NBA Live Editing: Creating Jersey Previews v2.0

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2 Introduction This tutorial will help you create Jersey Previews for use in NBA Live for the PC. The Jersey Previews are used by the game on the jersey selection screen. Without this image the jersey will be blank. If you have created a jersey or downloaded a jersey that needs a preview, then this tutorial will show you how to create one. You will need to know how to use a graphic editing program to be able to understand this tutorial. I will use Paint Shop Pro 9 as an example. Photoshop users and users of other graphic programs should be able to follow along easily. This tutorial was originally written for NBA Live 2005 and has been updated for NBA Live 08. All versions of NBA Live since 2005 use the same method for jersey previews. Programs and Files Needed 1. Paint Shop Pro 2. Adobe Photoshop 3. FshX import/export FSH files. 4. BigGUI extract/import files into VIV and BIG files. Download from - tools section 5. Downloaded or created uniform 6. DBF editor such as CDBF for Windows or DB Commander. 7. Hex editor such as Hex Editor 2.3 free download from - Programs Possibly Needed A program to extract downloaded files such as ZIP files or RAR files. WinZip - IZARC - WinRAR - Windows XP has a zip/unzip program built in. Installing Jersey Patches Tutorial by Bassman Jersey Patches section Creating Jerseys Tutorial by Bassman Jersey Patches section Crappystuff s Jersey Creation Tutorial Jersey Patches section uses Adobe Photoshop Sources For Files NBA Live Series Center (NLCS) - Step 1 - Research You will need to have a uniform that has already been created. You can create your own or download one. Please refer to my Creating New Jerseys Tutorial available at NLCS for making new jerseys. For that tutorial I created an ABA Spirits of St. Louis uniform from I used the Phoenix Suns home

3 practice uniform as a base. I used the Suns uniform because it had the correct color and font for the uniform numbers. I will use this uniform preview as the base for the Spirits. I have a temporary folder on my desktop named aaa. You must also need to know what two and four character abbreviations will be used for your uniform. These abbreviations can be found by looking at the teams.dbf file. The Charlotte abbreviations are ch and char. The uniform previously created is named charc74h.viv. This is a classic 1974 home uniform. Copy this file to the aaa folder. Step 2 Export using BigGUI Start BigGUI and open the jerseys.viv file. The original file is in the X:\ NBA Live 2005\fe folder. (same folder for NBA Live 08) I keep a copy in the aaa folder. Highlight the jerseys~ph~ph_pr1h.big file, then click on export. Save this file to the aaa folder. Using BigGUI open the jerseys~ph~ph_pr1h.big file. Highlight the four files in the left-hand window. Then click on Export and save to the aaa folder. Go to the aaa folder. Rename the five Phoenix files. You need to replace the old two character abbreviation with the new abbreviation. Rename jerseys~ph~ph_pr1h.big to jerseys~ch~ch_c74h.big. Rename ph_pr1h.apt to ch_c74h.apt, ph_pr1h.const to ch_c74h.const, ph_pr1h.ebo to ch_c74h.ebo and ph_pr1h.fsh to ch_c74h.fsh. In my Installing Jersey Patches tutorial I explain the use of these abbreviations for the naming convention. Please consult that document if necessary. Next start your hex editor. You will need to replace all references to ph_pr1h with ch_c74h. Open the ch_c74h.ebo file. Scroll to the bottom of the file. You will see eleven references to the Phoenix files. See picture below. Click on the P for the first instance on the right-hand side. Using the keyboard and the scroll arrows replace the characters. Position the cursor over the old character and type the new character. In this case you need to replace the p and pr1 with c and c74. See picture below. Do not change any other characters.

4 When you are done, save the file and close the hex editor. Open the charc74h.viv file using BigGUI. Highlight the charc74h.fsh file in the left-hand window. Click on Export and save the fsh file to the aaa folder. If you have created your own uniform you should already have this file. Step 3 Extract Uniform using FshX Start FshX and open the charc74h.fsh file. Click on Texture/Export. Save the file as charc74h.bmp (not a DDS file) in the aaa folder. You should now have the following files in your folder. Step 4 Create uniform preview image Start Paint Shop Pro and open the charc74h.bmp file. Create a new 256 X 256 X 16Million image with a transparent background. Save this file as preview.psp (or.psd or.pspimage). Go back to the uniform BMP image. Using the selection tool create a rectangle from the upper left corner to the middle of the right arm hole to just above the waistband. See picture below with the added green highlight.

5 Copy this selection (ctrl-c) and paste it as a new layer (ctrl-l) in the preview.psp image. Re-size this layer (not the whole image) by 70%. Rename this layer front. Next create a selection for the back of the jersey. See the picture below. Copy this selection (ctrl-c) and paste it as a new layer (ctrl-l) in the preview.psp image again. Re-size this layer by 70%. Rename this layer back. Move this layer below the front layer. Turn off the front layer. Using the eraser and/or background eraser remove the excess from around the neck and arms. See picture below. I changed the background to yellow so that you can see better.

6 Next mirror this layer. This will flip the image left to right. This step is not always necessary when you have a symmetrical jersey. This layer will be used for the back of the jersey. You may need to partially paint over this section if needed. Next turn off this layer and turn on the front. Remove the excess from this layer also. See picture below. Position the back so that the sleeves line up. This section is actually the inside of the jersey. You may want to delete any overlap from the back layer that shows around the arm trim. Save the file. Save a copy of the file as x.png to the aaa folder. This name is not important. It s just easy to type in latter. Basically you are done editing. You can merge the two layers and add a border or a feather around the edges of the jersey. Here are some examples using a chartreuse border just so you can see the effect. You probably would use a dark gray for a border. Look at an EA preview to see the effect. 2 pixel border 12 pixel feather

7 Step 5 Import preview using FshX Start FshX. Open the ch_c74h.fsh file. In the left-hand window click on 34 (256x256). You should now see the jersey in the right-hand window. Click Texture/Import. In the File Name section type x.png (without the quotes) then click on Open. The new uniform should now be showing. The PNG file should have a transparent background. Click on File/Save. Step 6 Import preview using BigGUI Open BigGUI. Open jerseys~ch~ch74h.big. Next import the four files that will replace the original Phoenix files. These files are ch_c74h.apt, ch_c74h.const, ch_c74h.ebo, and ch_c74h.fsh. Now highlight the four Phoenix files and click on Delete (Red X). Click on Yes. Next click on Rebuild (Blue R) four or five times, until the offset column stops changing. Step 7 Copy the file for use in the game Copy the jerseys~ch~ch_c74h.big files to X:\NBA Live 2005\sgsm. Substitute the folder name for other versions of NBA Live. Start NBA Live Load the roster if needed. Select you team, Charlotte in this case. Choose the uniform you just made and verify it looks correct. At this point in time you can t modify the position of the uniform number, so therefore the number may not look correct in the preview.

8 Summary 1. Research know the 2 and 4 character abbreviations and which file to use as a base. 2. Export jerseys~xx~xx_zzzz.big from jerseys.viv file using BigGUI. Export 4 files from jerseys~xx~xx_zzzz.big using BigGUI. Rename 5 files to new name. Hex edit EBO file. Replace characters with new characters. Export FSH file from uniform VIV file using BigGUI. 3. Export BMP file using FshX. 4. Create the new uniform preview using PSP and save as a PNG file. 5. Import new PNG file back into FSH file using FshX. 6. Import new FSH files back into BIG file using BigGUI. 7. Copy the file to the sgsm folder. 8. Run game. Load roster (if needed). Select the new jersey. Verify that preview looks correct. Remember that you can not move the position of the number. Samples Here are some Harlem Globetrotter Jersey Previews that I made.