.PCK
width: 32
height: 40
files:
0: Resources/Bunny/sprite/
- type: GIANTBUNNYUFOPAEDIA.SPK
width: 320
height: 200
singleImage: true
files:
0: Resources/Bunny/UFOPaedia.png
would create a new spritesheet called "GIANTBUNNY.PCK", using the contents of the folder "Resources/Bunny/sprite/" and a new single image (ie: not part of a set, ie: generally not a .PCK file) called GIANTBUNNYUFOPAEDIA.SPK. new sets/images should ALWAYS have a width and height defined, it defaults to 320x200. the "singleImage" field obviously denotes that this is NOT part of a set.
obviously any ADDITIONAL graphics will not be referenced unless you define something to do so in the ruleset, as in the case of the flying armor corpse for the
Moriarty armor.
