How to add new effects(@effect) or just replace existing ones with new sprites?

[Pink Guy]

Just like the title of this post, I'm asking someone to help me to add new @effects. My server uses the @effects numbers for our auras so I wish to add a custom aura I downloaded but I don't know how to add it. Or if it's not possible, how can I replace the existing ones? I appreciate any help and thanks in advance for those who are willing to help.

[GmOcean]

This currently isn't possible as the effects in @effects are hard-coded into the client.exe. Therefore adding new ones or replacing existing just isn't possible. The only realistic approach to this would be to have a custom client.exe with a plugin hooked at that location to allow for extra effects to be added via an external file. But none of the client projects have come close to this yet.

[rqueen]

This currently isn't possible as the effects in @effects are hard-coded into the client.exe. Therefore adding new ones or replacing existing just isn't possible. The only realistic approach to this would be to have a custom client.exe with a plugin hooked at that location to allow for extra effects to be added via an external file. But none of the client projects have come close to this yet.

If I remember correctly(feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), it's only the effect IDs that are hard-coded into the client, while the effect sprites/files themselves are stored in data/textures/effect/ or data/effect/, so I think it's possible to replace them, it's just that it'll be a pain to actually look for which one to replace since there are no indications whatsoever as to which ID corresponds to which file.

Edited October 10, 2013 by rqueen

[GmOcean]

Hmm, I'm not sure if the new 2013 clients or late 2012 clients are as you say, I just know that in the past it was all hard coded, this included animations as well as IDs. I still think this may be the case, as currently the src code merely sends a packet to the client which then produces said effect. I say this because if it was the case where you could just replace a file ( in this case most likely tga file ) then there would be far more customizations our there. Though it still may be possible since, there are cases of people changing StormGust animation. And that is an option in @effect.

 

I guess at this point we both need someone who deals with the client on a regular basis to clarify this and give proper insight.

[rqueen]

Yes, I used to play in a server where Lord of Vermillion had a different animation. I extracted their grf and found that they changed all lord_*_*.bmp files, there were like 15 of them.