How to change sidebar font size and Squad screen highlighting for reserves

[godzilu]

Hey guys. I need a bit of help. I finally found a simple skin for 2018 that doesn't hurt my eyes and has enough information, but I need a bit of help to tweak two things. First, the sidebar fonts. I want to make them bigger. Only the sidebar fonts, not everything else.

http://prntscr.com/k1085m - the sidebar is the left sidebar :P Home, Inbox, Squad, Dynamics, etc. 

My second issue is highlighting related. Here is my squad screen: http://prntscr.com/k108dr . I'd like to remove the highlighting of the reserves, it hurts my eyes while it also doesn't fit my squad setup, as you can see, I renamed all players ( been doing this for 100 years now ), and I don't order my team by reserves or first teamers. 

Could somebody please help me? The skin is the DF11 BASE SKIN V3.1, black transparent one with no background, my eyes don't like clutter. What should I look for in the xmls? Thank you

 

[D_LO_]

In terms of the second request you will need the base files or to get the necessary files from an existing skin already out there made by someone else although this could be edited significantly. There's guides on extracting base files and using the resource archiver in the stickies. If you don't know what I'm talking about you're going to have to put in some time reading and learning, non-negotiable I'm afraid.

sitoolkit\skins\fm-widgets\graphics\tables\custom\squad

The above is the directory you need in order to find the highlighting folders and graphics from the base files (if you choose this option) so it's the sitoolkit you'll need to extract (I do so to my desktop). Within the squad folder there is several folders labeled so you will know exactly what each highlighting folder relates to. Just change the colour in the row.xml to your preference, i.e. <colour id="red_replacement" name="squad_outside"/> change that in bold to an actual colour's name like "black". 

All edited graphics then need to go into the equivalent position (I've bolded this part of the directory to highlight the equivalent location I'm referring to show the similarly of the extracted location with the final location) within your skin, i.e. C:\Users\YOUR NAME\Documents\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2018\skins\YOUR SKIN'S NAME\graphics\tables\custom\squad

 

 

In terms of the first question you may need to extract the sidebar menu table.xml. So back to extracting the base files. This will be contained in the panels folder I imagine (was a while ago since I extracted it). This panel is then found in the generic folder within.

I would then look to experiment changing any text sizes contained in the panel as I'm not definitely sure on the exact code without investigating. To find the sizes within do a  search (I use notepad++ free software to help with editing code and this allows you to search within the code too, i.e. ctrl+F and then look for 'size'). This will point you to all the size options. Increase any numbered sizes or if it says 'small', go for 'large', etc. Make sure to leave the panel open so you can always undo anything which doesn't effect the size of the writing. Just a bit of trial and error.

 

As I say I'm less sure on the second option. I know the action-bar (the secondary bar at the top) is edited via an xml in the classes folder and as I was writing part of me was wondering if this is the case here (again this folder is extracted in the same way as the other folders I've suggested, just instead you're looking for 'classes'). So if you don't have joy with the paragraph directly above, keep an eye out for any container or widget classes stated in the sidebar menu table.xml, i.e. <container class="tab_menu_strip".... as a completely unrelated example. If you see any classes mentioned it might be worth going this route.

 

Clearly before anything else though you need to extract the base files so getting familiar with this and reading the stickies is important if this is new to you. 

 

NB: I'm assuming the files aren't already present in your skin so this is worst case scenario, search your skin's folders to see if you actually have any of these files first. I didn't want to assume you had anything.  

 

[D_LO_]

If required. 

[godzilu]

Thanks, will read everything when I wake up, too late now here

[godzilu]

Highlighting done, it's easy peasy if someone tells you how to do it, thanks mate! Now doing the other one!

EDIT: Question, is it possible to use lump figures, like 10, instead of generic "large", "small"? I tried using a 50, but the text just reverted to the original one. Thank you.
EDIT2: I managed to edit the sidebar size too, but I can't pinpoint the exact part of sidebar menu table.xml  it controls the font size. I am not sure if you might need to alter 2 values instead of a single value, so I just changed everything to large. An extra large could be useful though, a large resolution has enough space for a larger font. 

Thank you very much. It seems you can do wonders with that resource editor, gonna try to tweak each little annoying thing I don't like. For starters I will make my custom team view a default one!

[godzilu]

Another question. How can I edit the space between rows in Squad panel? I want to make it a bit smaller.  http://prntscr.com/k14jfr Thank you for your patience

team squald.xml - row_height="25" - Solved!

[D_LO_]

2 hours ago, godzilu said:

Highlighting done, it's easy peasy if someone tells you how to do it, thanks mate! Now doing the other one!

EDIT: Question, is it possible to use lump figures, like 10, instead of generic "large", "small"? I tried using a 50, but the text just reverted to the original one. Thank you.
EDIT2: I managed to edit the sidebar size too, but I can't pinpoint the exact part of sidebar menu table.xml  it controls the font size. I am not sure if you might need to alter 2 values instead of a single value, so I just changed everything to large. An extra large could be useful though, a large resolution has enough space for a larger font. 

Thank you very much. It seems you can do wonders with that resource editor, gonna try to tweak each little annoying thing I don't like. For starters I will make my custom team view a default one!

Did you figure out the sidebar font size? 

I'll have to look into if not, will take me some time investigating as I'm not certain (as you probably realsied by my 2 suggestions). It could even be table related tbh... 

[godzilu]

I figured it out, somehow. I just changed all font sizes in sidebar menu table.xml. to Large, because after trying to change them one by one, I haven't noticed any change, it might have been my glasses. The font is changed to Large now. I wish I could make the fonts larger than large tho, with pts or pixels, but I tried using values and it didn't work.

Regarding your second method, the classes folder contain no file with sidebar in the filename or any reference to the word sidebar inside the files. I also use Notepad++. 

EDIT: Wait, I had to look for classes, not for the word sidebar :)) Dumb me.

[godzilu]

Another question. I searched the forum, searched the graphics default game folder after extracting it and my skin graphics folder, but I can't find this pre-match background: http://prntscr.com/k15r92

Could someone please tell me where should I look? I want to remove all things that clutter the screen with useless information. Thank you.

Soluton:  I removed it, it doesn't work. 

So, this background is supposed to be in a \skins\fm-widgets\ directory in skins, but there is no such directory when extracting the skins with the Resource Archiver. Any tips?

This is the skins folder after extraction: http://prntscr.com/k15z3p

[D_LO_]

The fm-widgets folder is found within the sitoolkit extraction.

i.e. sitoolkit\skins\fm-widgets

[godzilu]

I might be missing something, but there is no sitoolkit folder or file in the Resource Archiver:

http://prntscr.com/k16dvs

http://prntscr.com/k16dy2

Thank you

EDIT: Sitoolkit was one folder level above. My mistake. Sorry.

[D_LO_]

It's within the link  attached.

i.e steamapps/common/football manager 2018/data/sitoolkit.

 

 

I'm really not happy with this forum so I'm probably going to leave, there's a lot of other good guys here who will can help further though, sorry & thanks. 

[godzilu]

Thank you for your time, and sorry to hear that. Hopefully I am not the reason for your decision.

[godzilu]

Just now, D_LO_ said:

No nothing to do with you just inconsistent, dickhead mods. Cheers. 

Hm, well at least it's not me. Cheers mate

[godzilu]

I figured everything out, now I can easily mod backgrounds, custom views, fonts, and most of it thanks to you, so thanks again mate.