I need some help with unit creation!

Chukchi Husky · Nov 9, 2004

Hello.
I have a set of sprites that I want turned into a unit, but how is this done?
What programs should I use?
What colours are used for transparency and civ colour?
What order do the sprites need to be in?

Dease · Nov 10, 2004

Chukchi_Husky said:
Hello.
I have a set of sprites that I want turned into a unit, but how is this done?
What programs should I use?
What colours are used for transparency and civ colour?
What order do the sprites need to be in?

first off, are these sprites animated? that is, do you have multiple frames of the sprite doing whatever it is you want it to do?
if yes, then -
1. you'll need SBB(in tutorial section), then Any good image editing program (an undersantding of plaettes is very useful) Then you'll need to get Pedit (look in kinboats sig) to edit the palette.
2. There are no actual set colours, rather postions on the palette are assigned to tranpaency civcollur etc. Using the palette that comes with pedit, civolour is blue and transparency is magenta, smoke is white-magenta, and smoke is black-magenta.
3. not sure I understand, but they need to be numbered (use a batch rename util) to be used in SBB.....

Never done converting sprites from a game so maybe a converter(steph?) would know a better method?

Chukchi Husky · Nov 10, 2004

Dease said:
first off, are these sprites animated? that is, do you have multiple frames of the sprite doing whatever it is you want it to do?

Yes I have multiple frames for each animation.

Dease said:
3. not sure I understand, but they need to be numbered (use a batch rename util) to be used in SBB.....

Do the sprites have to be in a particular order to be animated correctly in all directions in Civ?

Thanks for all the information anyway! :thanx:

Dease · Nov 10, 2004

ok, a storyboard (which SBB creates automatically) has 8 rows, each for one direction. to use SBB there has to be a certain file structre, for whatever anim you're doing (attack, defaul etc) you have a main folder, within this, you have 8 folders named E(ast) thru to W(est), put the frames in thier appropriate folder, and rename them from 0000 to however many frames you have, in increments of 1.
then open up SBB, select any of these files, then export it.

Then you have to learn the palette......

Chukchi Husky · Nov 11, 2004

Another question:
What do I do if I have an animation that doesn't have all the directions?

Dease · Nov 11, 2004

Chukchi_Husky said:
Another question:
What do I do if I have an animation that doesn't have all the directions?

I think SBB will just not include those directions if you don't have frames in a folder, try it and see what happens. If filcster doesn't loike it not having 8 rows (SBB may create blank rows, again, not sure) then just use filler frames.

Chukchi Husky · Nov 12, 2004

I now have storyboards, so now what do I do?

Dease · Nov 12, 2004

These threads should help you

palette - http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=101120
palette - http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=92755
palette - http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=98491
Centering - http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=2154782&postcount=18

I forget exactly what I said in those threads so here's a quick summary of how to do it.

make the palette using Pedit
apply it to the storyboard
create a new file using flicster, with the correct specs.
save your paletted storyboard over the one created by flicster
open the .fxm file in flicster and export the unit

Chukchi Husky · Nov 12, 2004

How do I apply the palette to the storyboards?

Zeekater · Nov 12, 2004

Chukchi_Husky said:
How do I apply the palette to the storyboards?

Normally you'd use PSP to do that

Any selfrespecting image editing program will have a function that'll allow you to load in a palette or edit one

If you don't have such a program, I suggest googling "ImageForge" and installing that

Chukchi Husky · Nov 12, 2004

Zeekater said:
Any selfrespecting image editing program will have a function that'll allow you to load in a palette or edit one

None of my image editing programs can do that.

Zeekater · Nov 12, 2004

Chukchi_Husky said:
None of my image editing programs can do that.

Then they don't respect themselves

jk

There are numerous programs which are able to do that, including ImageForge , a very good program which I've used the past years as standard image-editing program. (or any other program you might find )

hope it helps

Dease · Nov 12, 2004

Chukchi_Husky said:
How do I apply the palette to the storyboards?

as zeek said, there, *should be a "load palette" option, maybe search in your programs help under "decrease colour depth"

Neopaint is a good sharware program if all you're doing is applying a palette

Chukchi Husky · Nov 13, 2004

I have now made the first .flc, complete with transparency and civ colours. :thanx:

for the help!

Zeekater · Nov 13, 2004

How about a preview then

Chukchi Husky · Nov 13, 2004

I made a preview in flash (in .gif format) before making the storyboards. It's very similar to the .flc animation in frame rate:

Dease · Nov 13, 2004

Chukchi_Husky said:
I made a preview in flash (in .gif format) before making the storyboards. It's very similar to the .flc animation in frame rate:

Sweet!

will it have all animations? is it a rip from another game? (I may be able to find a use for this :goodjob:

)

Chukchi Husky · Nov 13, 2004

It's from Red Alert 2, and it has all animations, but some do not have all the directions (death, fidget, fortify and victory).

I need some help with unit creation!

Chukchi Husky

Lone Wolf

Dease

Be Original

Chukchi Husky

Lone Wolf

Dease

Be Original

Chukchi Husky

Lone Wolf

Dease

Be Original

Chukchi Husky

Lone Wolf

Dease

Be Original

Chukchi Husky

Lone Wolf

Zeekater

hasn't been using drugs

Chukchi Husky

Lone Wolf

Zeekater

hasn't been using drugs

Dease

Be Original

Chukchi Husky

Lone Wolf

Zeekater

hasn't been using drugs

Chukchi Husky

Lone Wolf

Dease

Be Original

Chukchi Husky

Lone Wolf

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