Good PCX editor program needed

I found my problem which is that my current graphics editor programs, most of which are over ten years old, have trouble reading and properly saving pix files.

I get stuff like this,



Which I think the Civ program isn't reading the pcx file properly.


So, what do you guys use to edit pcx files?

Most use Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or The GIMP. Of these, the GIMP is free (http://www.gimp.org). The problem here is that the .PCX must have an indexed palette of 256 colors, with the last two colors reserved for that awful green and pink for transparency purposes. Looking in the tutorial section, there are pointers on how to do this. The following is a tutorial for indexing PCXs with the GIMP: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=241250

On a side note, in the future, such questions should be posted in the Main C&C forum...subforums like this are reserved for completed projects of one kind or another... Just a heads up.

Welcome to CFC!

I use a combination of GIMP and PS.

I used to exclusively use the GIMP, though, and would be happy to help you with anything you might need.

I solve my first problem. I made the last two colors green and pink, and it worked, however, I had to sacrific two colors, and changed them to those colors. It would seem that my program randomly creates the pallett when I go from millions of colors to 256.

Is there a program that will allow me to move the pallett instead of just change it?

RalofTyr said:

I solve my first problem. I made the last two colors green and pink, and it worked, however, I had to sacrific two colors, and changed them to those colors. It would seem that my program randomly creates the pallett when I go from millions of colors to 256.

Is there a program that will allow me to move the pallett instead of just change it?

Click to expand...

Instead of going to 256 reduce it to 254. Then you've already got 2 colors reserved for the green & pink. How you do that varies from program to program.

Now I have white lines between the mountains!!! Ey-yi-yi!!!

I like the 254 idea.

With GIMP you do the following:

1) Open your picture in GIMP. On the file menu at the top, choose [Select -> All] then [Edit -> copy]. Close the picture. Don't save. Now in your GIMP title bar menu choose [ File -> Acquire -> Paste as New]. We'll be working with this copy (the advantage being that you won't screw up the original).

2) Now use the Select by Color tool to take all of the ugly pink and green out of the picture. The SbC tool selects the color: [Left Click ->Edit->Cut]takes it completely out. Remember, you can always do [Edit->Undo] to fix a mistake, or several in a row.

3) Now choose [Select -> All] then [Edit -> copy]. Then you want to index it: [Image -> Mode -> Indexed ] A little dialog comes up; you want to pick [Generate Optimum pallete] and set the maximum colors to 255.

4) Open [Dialogs ->Colormap] and a nicely indexed pallete should come up in a box. If it is just a bunch of grey squares go back to step 3. Now here's something I discovered: click on the last color box. If there are less than 255 colors you have to click on the last color and then the little "+" sign to add duplicates of the last color until you get to 255. Otherwise the program will add those extra boxes later and screw up your palette.

5) Then edit the colors in this order: Left-Click on the second to last color and choose [Edit Color]. Where it says [HTML notation] make it say 00ff00. Click on OK, and then repeat the process with the last color: its [HTML notation] will be ff00ff. Click on that last color (pink) to choose it before you close the Colormap box.

6) now go back to your original picture. Going back to the SbC Tool, click on an empty area to select it, then [Left Click -> Edit -> Fill with FG Color.] (The FG color should be that special pink. If it's not, go back to the Colormap and pick it) That should fill all the empty areas pink.

7) Remember the Copy we made at the beginning of step 3? Go [Edit ->Paste ].

8) Now go [File ->SaveAs] and put in the file name, being sure that it's converted to a pcx. I just type "filename.pcx" in and it converts it for me. That should do it.

Now you'll tell me you don't even use GIMP, and I've just wasted a bunch of space. Well, maybe someone can use this.