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| Designing Cockpits |
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| TIP: If you print this page , it will be much easier to design your cockpit as you can read and work on the cockpit at the same time. |
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| To make your
own cockpit all you have to do is to edit a file located in the /GP2/BITMAPS/
directory, called cpitlow.pcx (for VGA mode) or cpithi.pcx (for SVGA mode).
I'll explain how to paint the SVGA cockpits, cause I assume that 90% of
you GP2 players are using SVGA.However, the only difference when painting
a VGA cockpit is that the file is smaller, you can't add many details.
The special zones are located in different places of the SVGA, but I'm
sure that you can find them. The last difference is the file name.
If you want to make your job easier for yourself , and want to have complete freedom when making your cockpit, you can download the GP2 Cockpit Designer by Robert Kimber. With this editor you can change the position of almost everything in the cockpit , and you don't have to worry about the correct position of the LEDs, gear indicators, etc... The cockpits made using this editor are called CPD Cockpits.To use them in your game you will need either "GP2 Cockpit Designer" or "GP2EDIT version 1.7" Now let's get working ; you'll need to load the .PCX file in a painting program that allows you to save the file in the .PCX format.As always, I suggest you use Paint Shop Pro. Let's start by looking at the "special zones" of a SVGA cockpit. They're numbered and explained below: |
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| Special zones
are the pictures that have a pre-defined position in the picture. They
can be edited but cannot be placed anywhere else.
(1) - The gears: From left to right, the first 10 squares are the numbers that will indicate you the suggested gear. The other 9 squares are the numbers that will show you your gear. You can change the pictures in the squares to anything you want, but you have to place it exactly over the existing ones. (2) - The helps indicators: From left to right, the first 7 squares are the help indicators when turned off. They are: auto-brakes, auto-gears, spin recovery, indestructibility, ideal line, suggested gear and throttle help. The next 7 squares are these indicators when turned on, and the last square is used when a help isn't allowed. (3) - The pit status: The first rectangle is showed when the pit is free, the second one is when the pit crew is waiting for you in the lap, and the last one is when your teammate is pitting. (4) - The opponent level: The first square indicates a "All the same" level, the second indicates "1994 levels" and the last "Random". (5) - The LEDs: These are the rev LEDs and also the damage, fuel, split time and message LEDs. (6) - The replay logo: This is the picture that will appear in the top left of your screen when you're viewing a replay in GP2. (7) - The car status: These are the pictures that tell you about your cars operational status ; the first one is an all o.k. car, the next one is a car with damaged wheels & wings , and with the wooded plank touching the ground. The last one shows a car with too little plank. (8) - The director mode indicator: The first picture indicates on, the second off. (9) - The black flag: This is the picture that GP2 shows you when you cut a chicane and get penalized with power loss for 10 secs. (10) - The LCD font: This are the fonts used on the display. (11) - The mirrors: You can paint the mirrors, only the grey part will work as a mirror. |
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| Now that you know the special zones, you can start working. The easiest way to make yourself a great cockpit is getting a cockpit from someone else and working on it. You can get things that you like from other cockpits and paste it into your cockpit to make it The Perfect Cockpit, suiting all your needs and preferences! So you now have 2 options: Go to the Pieter's GP2 Homepage and spend hours downloading cockpits, OR... Download a great cockpit template that we made , just for you! It contains 10 different gear indicators, 10 help indicators, 9 leds, 7 replay logos, 1 cockpit base and much , much more. |
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| After finishing your cockpit, it is recommended that you load the GP2 cockpit pallete before saving. Remember to save in the .PCX format! If you aren't using GP2 Cockpit Designer, you have to save the file as "cpithi.pcx" and place it in the /GP2/BITMAPS/ directory. If you're using GP2 Cockpit Designer, read the help files, they're very easy to understand, and you don't have to waste hours trying to learn what to do. You can always write me if you have a question. |
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| A final note: If you're looking for great cockpits on Pieter's GP2 homepage, try the cockpits made by James Ariz, Brian Quigley and Rebrica Saso. These guys are very talented and have designed some really good cockpits. This doesn't mean that all the other cockpits are crap, I myself have put up some nice ones there :-) |
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| © 1997 Leonardo Armani |
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