[FUBAR-BDHR]

I was thinking of making a mission with a standard FS2 background but I wanted some distant ships as part of the background.  Is it possible to make a background in FRED, go into the game, take a screen shot, and then use that as part of the new background? 

[Bobboau]

that has been done.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Any simple instructions for someone who's moding history has only been added one entry to a table as a test?

[Bobboau]

well once you get the image, you basically just have to add it as if it were a planet, that's it. stars.tbl is were you do that.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

No special file type or anything?  If so wow that's easy.  Should I create a tbm instead of editing the tbl?  This would probably be the only mod in the whole campaign.

Just had a thought.  Since I'm adding it like a planet could I just cut out the area of the ships that I want and use that as a planet?  If so is there some file specs I need to follow?

[Dark Hunter]

Well, if you're "deleting" parts of the image, remember that FS thinks green is transparent, not black.

So color the parts you don't want green.

[Bobboau]

that's only for PCX images, if you want more than 256 colors use DXT5 compression and an alpha channel. though for development purposes it would probably be easier to use 32 bit TGA

[FUBAR-BDHR]

OK just went from thinking I understood to what?????  I understand the green background transparency but do I even need it?  I am just looking at taking a small square or rectangular area of space out of the screenshot and making it a new image.  I would want the whole image from the new file as the object in the background editor.  Would it even need any transparency since it's going to match the background anyway?   

Basically I'm trying to make a mission look like a BOE is taking place in the distance.  I need a lot of very tiny ships on the background.  I was just going to FRED them in way off in the distance and make a screen shot of it.  Cut out the area that has the ships, and make that part of the new background. Repeat as necessary to get the necessary fleet in the distance effect. 

[Bobboau]

do you need it? maybe, that's up to you, I'd think you probably would, but you might not.

for now just save the textures as 32 bit TGAs do a copy&paste of an existing planet in the stars table, and you should be all set, it'll show up like a planet or nebula.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

OK so 32bit TGA.  I should be able to do that.  Have to give it a try tomorrow (bar night tonight).