Base Game & EP World Loading Screens

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There are mods to remove the intro movies before game load, there are mods to allow you to choose game loading screens, I was kind of surprised that no one seems to have addressed the world loading screens. So that's what this mod does, provides alternatives to the world loading screens, and shows you how to edit with your own images.

First you need to understand that there are various world loading screens:

1. Loading a New Game Screen
2. Loading a Saved Game Screen
3. Returning Home from Traveling Screen
4. EP World Loading Screens
5. Entry Game Screen

Compatibility
Originally marked this for all EP's but truth is, You only need the Base Game with ANY Patch level, since these are overrides of files that have been there since the game was released. You will only see the screens for the EP's that you have installed.

If you wish, you can remove any of the screens by opening the package file with S3PE and marking the screens you dont want, to be included, as Deleted, then just save the package.


The EP World Loading Screens
I'll start with the EP World Loading Screens since they are they simplest to replace, if you wish to do your own. You don't have to go looking for them in the various FullBuild or DeltaBuild packages from each of the EP install directories, because I've already done that. You just need to find an image you want to use and replace the loading screen of your choice.

The following EP's have world loading screens: World Adventures (France, China, Egypt), Ambitions - Twinbrook, Late Night - Bridgeport, Pets - Appaloosa Plains, Showtime - Starlight Shores, Supernatural - Moonlight Falls, University Life, Island Paradise - Isla Paradiso, Into the Future - Oasis Landing. All of which are 1024x768 png files.

Using your own images will require you to have prior knowledge of working with S3PE and a Graphics Program

• Open the package file with S3PE
• Click on the resource you wish to replace or Ctrl + click to select multiple resources
• From the Menu at the top, click on Resource > Export > To File
• save the png(s) to your desktop or other location
• open a png in photoshop, gimp, paint.net or other graphic program
• use a game screenshot, downloaded image, picture of your kids, the dog, or whatever you wish and paste it over the image in your graphic program
• flatten and save the png
• go back to your package file, from the menu, click on Resource > Import > from file
• save your package and test in game.

The Default Loading Screens

Anyone who has played the game, at all, is familiar with the image above. Unless you are playing in one of the EP's mentioned above, this is your loading screen. It's used for Sunset Valley, any store world, and any custom world. There are actually 3 different screens, though EA chose to use the same image for all 3; Game Loading Screen (saved games), New Game Loading Screen, and Travel Loading Screen. Unfortunately, there is no known way to have a store or custom world use it's own loading screen as opposed to the default one. I've also included the Game Entry Screen which is the background you see when you are choosing a new game or saved game to play.

Replacing one of these screens is a little different than the EP loading screens above because there is other graphic information included To edit one of these follow the steps below:

• Open the package file with S3PE
• Click on the resource you wish to replace or Ctrl + click to select multiple resources
• From the Menu at the top, click on Resource > Export > To File
• save the png(s) to your desktop or other location
• open a png in photoshop, gimp, paint.net or other graphic program
• use a game screenshot, downloaded image, picture of your kids, the dog, or whatever you wish and paste it over the image in your graphic program
• use Merge Down or Merge Visible (DO NOT FLATTEN) and save the file
• go back to your package file, from the menu, click on Resource > Import > from file
• save your package and test in game.

Conflict Information
This will not conflict with mods that address the initial EP or SP loading screens, it will conflict with any that edit/alter the world loading screens from the various EP deltabuilds and fullbuild package files.
[00] 0x54CBD784C0156B99: World Adventures - China loading screen
[01] 0xD11D50C07C51175F: World Adventures - Egypt loading screen
[02] 0xF631DC614E3DC882: World Adventures - France loading screen
[03] 0xAEF226B6BA4D25E3: Late Night - Bridgeport loading screen
[04] 0x54FDF7DF984D17D0: Showtime - Starlight Shores loading screen
[05] 0x694975B94DD51F97: Supernatural - Moonlight Falls loading screen
[06] 0xF7D2868047E7E1C1: University Life - Sims University loading screen
[07] 0x474187408059E4FC: Island Paradise - Isla Paradiso loading screen
[08] 0xA547D5DE27F26E72: Pets - Appaloosa Plains loading screen
[09] 0xD052A3408FDF82C8: Into the Future - Oasis Landing loading screen
[0A] 0xCA60B97D8A8D6070: Ambitions - Twinbrook loading screen
[0B] 0xE228A0CDF82243C0: ATLAS_NewGameLoadingScreen_00
[0C] 0x78B0A51665D3FCB0: ATLAS_GameLoadingScreen_00
[0D] 0xE228A0CDF82243C1: ATLAS_NewGameLoadingScreen_01
[0E] 0x69A9BD04B622EED2: ATLAS_TravelLoadingScreen_00
[0F] 0x69A9BD04B622EED3: ATLAS_TravelLoadingScreen_01
[10] 0x78B0A51665D3FCB1: ATLAS_GameLoadingScreen_01
[11] 0xD4C492FE84FF892E: ATLAS_GameEntryMainMenu_00



Additional Credits:
pljones for S3PE