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Baldurs Gate custom portrait problem


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#1 -Jabzor aka that random guy-

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Posted 31 December 2010 - 02:58 PM

Okay so I found a picture I want for my custom portrait for baldurs gate + tosc. I edited it re-sized change the file name and format to .bmp
So this is what I have GnomeL.bmp(110X170) GnomeS.bmp(38X58) for some reason it wont let me choose x60. I edited this with gimp. Anyways that's not the problem because I have used custom portraits before
in Baldurs Gate 2 successfully with not the exact size and it worked fine. The problem is that my portraits are showing up as blank Grey stone head with question marks in the center. I'm not sure if I am naming the file wrong or what. Anybody have any suggestions?

#2 Zireael

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Posted 27 March 2011 - 06:05 AM

Did you put it in the correct folder?

#3 -Sam137-

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 10:53 AM

Hi,
I'm having the same problem. Have you found a solution yet?
Thanks

#4 Sasha Al'Therin

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 02:50 PM

From the BG2 manual.

APPEARANCE
Select a portrait for your character. To import a custom portrait, you
must follow the instructions below:
The measurements for player portraits are 38X60 pixels for the small
ones (8-bit color only) and 110X170 pixels for the large ones. Create a
directory called Portraits (including the capital "P") in the root directory
where you installed BGII: SoA. The default is C:\Program Files\Black
Isle\BGII - SoA. You will have to add an S to the end of the small
portrait name and an L to the end of the large portrait. The names
must be 1-7 letters long, maximum.
For example:
XXXXXXXS.bmp for small (38x60, 8-bit)
XXXXXXXL.bmp for large (110x170, 24-bit)
For multiplayer, each player must have a copy of the portraits,
otherwise they will see a silhouette with a question mark where the
other player’s custom portraits would be.

It's pretty clear there how it all needs to be set up. If you are getting the silhouette with a question mark then you need to re-examine your files and make sure that they are saved in the correct bit size. If still unsuccessful try reducing to 256 color depth as well.

My working mods:
an AI Party Script for BG2 game engine DOWNLOAD LINK ONLY!
Interactive Tweaks for BG series with some IWD support. DOWNLOAD LINK ONLY!
Rest For 8 Hours an IWD mod
-------------------------------------------
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On Hold: Solestia an NPC for SOA
-------------------------------------------
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#5 Eric P.

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 06:14 PM

Not to mention making sure the filename is the one the game will reference ;)

The small portrait can be 24-bit with no problems, so that's entirely a matter of personal choice.

If you want to shave a little off file sizes, remove any custom portrait icon from the .bmp file, so it will just use your computer's standard icon for it. I've noticed a difference after saving image files in Photoshop, then getting information on the file and deleting the custom icon.

Edited by Eric P., 15 April 2012 - 06:18 PM.

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#6 -Liam Davies-

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Posted 12 August 2012 - 07:44 AM

I'm having trouble with this problem on Baldur's Gate 1 (does it work on the same principle?); I'm not too good with computers, but I've tried to follow the advice given so far. Is there some way I can change the file to say, 8-bit or 24-bit? I have the images saved in the Portraits folder, and labelled L and S respectively, saved in a bmp. format, however, I am just getting the "Blank grey stone with a question mark in the center" whenever I try and select one of those portraits; could anyone give a really comprehensive guide on how to get around this problem?

Thanks
Liam

#7 LancerChronics

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Posted 25 September 2012 - 09:27 AM

Same issue though I think figured out the issue...just not sure how to fix the problem.

Found some images online that I'd thought would make a great portrait... (JPG...)..Resized it perfectly, renamed it perfectly, changed to BMP.....and.....didn't work.

Okay.......check everything, maybe i had to save as bmp rather than changing the extension....redo....some work, some don't.....GRRRRRRR.

Look online... Someone says "Durrr, it's your installation, uninstall and redo everything." Considering I'd done this twice before.... (BGT in Program Files, then forgot a patch)...that was not an option.. Plus I think the guy was an idiot. Some random guy necroing the thread said "I unchecked read-only on the portraits folder and that fixed everything for me!"....Eh, made more sense and took less time.....didn't work. Turns out, unchecking read-only on Windows 7 is impossible, it just redoes it immediately....

Look at the files...."This file is being blocked to protect your computer cause it came from somewhere else.." Okay, maybe that's it.. Clicked "Unblock"......nope...nothing...

After slowly going insane for the last 2 hours, I checked it again..... All the images that don't work are 32-bit... and BMP.....
Huh, thought I fixed that....

Open paint, save as 24-bit.....check image....32-bit....

Repeat 10 times...... still 32-bit....

This is my problem and it is driving me insane....Anyone have any solutions?

That or a Functioning portrait set of Imoen/Viconia/ and a sexy Female Wild Mage?Posted ImagePosted Image

#8 Almateria

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Posted 25 September 2012 - 11:25 AM

What, you installed BG in Program Files?

#9 LancerChronics

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Posted 25 September 2012 - 11:35 AM

What, you installed BG in Program Files?


Yah, apparently that's a no-no if your converting to BGT..it did make a few things screwy for me, so I started over.

Solved the 32-bit issue...when I converted the jpeg to bmp while changing the file name...it got locked in...I had to change the file name BACK to jpg, Open paint, and then try to save as a BMP...That did it.

Now I just have to find an old NWN portrait of a blonde monk/mage with her wrists crossed in front of her and a cool snarky sneer/smile. And I'ts like hidden somewhere in a zip file off 200 TGAs which I can't open...yay..... :(

#10 Dakk

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Posted 25 September 2012 - 12:49 PM

When (not if) you find them, please post them here - they sound really cool!

Is your problem solved by the way, or do you need any more help?

#11 LancerChronics

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Posted 25 September 2012 - 10:19 PM

I'll say "solved" though if anyone just happens to randomly know the image i'm talking about, and have a copy to save me a search, i wouldn't say no. :)

#12 Almateria

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Posted 26 September 2012 - 04:26 AM

Yah, apparently that's a no-no if your converting to BGT..it did make a few things screwy for me, so I started over.

It's a no-no if you want to do anything at all with the installation afterwards. My Arcanum install folder is still forever plagued with horrible mods that stay even after folder purge. :(

#13 LancerChronics

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Posted 26 September 2012 - 06:35 AM

Oh and here...this took WAYYYYYY longer to find than I wanted. So many nice portraits out there, but I'm damn picky. Gotta match the others...faces taking up about 50% of portrait, looking straight at you, while some small aspect sybolizes who the character is.... BG2 portraits were always great about showing a lot through a little, and I always remembered thinking this one did the same while playing NWN. Bit less of a sneer than i remember...

Anyway, as requested, here's this one...though now I know how to pull out several if needed...I feel as if there's a lot one can do with this if they were skilled with picture editing.

Posted Image

Edited by LancerChronics, 26 September 2012 - 06:36 AM.


#14 -guest-

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Posted 31 August 2014 - 08:24 AM

It should just be as simple as copying your Baldurs Gate folder to another area of your computer (except Program Files x86). I did this then all of a sudden my custom portraits worked.



#15 -Guest-

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Posted 14 January 2015 - 02:40 PM

I moved my folder and the large ones worked and not the small ones. I don't understand.:(

#16 -john-

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Posted 15 January 2015 - 03:34 AM

Hmm.  It still always says the picture is too large, no matter how teeny I make it or what I save it as. 

Anybody know what's up?  As far as I can tell, it's not a 32 bmp, but I've heard that paint will save it that way even if you tell it not to.



#17 The Imp

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Posted 15 January 2015 - 05:02 AM

It should just be as simple as copying your Baldurs Gate folder to another area of your computer (except Program Files x86). I did this then all of a sudden my custom portraits worked.
Well, you have the also change the baldur.ini's [Alias] -paths to the current directory so the BGMain.exe actually starts the game in the correct directory... and failing to do mention that.. well.
 
I moved my folder and the large ones worked and not the small ones. I don't understand. :(
Erhm, you did use the editor(MSPaint) to resize the s-picture to be =18% from the 210x330 ? While the m-picture should be about 50% from the 210x330 one.
And then save it correctly*.
As far as I can tell, it's not a 32 bmp, but I've heard that paint will save it that way even if you tell it not to.
*Well if you go with MSPaint and edit the file, and use the "Save as..." -> "JPEG picture" and then when it shows the "Save as type" to be JPEG(*.jpg; *.jpeg; *jpe; *.jifi), you can then change that to be the format you need; 24-bit bitmap(*.bmp....), which you need to have for the *s- & *m-pictures. :devil: Ha, good luck with that. :devil:

Edited by The Imp, 15 January 2015 - 10:14 AM.

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#18 -john-

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Posted 15 January 2015 - 06:02 AM

*Well if you go with MSPaint and edit the file, and use the "Save as..." -> "JPEG picture" and then when it shows the "Save as type" to be JPEG(*.jpg; *.jpeg; *jpe; *.jifi), you can then change that to be the format you need; 24-bit bitmap(*.bmp....), which you need to have for the m-picture.

Hey, it worked!

Thank you very much!