How to Customize the Zero Hour Control Bar and Loading Screen

There are two ways to customize the Command & Conquer: Generals – Zero Hour control bar and loading screen. The traditional way is to extract the game's texture files, edit them in an image editor and put them back, which works but takes tools, care and repeat work after updates. The other way is a tool such as Generals Style, where you design the look in a browser and a one-time installer applies it to your own files with a backup.

Both are covered below, so you can choose what suits you.

What you can customize, and where it lives#

Zero Hour keeps its interface art in texture files packed into .big archives in the game folder. The game also reads loose files placed in the right folders, and a loose file wins over the same file inside an archive. That rule is what makes most interface mods possible.

If you play on a widescreen monitor, read our widescreen and Control Bar Pro guide first. Styling a stretched bar is wasted effort.

The traditional way: editing the files yourself#

What you need#

• A backup of your game folder, or at least of every file you will touch.
• A BIG archive tool such as FinalBIG to open .big archives and extract textures.
• An image editor that can open and save DDS and TGA files, such as GIMP or Paint.NET.
• Patience. Expect a few rounds of trial and error.

How to edit the control bar by hand#

1. Close the game and back up the archive that holds the bar art. With Control Bar Pro, that is the file whose name starts with 340_ControlBarProArt.
2. Open the archive in your BIG tool and extract the texture sheets for the bar.
3. Edit each sheet in your image editor. Keep the same width, height and file format, including the DDS compression type and the transparency channel, or the game may show black, missing or broken pieces.
4. Put the edited sheets back, either by repacking the archive or as loose files in the matching folder path.
5. Start a skirmish and check every faction's bar, because each faction has its own art.

Recolouring is the hard part. Each sheet holds many small pieces, and frames, panels and icons sit side by side. A simple hue shift over the whole sheet also changes icons and highlights you wanted to keep.

How to change the loading screen by hand#

1. Find the texture used for the loading background of each faction you want to change.
2. Make your picture at exactly the same size and format as the original.
3. Remember the game stretches its 800×600 layout to your screen. On a 16:9 monitor, squeeze your picture horizontally in advance or faces will look too wide.
4. Save it as a loose file with the same name in the matching folder, then test a skirmish.

Why menu colours are tricky#

Changing colour values in the menu layout files often does nothing visible. In Zero Hour most menu buttons are drawn from pictures, and the colour values next to those buttons are leftover placeholders. To recolour the menus for real, you have to tint the button pictures themselves and keep the red and green status colours as they are.

The real risks of manual mods#

Mismatch: only when game rules change#

A mismatch happens when players in the same online game have different game data, such as unit stats or other rule files. Pictures, button labels and key bindings are not game rules, so a new control bar, loading screen or hotkey layout does not cause a mismatch.

The risk comes from mistakes: repacking the wrong archive, or editing an INI file "while you are there". Keep your edits to textures and you are safe. More in our mismatch fix guide.

Overwrites and lost work#

• A game update, a repair in Steam or the EA app, or running GenPatcher again can replace your files. Your work is gone until you redo it.
• If you play from more than one copy (for example Steam and a CD copy), you repeat everything for each copy.
• Changing resolution means a different Control Bar Pro pack, so your edited bar is replaced by an unedited one.

Broken files#

A wrong DDS format, a changed size or a missing transparency channel can show black boxes or make the game crash at load. Without a clean backup, the only fix is reinstalling.

The Generals Style way, step by step#

Generals Style is a fan-made website that does the same job without archive tools. You design in a browser, then a personal installer changes only what your design needs inside your own game files.

1. Open the studio. Go to the studio. You can try every control as a guest; saving and adding pictures need a free account.
2. Style the bar. In the Control bar tab, pick one of 18 colour themes and 18 modern templates, set frames (Metal, Flat or Chrome), patterns and glows, and check the preview for USA, China, GLA and Observer.
3. Add your pictures. Click the minimap, build buttons or selected unit panel on the preview, crop the picture, then drag and zoom it into place.
4. Recolour the menus. Under Game menus, match the bar or set borders, button background, text and mouse-over colours yourself, with a live preview. Status colours stay red and green.
5. Set the loading screen. In the Loading screen tab, add a picture, crop it, keep Made for widescreen (16:9) on for a wide monitor, darken it a little so the game text stays readable, and choose the factions.
6. Make your installer. Press Make my installer, choose the parts, and run the downloaded file on the PC where you play.
7. Install. The installer finds every Zero Hour copy (Steam, EA app, Origin and CD), backs up the files it will change, applies your style and shows the result per copy.

Hotkeys, letters on buttons, Tab shortcuts and a maps pack can go in the same installer. The control bar guide and loading screen guide explain every option.

What happens after an update#

If a game update or GenPatcher replaces your files, open Generals Style from the Start menu and choose Re-apply my style. It works offline and needs no new code. Restore my original files puts everything back the way it was.

The control bar part needs Control Bar Pro, because the installer restyles your own pack at your resolution. The loading screen, hotkeys and Tab shortcuts work without it.

Manual mods vs Generals Style#

Manual editing is a good choice if you enjoy modding and want full control over every pixel. If you want a finished look quickly and safely, the studio saves a lot of time.

Frequently asked questions#

Will a custom control bar get me a mismatch online?#

No. A mismatch comes from different game rules, not pictures. A custom control bar, loading screen or hotkey layout is safe as long as you do not change rule files.

Do I need Control Bar Pro to customize the control bar?#

For Generals Style, yes, because it restyles your Control Bar Pro pack. For manual edits you can work on the original bar, but on widescreen it will still look stretched.

Can I customize the loading screen without touching the control bar?#

Yes. The loading screen is separate. In Generals Style you can install only the loading screen, and it works without Control Bar Pro.

What happens to my changes when the game updates?#

With manual mods you may have to redo them. With Generals Style you choose Re-apply my style in the installer and your design goes back on.

Can I share my control bar design with friends?#

In Generals Style, the Style code section gives you a code that loads your look in someone else's studio. Pictures are not included in the code.