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For Builders Customizing the NWUpdater Skin
Customizing the NWUpdater Skin
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By Robin Mayne and Todd Grenier
The NWUpdate program is the program Neverwinter Nights uses to install updates and patches (you can find details on updating here, and should update now if you haven't done so recently.) It also supports the ability to change the skin it uses.
For a bit of fun, this tutorial will show you how to:
- Choose a new skin
- Install a new skin
- Create a new skin
Choosing a Skin
1. Start the NWUpdate program (by selecting 'Update' from the Neverwinter Nights game launcher).
2. Right-click on the top portion of the NWUpdate program - you can either:
- Select the 'Skins' menu item, where you will find all the skins you can choose from. Select the one you wish to use.
OR
- Select 'Random Skin'. Each time you start the NWUpdate program, a random skin will be chosen.
Installing a Skin
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These instructions will allow you to install the Updater Skin 3, shown right, by BioWare's Todd Grenier. You can also download skins from other sites, such as NWVault (they have a cool penguin skin!)
1. You need to be logged in to download this file.
If you do not have an account, sign up for an account now! It's free and allows you
greater access to all the BioWare sites.
2. Unzip the downloaded file (using a tool like WinZip), and place the .bmp file into your "utils \nwupdateskins" directory where you have installed Neverwinter Nights. (Default location is
"C:\ NeverwinterNights \NWN \utils \nwupdateskins")
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3. The skin is now installed! To select the skin, follow the 'Choosing a Skin' directions in the previous section.
Creating a Skin
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These steps will show you how to take the template skin (shown right) and create your own skin.
1. You need to be logged in to download this file.
If you do not have an account, sign up for an account now! It's free and allows you
greater access to all the BioWare sites.
2. Using an image editor of your choice that supports the Bitmap (.bmp) format, open and edit the skin. Example software includes Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, and Irfanview.
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3. You can now visually customize the skin to your heart's content, but leave the centre box area as is. Once you are finished save the image as a .bmp file with 24-bit depth. To install the skin, place the .bmp file into your "utils \nwupdateskins" directory where you have installed Neverwinter Nights. (Default location is
"C:\ NeverwinterNights \NWN \utils \nwupdateskins")
Be sure to share your custom skins with the community!
