NOTE: You will need to download the EHM background images template file found here: LINK.
CHANGING MAIN BACKGROUNDS
Now lets take a look at the group of backgrounds well tinker with.
This is how they look alone:
STARTUP-This is the graphic for when the same starts up (Ironic huh?) where you choose to start new game or load old one ect.
CHL-Background when you are playing in CHL
DEFAULT-Background when you are on all but office or CHL screens while 'in game'.
OFFICE-Background when you are on the screen where you run your team.
Now lets assume you have played EHM 2007 before, so you will recognize the above graphics as those in the backgrounds like the screens shown below
Now, as I have said before in the intro, modding graphics for EHM is very easy, all well have to do is make and drop!
These four graphics can be found at the following path:
Program Files\Sports Interactive\NHL Eastside Hockey Manager 2007\data\skins\ehm_default\background
Now three of these are straight forward, full sized graphics with or without a blue tinted overlay. Lets look at the fourth one, 'startup.png',
So open up the 'startup.psd' file that was in the template download (LINK).
Your screen will look like this:
Now focus in on the layers window:
BANNER - is the blue trim along the bottom of the graphic.
OVERLY - this will add the blue tint when putting your own custom shot in
EHM LOGO - That's the EHM logo
DEFAULT BACKGROUND - That's the shot of the Oilers goalie stopping a Hurricane that comes with the factory game.
Now go and find a shot you want to use for the background, google it, get it from your own shot of you in your backyard or whatever, just get one and preferably at least 1024 x 768 in size. That means your horizontal size is at 1024 pixels. Although you can work with smaller sized shots, the smaller it is, the worse it will look.
For an example I am going to import a shot I had on my computer of my daughter playing, well not hockey but ringette.
So I open the picture I want to use in PSP.
In top left menu, choose EDIT COPY (as shown below)
Close this window, go back tot he startup template.
Now choose EDIT PASTE AS NEW LAYER (as shown below)
So my screen looks like this:
I want to move the graphic a bit so....
Now verify the MOVE tool in the left hand column is chosen, that means its indented.
Put your curser over the image and move it where you want. REMEMBER there will be graphics overlayed on the middle section when you start the game.
So I adjust it slightly to this:
Now in pallets window, pull the overlay to the second to top layer and by clicking the glasses previously off, make the layer visible:
Your screen will now look like this:
Don't panic, its an overlay: Focus again on the layer palette:
To the right of the OVERLAY area you'll see a slider for transparency, drag this to 50% as shown below.
Now look at your work, MUCH BETTER!
Now note depending on your graphic for background, you may have to make the transparency higher and lower than 50%, its trial and error until you have something you like.
Now Ill move up on the layer pallet the EHM logo tot he VERY TOP of the layer list, and using same tool I moved background graphic with, move it to the top right hand area.
I get this:
Note the logo is ABOVE the blue overlay, I prefer this, you, may not!
So for the exercise of this tutorial, I am ready to see what this looks in game, so now we must save this;
FILE
SAVE AS
Now this window pops up:
First lets look at the area labeled 'Save as type" click on the drop box in this area:
Find PNG and select it:
Your back here, note PNG now listed:
Now using SAVE IN drop down, path to:
Program Files\Sports Interactive\NHL Eastside Hockey Manager 2007\data\skins\ehm_default\background
It will ask you if you want to overwrite, choose yes.
Start up EHM now:
Oh yeah... me likey!
THE REST!
Now you can do the other three graphics which are all backgrounds. But some things to remember!
HIDE THE 'EHM LOGO' AND 'BANNER' LAYERS! - You don't need either of these for the background screen. You will only need the overlay and whatever graphic you want to import in!
Id also recommend you have something not too bright, they are backgrounds on the main game after all, you want to be able to read the in game text!
try to off center things slightly to the right, as you know from playing, there is basically a divider about 1/3 across the screen horizontally that you dont want to block out a good part of your graphic.
Go nuts, experiment, have fun!
