[Tutorial] Custom Login Screen for MapleStory!

[blankaex]

Exactly as the title says. This thread is a tutorial on how to create a custom login screen for your MapleStory.
Example (My own):



Now that I've (hopefully) piqued your interest, we're almost ready to start. Before, that, though:

Doing this is (apparently) against Nexon's Terms of Use. I don't see why, it's a harmless user interface edit, and doesn't affect the gameplay at all. Nexon being Nexon, however, I'm sure they wouldn't accept that. Use at your own risk - nobody is going to see your login screen except you, anyway.

Also, if this is forbidden on Hidden-Street, please let me know and I'll remove this thread immediately, to the best of my ability.


That aside, we can now move on to the actual tutorial.

First of all, some slight background knowledge is required to make this easier and more understandable. The way MapleStory works is, it has multiple different files packed into its own format, .wz. I'm assuming it stands for Wizet or something? Anyway, what we're going to do is use a program called HaRepacker to open up the .wz files and selectively modify the ones we want - in this case, the files for the login screen.

Download HaRepacker from the link I tagged to its previous mention. I assure you it's virus free, it's the version that I downloaded. If you don't trust me, though, feel free to run a virus scan and preferably post the results here.

Now that we have HaRepacker, we'll need to create a backup of the original .wz files that we'll edit. This is so that we can replace the edited files before patching the next update. If you do not patch with clean files, the patch will not work. Of course, you could always reinstall the game, but it's much easier to Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. Create a copy of Map.wz and UI.wz, and place them somewhere you'll remember. I put mine one folder back (C:/Nexon/), outside of the Maple folder.

Next thing we need to do is to locate and edit the images. We'll start off with Map.wz first. In Map.wz, we are placing the backdrop behind the login window.


Editing Map.wz

In Map.wz, we are placing the backdrop behind the login window.

1. Load Map.wz with HaRepacker (Ctrl+O or File > Load). Browse to "Map.wz > login.img > back > 11". This is the original MapleStory login screen backdrop. You can use any 800x600px image here. I don't know what happens with other file sizes, but I imagine scaling, cropping or clipping. If you wish to modify the default image, click the "Save PNG" button. This will, as the name implies, save a PNG of the image to your desired location. This is also useful for finding out the dimensions your pictures are supposed to be. If you want a completely custom image, though, just pick any old 800x600 image and save it as a PNG. (The backdrop of the sexy Hanako is available here.) Try to pick something with nothing you want covered in the middle area of the image (unlike me), because it will be covered by the login box.

Once you have your desired image ready, make sure your selection in HaRepacker is on the 11, and not anywhere else - a subfolder or previous folder, perhaps - and click "Property > Change Property" or Ctrl+M. Click the "Browse PNG" button, and locate your image. Leave everything else as default, and click Submit.

2. In the same directory, scroll down further until you reach 35. This is the tree and part of a Horny Mushroom (nice name), and it's a different image. I think this is so that stuff can go behind it? In any case, it will overlay your background like this:

Spoiler!

And it's not very pretty. To remove this, repeat the same steps as previously ("Property > Change Property (Ctrl+M)", browse for your file and click submit), but instead of another image, use a transparent image. Unless you want something else over the top. But I don't see why you would. If you do, though, the image size is 799x520. I'd recommend making a transparent image that size as well to prevent any issues that might occur. If you don't know how to or are too lazy, I've uploaded it here.

3. Save your customised Map.wz (Ctrl+S or File > Save), and replace the original in your MapleStory folder. Make sure you save it as a GMS file. I think the 114 indicates the game version, so just leave it like that.

Note: Once you hit save on the small pop-up window, HaRepacker may freeze. Leave the process alone, Map.wz is a massive file. After several seconds, it should save successfully. You are now free to close HaRepacker.

Protip: If you took the time to look around at the other files in the same directory, you may have noticed some familiar looking images. There is also the Character Select background and the Character Creation backgrounds available for edit. I was too lazy to bother with either, but feel free to follow the same steps as before (again) and customise those to your liking.


Editing UI.wz

In UI.wz, we will be editing the frame along the edge of the screen, as well as the login box.

1. Once again, run HaRepacker and load UI.wz. Browse to "UI.wz > login.img > Common > frame". The dimensions for this are, again, 800x600. I would recommend keeping the original frame, however, and simply adjusting the colours or brightness of it, or even remove it completely, unless you have another border. The default works fine for me, though. I just downed the brightness a lot to match the background more. My custom HanakoStory frame is available here. Again, do the same procedure. Click frame, go "Property > Change Property (Ctrl+M)", browse for your file and click submit.

2. For the signboard, browse to "UI.wz > login.img > Title". Everything in this directory is a component of the login window, and there are like 50,000 of them. With different modes, like "Disabled", "On click", "On Mouseover", etc. I honestly could not be bothered to modify every single one of them, so I just left it as-is. But if you have the time and patience and lack of friends to do so, by all means, go ahead. For the lazier of us, unsatisfied with the brown window, you can just edit the background window. It's the "signboard". All the buttons and stuff will still be brown, though. By this step, I refuse to believe there is anybody unintelligent enough to not be able to figure out the procedure for how to edit the files in the title screen. If you do cannot, however, open your fridge, place your head between the door and the fridge, and slam the door shut a few times.

3. That's it for UI.wz. UI.wz, however, is many times smaller than Map.wz, and should take little to no time to compile and save. So, save it and replace your old one.


Side Notes

Using HaRepacker, it is possible to edit EVERYTHING in the game. If you look around Map.wz and UI.wz, you'll find almost every single visible image in the whole of the Maple World, ranging from platforms to the Maple TVs. You can also edit Mob.wz to change what monsters look like, or in some part of UI.wz you can edit that little scene with the aliens riding pigs when Maple starts up. I'm pretty sure this is also used for hack development, as you can modify Mob.wz to make monsters do zero damage to you, or modify Skill.wz to change your skills' damage and such. I don't know how to, I'm not going to learn how to and I'm not going to teach you. Most importantly, don't do it. Hackers ruin the game more than it's already ruined by the horrible company that owns it.

If you are having trouble with this, go ahead and post your problems in the thread, I'll try my best to help resolve them. Unfortunately, I can't share my .wz files simply because I don't have access to an online file sharing site with reasonable speed. If you want to come to Tokyo and give me a USB to copy it over to, though, I'd be glad to. I'm also willing to customise the images and send them for you to insert into your .wz files on your own, if you really don't trust your own ability with graphics editing.

I don't specifically give any instructions on the actual editing of the images - that's a whole 'nother tutorial. Editing images. If anyone asks, though, I wouldn't mind making a tutorial of how I edited mine.

I have no idea where the hell they put the "MapleStory" logo that appears above the login window. I found something before and edited it, but it didn't change anything. If someone finds it, please let me know. I want HanakoStory there, too!

This should probably work for other versions of MapleStory as well, but with a slight problem. I'm almost certain that, if this does work for other Maple versions, that the files will not be in the same place. I don't know where they are, so it's up to you to check through the multitudes of files stuffed into .wz's (50% of which are unnecessary or in Korean).

Should anyone create their own custom login screens, post a screenshot of it here for people to see! Or better yet, post the files for people to use!

For some reason, though, I don't think anyone will do this.


Extra

You can also edit the splashscreen for Hackshield. Just browse into your Hackshield folder, which is located inside your Maplestory folder. There are two images there, one being the one with the progress bar in the corner, and the other that pops up in the middle of your screen for no apparent reason other than to take up space. Edit those to your liking as well.

Edit:
I can share my .wz files now, since I learnt how to make a patcher. 250~MB file. It's legit, virus scan if you don't trust me.
http://www.4shared.com/file/odxZ3INv..._Patcher.html?

[Bishopz]

I saw somewhere that editing the world screen is possible too.

[blankaex]

Updated with a patcher for HanakoStory!

[XDDANXD]

Hey could you help me please? when I edit my UI.wz and change the frame (same size), and afterwards when I enter the game, I see everything white, is there a way of making the middle transparent? when i move my mouse i can hear the sound that it makes when you touch a button on the login screen but i dont see anything at all in the middle, only the frame i edited.

[GreenSoap]

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Do you know where to find the signboard in v83? As you can see in this picture, im desperatly trying to get the old login screen and possibly even the world select and character creation sceen into my v117 server.

Capture.jpg