Help for color synthesia!

Collaborate with other modders to make Synthesia the way you want it.
Always the latest versions: [ colors.xml | ui.xml ]
Read the Getting Started topic to learn how important it is to MERGE YOUR CHANGES every time you download a new dev preview.
Post Reply
Montrix
Posts: 3

Post by Montrix »

Hi guys,
I need to change some synthesis colors:
1) Change color to the gray and red bar that lies between the keys and the background
2) Eliminate white transparency on black keys (I would like them totally black, without reflections)
3) Remove shadow between the keys (both when they are on when they are down)
I attach an image to you and understand it better.
what should I go to modify in the color.xml file?
I modified other things but these 3 points I can not really find them ....
Thanks for your help
Spoiler:
4.jpg
4.jpg (415.76 KiB) Viewed 15440 times
Nicholas
Posts: 13170

Post by Nicholas »

Out of curiosity, what are you working on? I like to hear about the neat things that people are doing with Synthesia.

1. Did you mean the usually-gray bar that changes color when you pause? Or the always-red "felt" strip just below it? To change the former, edit "play_keyRail.tga" (although the red while paused is hard-coded and cannot be changed). To change the red "felt" line, just change the "keyboardFelt" color in colors.xml.

2. That shine is baked right into the black key texture in the "play_keysBlack.tga" graphics file (and "play_keysBlack@2x.tga" for HiDPI screens). You could edit the image to get rid of the shine.

3. Both versions of the shadow are at the far-right of "play_keysWhite.tga" (in the alpha channel). Set the alpha there completely solid (black) and the shadows will go away.
Montrix
Posts: 3

Post by Montrix »

hello i am trying to customize the colors of my synthesis through adobe after effect and the gray bar bother me in the process.
Anyway I managed to edit the color.xml file, but I did not understand where to find the file play_keysBlack.tga
I can not find
can you help me?

Ps: I'm on WIndows 10 pc
Nicholas
Posts: 13170

Post by Nicholas »

Oh, sorry. Those image files are stored inside the Synthesia.exe program itself. You can use a resource editing program (say, this free one) to extract those files, edit them, and then store the changes back inside the .exe. It's a little tedious (sorry again!) but it should let you change whatever you like.
Montrix
Posts: 3

Post by Montrix »

Hi Nicholas, I not find in the graphics folder the grey bar ....can you help me?
Nicholas
Posts: 13170

Post by Nicholas »

It's called PLAY_KEYRAIL.
Ton2as
Posts: 5

Post by Ton2as »

Hi Nicholas! I did everything you said, but unfortunately I couldn't change the color of the black keys, they remain exactly the same as before. I am trying to change the color of both black and white keys to a green chroma key. I was able to do that with the white keys by changing the values for the "keyboardWhiteKeys" within the colors.xml file. But I'm having trouble with the black keys. I edited the files you mentioned with Photoshop, and then stored the changes back inside the Synthesia.exe, one by one, with lots of patience. But the result is disappointing: the black keys remain black, they don't change. Can you help me?

Thanks in advance!

Gastón.
User avatar
jimhenry
Posts: 1907

Post by jimhenry »

This is a pure guess. Remember that black is the absence of color. Every color eventually fades to black. Depending on how colors are stored, you probably need to do something to "brighten" the black keys so you can see the color you are making them. Hope this helps.
Jim Henry
Author of the Miditzer, a free virtual theatre pipe organ
http://www.Miditzer.org/
Ton2as
Posts: 5

Post by Ton2as »

Hi Jim,

I will try, and if I succeed I will let you know. Thanks a lot!
Post Reply