Jurimax
Feb 16, 2003, 07:43 AM
I know there are some threads out there that cover the aspect of multi-unit creation. I must however mention that these different guides only cover a part of the creation progress each.
This is how I do it: (thnx to Kryten, Zulu, Sprnv8, ... for the ideas)
1) Needed programs:
- Flicster
- Stephs Storyboard Builder (SBB)
- a graphics program (In this tutorial, I use Paintshop Pro,
you can download a free trial version at jasc.com)
2) IMPORTANT:
- backup your unit files
3) Open the flc file you want to change (in Flicster). Remember that you'll need to change more than one flc file in order to make a complete M-Unit.
4) On the export tab (still in Flicster), select storyboard as export type. You'll also need to increase the frame size (240x240 max) so that multiple units will fit in there. Also note the frame count and the outputdirectory. Then press export.
5) Open Paintshop Pro and then open the storyboard file (it's a pcx file) Flictser created (if you don't find it, remember the uotput directory).
6) Still in PSP go to the Colors menu, Load Palette and then browse towards the directory in of step 4. There you should see two pal files: one of them has Alpha in its name, that's the one we need.
IMPORTANT: When loading the Alpha palette, maintain indexes has to be checked!!
Result: the background has changed from pink to grey, now save the file (but don't close it, we'll need it again in a couple of minutes).
7) Next, open SBB, click Multi Figures.
On the next screen, select a formation. After that you have to select a required number of input storyboards (the pcx file such as the one saved in step 6).
IMPORTANT: The Nb Frames is the same as the frame count from step 4.
8) The other options on SBB are covered in the user manual. Once you're happy with the way it looks, browse a location to save your new storyboard (this time it's a bmp file, it might be a good thing to give it the same name as the pcx file) And then press the vutton to generate the new storyboard.
9) In PSP open the bmp file you created with SBB. Again load the Alpha Palette (see step 6, REMARK, maintain indexes is greyed out, nearest color is ok)
Result: the background has changed from pink to blue.
10)Still in PSP: here comes a tricky part:
- select the pcx file from step 6
- we want the background of our BMP to be grey like the pcx instead of blue.
- Tool to use, color replacer (if you don't know how to use it, see help (in PSP)
Once you're done, save the bmp file, but IMPORTANT save it in pcx format thus overwriting our original PCX file.
11)Let's go back to Flicster:
In step 4 next to creating two pal files and out original storyboard pcx, Flictser also created an FXM file
(IMPORTANT REMARK: Make sure all the files you created in this proces are in the same directory)
Open the FXM file, and when you look at the animation, you should see you multi animation.
12)Last step in Flictser:
Export the file as a civ3 unit flc
select an output directory. When you choose the art\units\xxx folder, your original file will be overwritten. (that was the need of the backup) After that, press export.
13)FINAL STEP
Play a new game of CivIII and if you're happy with what you see, you can share it with the rest of us in the multi unit figures thread ;)
--> In case of any problems, you may PM or mail me.
Greetings Jurimax.
This is how I do it: (thnx to Kryten, Zulu, Sprnv8, ... for the ideas)
1) Needed programs:
- Flicster
- Stephs Storyboard Builder (SBB)
- a graphics program (In this tutorial, I use Paintshop Pro,
you can download a free trial version at jasc.com)
2) IMPORTANT:
- backup your unit files
3) Open the flc file you want to change (in Flicster). Remember that you'll need to change more than one flc file in order to make a complete M-Unit.
4) On the export tab (still in Flicster), select storyboard as export type. You'll also need to increase the frame size (240x240 max) so that multiple units will fit in there. Also note the frame count and the outputdirectory. Then press export.
5) Open Paintshop Pro and then open the storyboard file (it's a pcx file) Flictser created (if you don't find it, remember the uotput directory).
6) Still in PSP go to the Colors menu, Load Palette and then browse towards the directory in of step 4. There you should see two pal files: one of them has Alpha in its name, that's the one we need.
IMPORTANT: When loading the Alpha palette, maintain indexes has to be checked!!
Result: the background has changed from pink to grey, now save the file (but don't close it, we'll need it again in a couple of minutes).
7) Next, open SBB, click Multi Figures.
On the next screen, select a formation. After that you have to select a required number of input storyboards (the pcx file such as the one saved in step 6).
IMPORTANT: The Nb Frames is the same as the frame count from step 4.
8) The other options on SBB are covered in the user manual. Once you're happy with the way it looks, browse a location to save your new storyboard (this time it's a bmp file, it might be a good thing to give it the same name as the pcx file) And then press the vutton to generate the new storyboard.
9) In PSP open the bmp file you created with SBB. Again load the Alpha Palette (see step 6, REMARK, maintain indexes is greyed out, nearest color is ok)
Result: the background has changed from pink to blue.
10)Still in PSP: here comes a tricky part:
- select the pcx file from step 6
- we want the background of our BMP to be grey like the pcx instead of blue.
- Tool to use, color replacer (if you don't know how to use it, see help (in PSP)
Once you're done, save the bmp file, but IMPORTANT save it in pcx format thus overwriting our original PCX file.
11)Let's go back to Flicster:
In step 4 next to creating two pal files and out original storyboard pcx, Flictser also created an FXM file
(IMPORTANT REMARK: Make sure all the files you created in this proces are in the same directory)
Open the FXM file, and when you look at the animation, you should see you multi animation.
12)Last step in Flictser:
Export the file as a civ3 unit flc
select an output directory. When you choose the art\units\xxx folder, your original file will be overwritten. (that was the need of the backup) After that, press export.
13)FINAL STEP
Play a new game of CivIII and if you're happy with what you see, you can share it with the rest of us in the multi unit figures thread ;)
--> In case of any problems, you may PM or mail me.
Greetings Jurimax.