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To change an Arma 3 dedicated server’s mission loading screen, edit the mission’s root description.ext, set loadScreen to a mission-relative image path, place the image at that path, then repack and redeploy the mission if it is stored as a PBO. Use a 2:1 image (1024×512 is the documented ideal) and, for the most reliable result with loadScreen, convert it to PAA.

What the Arma 3 loading screen contains

The loading display has two distinct parts. The world or map section is supplied by the currently loaded terrain and cannot be replaced through a mission’s files. The mission section is controlled by the mission configuration, primarily description.ext. Changing your image or mission text therefore changes only the mission portion; it does not replace the map artwork.

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Mission fields and where they appear

Field Purpose Displayed location or effect
loadScreen Sets the mission loading image The image shown in the mission section
onLoadName Sets the prominent mission name Above the image
onLoadMission Sets the mission description Below the image
author Identifies the mission author or community Below the mission name
Header Provides mission metadata Supplies game type and player-count information

The ordinary join/loading screen does not provide a control for arbitrary extra text. Use the fields above for the standard presentation; use a scripted loading resource only when you need a different display during mission execution.

Prepare the mission before editing

Find the mission source

Work from the unpacked mission folder whenever possible. A mission folder normally contains the mission files and an optional description.ext at its top level. The top level is the mission root: it is the directory from which paths such as images/loading.paa are resolved.

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If the server uses a packed mission PBO, unpack the PBO first. Do not create a separate image folder beside the PBO and expect the game to find it; the image must be inside the mission’s file structure and included when the PBO is rebuilt.

Back up the current version

Copy the existing mission folder or PBO before making changes. Keep the original file name and directory layout so you can restore the previous mission if a malformed configuration prevents the mission from loading.

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Step-by-step: add a custom mission loading image

  1. Open the mission root. If the mission is packed, unpack its PBO and edit the extracted folder.
  2. Create or open description.ext. The name must be exactly description.ext. A text editor may otherwise save it as description.ext.txt, which Arma 3 will not treat as the mission configuration.
  3. Add the loading-screen definitions. You can use the following complete example and replace the text with your own values:
    author      = "Your Community";
    onLoadName  = "Operation Example";
    onLoadMission = "Mission description";
    loadScreen  = "images\loading.paa";
    
    class Header
    {
        gameType = "Coop";
        minPlayers = 1;
        maxPlayers = 10;
    };
  4. Create the image directory. In the mission root, create a folder named images. The folder name and capitalization must match the path in loadScreen.
  5. Copy the image into that directory. With the example above, the file must be images/loading.paa inside the mission folder. The path is relative to the mission root, not to the server’s operating-system path.
  6. Use a suitable image. Design the artwork at a 2:1 aspect ratio. The official reference gives 1024×512 pixels as the ideal size. Keep important logos and text away from the extreme edges because different displays can crop or scale the image differently.
  7. Save the files. Confirm that the configuration and image are both in the edited mission copy, not only in a local working directory.
  8. Repack and deploy. If the server distributes a PBO, rebuild it with the updated description.ext and image. Upload or replace the server’s mission copy, then select or restart that mission so the server and connecting clients receive the changed version.

Image format, dimensions and paths

Choosing PAA or JPG

The loadScreen parameter is documented with PAA as the required image format, and the Arma 3 Loading Screens reference also documents PAA or JPG for loading-screen artwork. For a dedicated-server mission that must behave consistently across clients, use a PAA file and make sure the extension in description.ext is also .paa. If you test a JPG, use the exact extension and path of the file you actually distribute; do not leave a stale .paa reference in the configuration.

Maintaining the 2:1 layout

A 2:1 canvas prevents the game from stretching a conventional widescreen loading image. The documented 1024×512 size is a practical target rather than a requirement that every artwork must exactly meet. If you use another size, preserve the same ratio and verify the result on the client resolution used by your players.

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Writing the path correctly

Arma configuration examples use backslashes in the loadScreen value, as in images\loading.paa. The path must point inside the mission and should not contain an absolute drive letter, server operating-system path, or parent-directory traversal. Every directory and the extension must match the packaged file exactly.

Deploying the change on a dedicated server

When the mission is an unpacked folder

Replace the server’s existing mission folder with the edited copy while preserving the mission identity and directory structure. Restart or reselect the mission after the replacement. A running session can continue to use the version it already loaded, so test by starting a fresh mission selection and joining as a client.

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When the mission is a PBO

Unpack the PBO, edit the root configuration and image, then repack the mission. Upload the rebuilt PBO to the same server mission location and remove or replace the old copy according to the server’s normal deployment process. The updated image is not available to clients until the server loads the rebuilt mission and clients download that mission version.

Verifying the version clients receive

Start the mission from the server’s mission-selection screen rather than relying on an already running instance. Join from a client that has not cached the previous mission version, or otherwise ensure the client downloads the new copy. If one player still sees the old artwork while another sees the new artwork, the server or client is likely using different mission versions.

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Eden attributes versus description.ext

Some mission presentation values can also be set through Eden attributes. When a relevant value is defined in both places, the documented description.ext value has priority for the presentation. Put the server-facing value in description.ext when you need a deterministic result across exported and deployed copies of the mission. This also keeps the setting in the same file as the image path, making it easier to audit when the mission is packed.

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Why the old loading screen is still showing

Use the following diagnostic sequence instead of changing several files at once:

  • Check the filename. Make sure the file is exactly description.ext, not description.ext.txt. Enable file-extension display in your operating system if necessary.
  • Check the mission root. The configuration must be at the top level of the mission, not inside the images folder or another nested directory.
  • Check the image location. For loadScreen = "images\loading.paa";, the packaged mission must contain an images folder with a file named loading.paa.
  • Check spelling, case and extension. A path to Loading.paa is not the same as a path to loading.paa when the packaged files differ in case. Remove hidden duplicate extensions such as .paa.paa.
  • Check the packed copy. If you edited an unpacked folder but the server loads a PBO, the PBO still contains the old files until you rebuild it.
  • Check mission selection. Confirm that the dedicated server selected the changed mission and did not start another copy with a similar name.
  • Check client distribution. The server must load the updated mission before clients can download it. A client joining an existing session may continue to see the previously loaded version.
  • Check the image format. For the documented loadScreen behavior, convert the artwork to PAA and make the configuration extension match.
  • Check what you expect to change. A custom mission image does not replace the world/map section of the loading display. If only the map artwork remains unchanged, that is normal.

Changing the display during mission execution

loadScreen configures the normal mission loading presentation. It is different from startLoadingScreen, which is a scripted command for displaying a loading screen while the mission is running.

When the scripted approach is appropriate

Use startLoadingScreen when a script must show a custom resource during a long operation, staged initialization or another in-mission transition. A custom resource can be defined in description.ext and can provide controls for text, a picture and progress information.

Why it does not replace the normal join screen

The scripted screen is invoked by mission code after execution begins. It does not alter the default server-join loading screen automatically. Configure loadScreen, onLoadName, onLoadMission and author for the ordinary loading display, and add the scripted resource only for a separate runtime need.

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A reliable final checklist

  • description.ext exists in the mission root.
  • The file is not secretly saved as description.ext.txt.
  • loadScreen uses a mission-relative path.
  • The image is inside the mission and included in the PBO when the mission is packed.
  • The path’s folders, filename and extension exactly match the packaged image.
  • The image uses a 2:1 layout; 1024×512 is the documented ideal.
  • PAA is used when targeting the documented loadScreen behavior.
  • The edited mission has been repacked and uploaded when required.
  • The dedicated server has selected or restarted the updated mission.
  • You understand that the map/world portion remains controlled by the loaded terrain.