3rd Unit: Bulldozer

OK, just erased everything I started out with in this first post and have replaced it with the new and improved/updated bulldozer. Here is the new Bulldozer animation:



AND....

Here is the location in the downloads database.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=6745

The previous attachments I had to this post have been removed.

This new and improved tractor now has:

1. Civ color.
2. Fixed and tested INI file.
3. Little driver guy added.

NOTE: The new tractor still retains the brownish color instead of the original yellow created in Bryce. I haven't mastered palette creation yet, however, I do think the brown color looks better than the yellow.

The one attachment below is the units_32.pcx file, courtesy of Vuldacon.

Thanks Vuldacon!!

Reserved For Future Use

Where's the Palestinian rock-thrower unit now?

Good job, Gary. I can easily find a use for this.

@Red Door - http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=216372

Thanks kulade!

Here is one more zip file. This one contains the Civlopedia icons for the unit as well as the original Bryce 5 file which I used to create it, again, in case any other unit creators out there want to make changes.

And if someone would let me know how to incorporate Civ Colors in a unit, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks again!

I like that unit.

Gary Childress said:

I apologize but I had to split the thing into three parts in order to fit the upload file size quota for forums. Anyone who can show me how to get around that, it would be much appreciated.

Click to expand...

Use the downloads database: http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php

And I suggest you don't keep putting your Bryce files with the units files... they tend to get massive.

I agree with Wyrmshadow.

It is ok to release BR5 files for animation. Or just OBP files for the model. But, those should be placed in a seperate ZIP than the unit. It seems strange to me, but not every one likes to make their own stuff.

Check out how most of the other unit creators have been releasing stuff and you will see that they all use the database and only post links here.

On CIV color, why not just take the red/yellow/brown bits and just make the whole main body a couple of shades of blue? People paint bulldozers all sorts of colors, and so it will look fine and give good civ coloration.

Oh, and I would have made the dirt (that the bulldozer is shoving) dirt colored, not black.

Hey i think that's a nice unit

I use those color disks anyway so no civ color doesn't bother me

Its great! Bravo!

Any blue areas in the unit will appear in civ colour, provided you don't add any blue tones to the palette other than the ones that appear in the first two columns of all unit palettes already.

You should post files like this in the forum database (the link is "Downloads" near the top of the screen, after "Home" and "My Account"). You can upload much larger files there than you can to posts, and everything is neatly arranged in one place by category.

Wow great unit

Thanks !

Thanks guys!!

I think I'm going to try putting civ color on it before I upload it to the downloads database.

I'd like to include the original Bryce file for posterity. Is there a spot in the downloads database for Bryce models? If not, it seems to me that there should be. [EDIT Nevermind I found the props database.]

@Plotinus, Bjornlo & Wyrmshadow: I'm having a lot of palette problems in converting storyboards to FLCs. Is there a way around hand picking colors for the palette? I'd like to take the palette from the original BMP storyboard and convert it into an ACT file for use with the unit.

Thanks,

Gary

Gary Childress said:

Thanks guys!!

I think I'm going to try putting civ color on it before I upload it to the downloads database.

I'd like to include the original Bryce file for posterity. Is there a spot in the downloads database for Bryce models? If not, it seems to me that there should be. [EDIT Nevermind I found the props database.]

@Plotinus, Bjornlo & Wyrmshadow: I'm having a lot of palette problems in converting storyboards to FLCs. Is there a way around hand picking colors for the palette? I'd like to take the palette from the original BMP storyboard and convert it into an ACT file for use with the unit.

Thanks,

Gary

Click to expand...

Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9_Af5NQcmg

Where are you having problems?

Are you reducing colors in BMP before converting it to a PCX?
If so, to what number of colors? If not, start there.

Short version:
load your most colorful BMP (usually your death anim), save a copy of it.
Reduce the the saturation of blue and magenta until they are both a simple shade of gray.
Next select this shade of gray, black and white and paint over them with another color in the palatte.
Up to now, this takes me around 2-3minutes. Wyrmshadow probably even less.

Now you have your base colors. Next set your image to indexed 160 colors.

Open the palatte, take a screenshot of it. (ctrl + alt + print screen)
paste this screen shot into a new image.
Open the target PCX.
move the 160 colors over to the palette of the PCX
save your mangled BMP as palette.bmp, incase you need it again (things go wrong sometimes).
Open a BMP, paste it in the PCX. save it with a new name. Save off the .act file also.
repeat for each animation.

Very Good Looking Bulldozer Gary and I also like the Brown color that you obtained for it.
Yes, it is better to only upload the needed Unit files for units and keep the Bryce files separate.

IF you do not want to paint the entire Bulldozer with Civ Specific Color, you can select an area and paint it.
Also it is generally best to use a Mid Range Color of the Blue Civ Specific Color from the Top Row of Civ Colors. This will allow a better range for light and dark Civ Colors as well as look better for all "Civs".

IF you want to make one Palette that will fit all animations, just copy and paste a large portion of each animation onto one .bmp storyboard first. This does not need to look good and even if some images overlap, it does not matter. You simply want the best representation of all colors that are used in your animations. You can then replace all magenta shades with Black using a color Replacer tool.
When you have replaced all of the Magenta and "Smoke" shades that are meant to be shadows or smoke, reduce the Colors to 160 colors. Open the Palette so you see it on your screen and press Alt+Print Screen. Close the palette and press Ctrl+V and you will have a screenshot of just the Palette. Save as a .bmp because that will provide you the exact color match. You can use Pedit or any other method you prefer to place those colors on your Unit Palette. Generally, I just use Pedit and copy the Colors to an existing "Essential Color Palette" that has the Game Civ Specific Colors and the Shadow and Smoke shades already on it. Save that palette and apply it to nearest color matching to your animations.

OK, here it is, Bulldozer with the latest updates:

1. Civ color added.
2. Fixed INI file.
3. Added little driver guy to make it more realistic.

Everything should work on this now. However, the palette is still brown. I haven't mastered palette making yet but I actually like the brown better than I do the original yellow. So...I think this unit is as good as I'm going to be able to get it. Let me know if there are any other problems to fix.

Thanks.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/115930/Bulldozer.zip

I like the little driver and that you made him Civ Specific Colored...also like the Brown Tractor Color as well.
I sent you another units_32 that is Civ Specific colored to go with this latest update.

The driver works well as the civ colored bit. Looks as if you re-colored the dirt as well. It looks more like dirt and less like asphalt.

Much nicer, glad you stuck it out.

Bjornlo said:

The driver works well as the civ colored bit. Looks as if you re-colored the dirt as well. It looks more like dirt and less like asphalt.

Much nicer, glad you stuck it out.

Click to expand...

Woops, I forgot about the dirt. I actually forgot to recolor it. It's still the asphalt color in game. I'll have to give it another go later. I'm thinking I may leave it asphalt for build road and then dirt for build everything else.