FM14 - Backgrounds

Hi all,

I've managed install FM14 with no issues whatsoever, and have got everything working in the graphics folder except for the 'backgrounds' (background pictures in game), I'm sure there was an option in previous games, in the preferences, to enable them, but I can't seem to find it?

Has it been removed?

Thanks

FM's own skins don't support backgrounds, just need to wait for a skin which supports backgrounds to be developed. Same as last year.

I'm sure that last year, I didn't change the skin at all? I always use the FM skins, I never download any...

I thought they patched the game last year to make the option available?

FM's own skins don't support backgrounds, just need to wait for a skin which supports backgrounds to be developed. Same as last year.

we do have transparent skin which does support backgrounds made by DASZ8 and its not working!

Would be nice to see this fixed.

This was an issue on FM13's release too.

Frustrating.

Dont get us started on this subject again.......got my thread closed!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sports Interactive need to enable them

I don't see what the big deal with it is. Its been enabled in previous versions, for years, so why is it not available in FM14?

I don't see what the big deal with it is. Its been enabled in previous versions, for years, so why is it not available in FM14?

It was the same last year I recall....same thing again......I have made a huge backgrounds pack

Why is the backgrounds not enabled again this year?

If there's an issue with backgrounds then raise it as a bug.

That's what happened last year and it got fixed.

Edit: I see stevemc has done just that

okay thank you

still nothing fixed from SI?

If there's an issue with backgrounds then raise it as a bug.

That's what happened last year and it got fixed.

Edit: I see stevemc has done just that

Yes done that, any feedback yet?

This preference was removed as an option to untick; it was never intended to be removed completely. That is, it would always be on by default with no option in the Preferences to switch it off. However, unfortunately, there was an issue that caused this setting to be unflagged at the last minute. This will be addressed in a future update.

In the meanwhile, using the resource archiver it is possible for skinners to turn this option back on. The relevant setting that needs to be changed is packaged inside the "settings.fmf" archive. Once unpackaged, open /default/application_settings.xml and look for the following line:

<boolean id="enable_background_changes" value="false" />

Change 'false' to 'true'.

Once change, the "settings.fmf" file will need to be repacked and updated.

bardi there's more than one file in that settings.fmf wich config do I open to do the change?

omg Im blind u did post what to open sorry M8

can u put that file for us to download when u finished it?

Please that would be great if you can download it to here as FM ain't same without stadium backgrounds.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/bevawrce5v2hr5m/settings.fmf

Place this file in SteamLibrary>SteamApps>common>Football Manager 2014>data - Remember to back up the original file first however.

Albeit this is of little use without a transparent skin. You can only see the background image in between the boxes.

This preference was removed as an option to untick; it was never intended to be removed completely. That is, it would always be on by default with no option in the Preferences to switch it off. However, unfortunately, there was an issue that caused this setting to be unflagged at the last minute. This will be addressed in a future update.

In the meanwhile, using the resource archiver it is possible for skinners to turn this option back on. The relevant setting that needs to be changed is packaged inside the "settings.fmf" archive. Once unpackaged, open /default/application_settings.xml and look for the following line:

<boolean id="enable_background_changes" value="false" />

Change 'false' to 'true'.

Once change, the "settings.fmf" file will need to be repacked and updated.

I got it to work by just copying and pasting <boolean id="enable_background_changes" value="false" /> into the bottom of my settings.xml skin file and it works just fine.

Just need to get transparent backgrounds working now as there's not too much to see otherwise !

If you use the Scorpio skin (available on the Steam Workshop) you'll get a reasonably good result.

If you use the Scorpio skin (available on the Steam Workshop) you'll get a reasonably good result.

Much better than FM Dark- thanks, I'll give it a go.

If you don't want to mess around with the default FM files then you can just paste this line into the settings/<Skin Name> settings.xml file for the skin you are using (if you are using the default skins then download the base skin):

<boolean id="enable_background_changes" value="true" />

If you don't want to mess around with the default FM files then you can just paste this line into the settings/<Skin Name> settings.xml file for the skin you are using (if you are using the default skins then download the base skin):

<boolean id="enable_background_changes" value="true" />

As I said above....

Rzarector, thanks again for the heads up about the Scorpio skin - absolutely perfect.

yir it is working my backgrounds is back

michaeltmurrayuk, is there a simple way to edit background opacity? Screenshot doesn't really do it justice but hoping to make some of the white text easier to read.

Edit: After a little research, apparently you need to alter the global_panels.xml, however I cannot locate such file anywhere.

michaeltmurrayuk, is there a simple way to edit background opacity? Screenshot doesn't really do it justice but hoping to make some of the white text easier to read.

Edit: After a little research, apparently you need to alter the global_panels.xml, however I cannot locate such file anywhere.

The global panels file was replaced by the 'client object browser.xml' file.

Thanks for the help getting backgrounds back

You may want to take a look at my backgrounds package now...........

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/361063-DNK-BACKGROUNDS-MEGAPACK-By-DazS8-amp-K-Nielsen?p=9080581#post9080581

torrent file is now available

http://fmreport.simplygaming.org/t1923-dnk-backgrounds-by-dazs8-k-kenneth-nielsen

I also make the Scorpio Skin mentioned above

I've got backgrounds i've made that i want to use. But the Steam Workshop is a no go it rubbish so how do i put them in and what skin to use ??

how can we little lower up opacity?

If you don't want to mess around with the default FM files then you can just paste this line into the settings/<Skin Name> settings.xml file for the skin you are using (if you are using the default skins then download the base skin):

<boolean id="enable_background_changes" value="true" />

I just want to use the default skin that comes with the game, that shows background picture through it (like in previous FM's).

How do I do that?

Thanks

I just want to use the default skin that comes with the game, that shows background picture through it (like in previous FM's).

How do I do that?

Thanks

You'll need to edit the graphics, the majority should be located in the graphics/boxes/plain folder with the dark skin (back it up first) with some in the bordered and title folders, more specialised ones might be located in other subfolders in the boxes folder.

If you are using the light skin you'll need to download the base skin then use the resource tool to extract the files from the skins.fmf folder (located where FM is installed) then copy the graphics folder from the extracted fm2013-widgets folder into the base_fm2014 skin and then edit the graphics in the above location.

Wow, that's abit complicated for me!

I'd just like that preferences option putting back in, in the next patch, then I'll be a happy customer.

Wow, that's abit complicated for me!

I'd just like that preferences option putting back in, in the next patch, then I'll be a happy customer.

All that button did was change the enable background changes code from false to true (as the above code does) it didn't make the graphics transparent to see the backgrounds.

All that button did was change the enable background changes code from false to true (as the above code does) it didn't make the graphics transparent to see the backgrounds.

I don't think I fully understand the set up, in previous FM's you could see backgrounds (which changed when you changed from screen to screen) through the default FM skin. I'd just like that option back in FM14 with the default skin, is there a simple work around? I find having one background all the time, that never changes, incredibly boring.

how can we little lower up opacity?

If you mean dulling the background images to make the text easier to read, the method used in previous versions was to add an overlay image to the background with a level of transparency (I haven't tried it in fm2014 so the code may or may not work without somde tweaking depending if the coding has changed)

You'll need to edit the 'client object browser.xml' file for the skin you are using.

Locate these lines:

<!-- background picture - covers entire screen -->

<widget class="background" file="backgrounds/default" id="bgnd">

<record id="object_property">

<integer id="get_property" value="bgnd" />

<integer id="set_property" value="file" />

</record>

</widget>

And paste this code underneath:

<container class="plain_box" appearance="bgoverlay/paper">

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="all" inset="0"/>

</container>

Then in the graphics folder for your skin create a bgoverlay folder (or a folder called what you have put in bold above) and you'll need to create nine png graphic files called paper_bottom_left, paper_bottom_middle, paper_bottom_right, paper_middle_right/middle/left and paper_top_middle/right/left with what ever level of transparency you feel is best.

If you don't want to mess around with recreating graphics over and over, add this code: transparency="0.1"

So the coding looks like:

<container class="plain_box" appearance="bgoverlay/paper"transparency="0.1" >

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="all" inset="0"/>

</container>

After you have created the graphics you should then be able to adjust the transparency through the code by adjusting the above value.

I don't think I fully understand the set up, in previous FM's you could see backgrounds (which changed when you changed from screen to screen) through the default FM skin. I'd just like that option back in FM14 with the default skin, is there a simple work around? I find having one background all the time, that never changes, incredibly boring.

Download the base skin and add the coding in my above post to the settings file and that will re-enable backgrounds like in the past (or wait for the fix in a future patch), however the default skins aren't (and haven't been for a couple of versions) very transparent so your backgrounds will be there but you won't be able to see much of them.

If you mean dulling the background images to make the text easier to read, the method used in previous versions was to add an overlay image to the background with a level of transparency (I haven't tried it in fm2014 so the code may or may not work without somde tweaking depending if the coding has changed)

You'll need to edit the 'client object browser.xml' file for the skin you are using.

Locate these lines:

<!-- background picture - covers entire screen -->

<widget class="background" file="backgrounds/default" id="bgnd">

<record id="object_property">

<integer id="get_property" value="bgnd" />

<integer id="set_property" value="file" />

</record>

</widget>

And paste this code underneath:

<container class="plain_box" appearance="bgoverlay/paper">

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="all" inset="0"/>

</container>

Then in the graphics folder for your skin create a bgoverlay folder (or a folder called what you have put in bold above) and you'll need to create nine png graphic files called paper_bottom_left, paper_bottom_middle, paper_bottom_right, paper_middle_right/middle/left and paper_top_middle/right/left with what ever level of transparency you feel is best.

If you don't want to mess around with recreating graphics over and over, add this code: transparency="0.1"

So the coding looks like:

<container class="plain_box" appearance="bgoverlay/paper"transparency="0.1" >

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="all" inset="0"/>

</container>

After you have created the graphics you should then be able to adjust the transparency through the code by adjusting the above value.

hmm a bit to complicate for me..so i hope someone can do this..

also in client object browser i dont have that text...as you can see here...(taken from here ''skins\fm2013fmv dark-widgets\panels'')

''<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!-- this file lists the global panels that should be installed -->

<panel>

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="all" inset="0" layout_children="true"/>

<widget class="background" file="backgrounds/1" id="bgnd">

<record id="object_property">

<integer id="get_property" value="bgnd" />

<integer id="set_property" value="file" />

</record>

</widget>

<container class="plain_box" id="40bg" appearance="boxes/overlay/60/paper">

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="all" inset="0"/>

</container>

<container>

<layout class="arrange_vertical_attachment" alignment="top, extend" gap="0" offset="0"/>

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="horizontal" inset="0" layout_children="true"/>

<!-- header area at top of screen - with title, menus, etc -->

<container id="head" class="header_panel">

<!-- hide this panel in "navigation disabled" mode -->

<attachment class="test_global_attachment" get_property="FS " value="true" set_property="hidn" />

<!-- hide panel if end of demo section is reached -->

<attachment class="test_global_attachment" get_property="sect" set_property="hidn" skip_if_false="true" value="Gded"/>

<record id="object_property">

<integer id="get_property" value="objt" />

<integer id="set_property" value="objt" />

</record>

</container>

<container>

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="all" inset="0" layout_children="true"/>

<!-- match - covers entire lower part of screen when looking at a match -->

<widget class="match_highlights_panel" id="full" pitch_unique_id="full">

<attachment class="test_multiple_globals_attachment" default_value="true">

<list id="get_properties">

<record get_property="MatS" test_mode="0" value="false" skip_if_null="true"/>

<record get_property="nfsM" test_mode="0" comparison_mode="1" value="true" skip_if_null="true"/>

<record get_property="dtty" test_mode="1" comparison_mode="1" value="53" skip_if_null="true"/>

</list>

<integer id="set_property" value="hidn"/>

</attachment>

<record id="object_property">

<integer id="get_property" value="objt" />

<integer id="set_property" value="objt" />

</record>

</widget>

<!-- rest of the panels -->

<container>

<layout class="arrange_vertical_attachment" alignment="top, extend" gap="0" offset="0"/>

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="horizontal" inset="0" layout_children="true"/>

<!--actions bar-->

<container height="45" diAN="true">

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="all" inset="0" layout_children="true"/>

<attachment class="test_event_attachment" event_id="shAC" get_property="hidn" set_property="hidn"/>

<!-- Only enable animations on the full match screen and when auto-hide is on -->

<attachment class="test_multiple_globals_attachment" default_value="true">

<list id="get_properties">

<record get_property="MaMi" test_mode="0" value="true" default_value="true"/>

<record get_property="dsAH" test_mode="0" comparison_mode="1" value="true" skip_if_null="true"/>

</list>

<integer id="set_property" value="diAN"/>

</attachment>

<!-- Convert mouse enter/exit into animation trigger events so that other widgets can also use these triggers -->

<!-- animation_relay_attachment get disabled when animations are disbaled to prevent them from wastefully firing in the rest of the game -->

<attachment class="animation_relay_attachment" event_id="msen">

<record id="action_event">

<flags id="event_id" value="SliM"/>

<integer id="evfl" value="7" />

<flags id="evtg" value="root" />

</record>

</attachment>

<attachment class="animation_relay_attachment" event_id="msex">

<record id="action_event">

<flags id="event_id" value="SloM"/>

<integer id="evfl" value="7" />

<flags id="evtg" value="root" />

</record>

</attachment>

<!-- An animations to ensure that the panel's default position is off the screen -->

<animation class="translate_animation" start_value="0,-36" end_value="0,-36" duration="2" end_mode="hold_end" coord_mode="absolute_to_target" apply_to_mouse="false"/>

<!--slide in on mouse enter-->

<animation class="translate_animation" trigger_start="SliM" trigger_end="SloM" start_value="0,0" end_value="0,36" duration="0.3" end_mode="hold_auto_reverse_hold" coord_mode="absolute_to_target" apply_to_mouse="false"/>

<!-- coloured actions bar image -->

<widget class="picture" id="ACTb" file="interface/header/actions/bar">

<attachment class="test_multiple_globals_attachment" default_value="true">

<list id="get_properties">

<record get_property="TTyp" test_mode="0" value="2" skip_if_null="false"/>

<record get_property="dtty" test_mode="0" comparison_mode="0" value="53" skip_if_null="true"/>

</list>

<integer id="set_property" value="hidn"/>

</attachment>

</widget>

<!-- coloured actions bar image (match)-->

<widget class="picture" id="macb" file="interface/header/actions/bar">

<attachment class="test_multiple_globals_attachment" default_value="true">

<list id="get_properties">

<record get_property="TTyp" test_mode="1" value="2" skip_if_null="false"/>

<record get_property="dtty" test_mode="1" comparison_mode="1" value="53" skip_if_null="false"/>

</list>

<integer id="set_property" value="hidn"/>

</attachment>

</widget>

<widget class="picture" id="pict" file="interface/header/divider/bar" autosize="all">

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="horizontal" inset="20" />

<attachment class="test_multiple_globals_attachment" default_value="true">

<list id="get_properties">

<record get_property="TTyp" test_mode="1" value="2" skip_if_null="false"/>

<record get_property="dtty" test_mode="1" comparison_mode="1" value="53" skip_if_null="false"/>

</list>

<integer id="set_property" value="hidn"/>

</attachment>

</widget>

<!-- actions bar -->

<container class="menu_strip" id="acts" appearance="" offset="10" gap="10" default_widget_type="action_button_action" submenu_type="popup_button_actions" separator_type="picture">

<record id="default_widget_properties"/>

<record id="submenu_properties" fixed="true">

<event id="click_notification_event" event_id="DMCN" item="NULL"/>

<event id="menu_layout_notification_event" event_id="MLNO"/>

</record>

<record id="separator_properties" file="interface/actions_separator" auto_size="horizontal" height="34"/>

<record id="more_button_properties"/>

</container>

</container>

<!-- coloured actions bar image -->

<widget class="picture" id="" file="interface/header/shadow" height="8">

<!-- hide this panel in "navigation disabled" mode -->

<attachment class="test_multiple_globals_attachment" default_value="true">

<list id="get_properties">

<record get_property="FS " test_mode="0" value="true" skip_if_null="true"/>

<record get_property="SBhd" test_mode="0" comparison_mode="1" value="true" skip_if_null="true"/>

</list>

<integer id="set_property" value="hidn"/>

</attachment>

</widget>

<container class="plain_box" >

<layout class="arrange_vertical_attachment" alignment="bottom, extend" gap="0" offset="0"/>

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="horizontal" inset="0" layout_children="true"/>

<!-- main area - contains sections/actions panel and content areas -->

<container id="main" >

<layout class="arrange_horizontal_attachment" alignment="middle, extend" gap="0" offset="0"/>

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="vertical" inset="0" layout_children="true"/>

<!-- margin on each side of the content, gets hidden in full screen mode -->

<container width="10">

<!-- hide this panel in "navigation disabled" mode -->

<attachment class="test_multiple_globals_attachment" default_value="true">

<list id="get_properties">

<record get_property="FS " test_mode="0" value="true" skip_if_null="true"/>

<record get_property="SBhd" test_mode="0" comparison_mode="1" value="true" skip_if_null="true"/>

</list>

<integer id="set_property" value="hidn"/>

</attachment>

</container>

<!-- screen content area -->

<container id="scca" auto_size="horizontal">

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="all" layout_children="true" inset="0"/>

</container>

<!-- margin on each side of the content, gets hidden in full screen mode -->

<container width="10">

<!-- hide this panel in "navigation disabled" mode -->

<attachment class="test_multiple_globals_attachment" default_value="true">

<list id="get_properties">

<record get_property="FS " test_mode="0" value="true" skip_if_null="true"/>

<record get_property="SBhd" test_mode="0" comparison_mode="1" value="true" skip_if_null="true"/>

</list>

<integer id="set_property" value="hidn"/>

</attachment>

</container>

</container>

<!-- margin on each side of the content, gets hidden in full screen mode -->

<container height="5">

<!-- hide this panel in "navigation disabled" mode -->

<attachment class="test_multiple_globals_attachment" default_value="true">

<list id="get_properties">

<record get_property="FS " test_mode="0" value="true" skip_if_null="true"/>

<record get_property="SBhd" test_mode="0" comparison_mode="1" value="true" skip_if_null="true"/>

</list>

<integer id="set_property" value="hidn"/>

</attachment>

</container>

<!-- footer area at bottom of screen -->

<container id="foot" file="footer"/>

</container>

</container>

</container>

</container>

</panel>

''

Download the base skin and add the coding in my above post to the settings file and that will re-enable backgrounds like in the past (or wait for the fix in a future patch), however the default skins aren't (and haven't been for a couple of versions) very transparent so your backgrounds will be there but you won't be able to see much of them.

OK, is the base version available through Steam Workshop, or do I download that separately?

Is this the Base Skin you mean? https://sites.google.com/site/michaeltmurrayuk/Skins/baseskinsfm2014

If you mean dulling the background images to make the text easier to read, the method used in previous versions was to add an overlay image to the background with a level of transparency (I haven't tried it in fm2014 so the code may or may not work without somde tweaking depending if the coding has changed)

You'll need to edit the 'client object browser.xml' file for the skin you are using.

Locate these lines:

<!-- background picture - covers entire screen -->

<widget class="background" file="backgrounds/default" id="bgnd">

<record id="object_property">

<integer id="get_property" value="bgnd" />

<integer id="set_property" value="file" />

</record>

</widget>

And paste this code underneath:

<container class="plain_box" appearance="bgoverlay/paper">

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="all" inset="0"/>

</container>

I get this bit ^^

Then in the graphics folder for your skin create a bgoverlay folder (or a folder called what you have put in bold above) and you'll need to create nine png graphic files called paper_bottom_left, paper_bottom_middle, paper_bottom_right, paper_middle_right/middle/left and paper_top_middle/right/left with what ever level of transparency you feel is best.

If you don't want to mess around with recreating graphics over and over, add this code: transparency="0.1"

So the coding looks like:

<container class="plain_box" appearance="bgoverlay/paper"transparency="0.1" >

<layout class="stick_to_sides_attachment" alignment="all" inset="0"/>

</container>

After you have created the graphics you should then be able to adjust the transparency through the code by adjusting the above value.

I don't get this bit ^^

When you say "create nine png graphic files" - What size are they? What's on them? Or can I miss that part out all together and just use your other code?

Sorry, just had another thought.

If I download the "BASE SKIN", and apply that in game, will be backgrounds folder (which is in the same folder directory as FM2013) automatically work and show the backgrounds in game?

And the above post is just to lighten/darken the transparency of those backgrounds?

#Confused

I'm using the Dark Skin downloaded off the steam workshop and I've got a background showing by replacing the C:\Users\%username%\Documents\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2014\skins\fm dark-widgets\graphics\backgroundsdefault.jpg but it is hidden behind all the panels like you said it would be... so I tried adding that line you said to the skins settings file in C:\Users\%username%\Documents\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2014\skins\base_dark2014\settings in the hope this would make the panels transparent? But it din't, I know I can download the scorpio skin but I'm happy with the normal dark skin with my background and ArtDekDok better than default panels

Am I doing something wrong or am I missing something? Do I potentially have to open the graphics files and resave them as transparent images in photoshop?

Sorry, just had another thought.

If I download the "BASE SKIN", and apply that in game, will be backgrounds folder (which is in the same folder directory as FM2013) automatically work and show the backgrounds in game?

And the above post is just to lighten/darken the transparency of those backgrounds?

#Confused

...So backgrounds show through like the screenshots in this link: http://sortitoutsi.net/downloads/view/2609/fm-2013-competition-background-pack

my plan now is to download those you said above and try and incorporate my background maybe :s

I think the problem is two-fold:

• I'd like the information in the foreground to be slightly transparent, to allow for a background picture to show through

• And, the background images need to be able to change from screen to screen

I would download 8SZAD pack but I don't have the room for 100GB of images on my laptop.

I've got last year's pack, I just want to get them to work!!

Just finished downloading. Put them in my graphics folder but its the same scenario as my own background I used in that all the dark parts of the skin go over the top of it!

Just finished downloading. Put them in my graphics folder but its the same scenario as my own background I used in that all the dark parts of the skin go over the top of it!

Do you have a screenshot?

This is with my own grassy background I created with the team i'm playing as in it. When using the background from your link it doesn't remove the dark panels either.

Screenshot

This is with my own grassy background I created with the team i'm playing as in it. When using the background from your link it doesn't remove the dark panels either.

Screenshot

EDIT: not sure why that came up twice

for me it looks like this