BeBro -
The storyboard layout is 8 rows of
x columns, where
x is the number of frames in one direction's animation loop. In the case of the Civ3 PanzerDefault.flc, which is the 'Default' animation used when the unit is selected but not moving/attacking/etc, each direction's animation has 5 frames. In FLICster, you can see this on the First tab as 'Frames per direction' or on the view tab in the counter under the picture. So, If you export this to PCX Storyboard, you will get 40 frames, as 8 rows of 5 cells each.
If you have 8 single-frame directional shots, you can plug each direction in the first column, starting with SW and going counter-clockwise around the compass. However, if you leave the other 4 frames in each row blank, then you get four blank frames in each directional animation.
Instead, try this. Open the Panzer in FLICster again. Go to the export tab, but click on the 'Frame Count' button to open the frame count dialog. Change the frame count to 1. Now export the storyboard. You will get a pcx containing 8 rows of 1 column each... which is exactly what you need for single-frame animations.
Once you get the single frames in place (and save the edited PCX), you can open the FXM file in FLICster to view your work. If it looks good, you can export the FXM to a Civ3Unit Flc and use it in game. If, after getting single-frame animation working you want to try longer animations, just open the FXM in FLICster, go to the Export tab, set the Export Format to Storyboard PCX, and increase the Frame Count. Now, re-export the PCX, and FLICster will add empty frames to the end of each row of your storyboard. Note that you must work on all directions at once, if SW has 3 frames, all directions must have 3 frames.
Since you mentioned you already have a storyboard with empty frames... assuming you put the correct frames in the right spots in the first column, you can open the FXM in FLICster, set export type to Storyboard PCX, decrease the frame count to 1 and re-export to trim your existing PCX down to 1 column.
Hope i'm making sense so far... I'm a touch long-winded at times
Something else you mentioned needs attention... you said:
- created a 256 color .pal file (from the existing 24bit M60 anim), and loaded it into the pcx storyboard from the panzer
I think you've done that backwards. The palette used in the PCX is in a special order for Civ3, and some of the palette positions are 'magic' - the first 64 colors are civ-specific, and the last 32 colors are used for alpha-blending (like shadows and smoke). I'd reccomend taking your 24bit m60 picture and make it use the PCX's palette. FLICster exports a PSP-compatible .pal file when you create a PCX. Use nearest color error correction, i'd think. This wont be perfect, though... if the palette loading process uses colors from the magic ranges, you might get an odd effect in the game. I'm thinking of having FLICster create a special PAL file in which all 'magic' palette positions contain a color you'd never see, like hot flaming pink, for use when importing. Still, that depends on the rest of the palette (which you can edit) already containing useful colors.
Of course, this would all be easier if FLICster would import animated GIFs as you suggested. A few thoughts here. First, I thought GIFs were 256 color (actually 255, + transparency). Certainly easier to convert than 24 bit color. The real issue with GIFs is legal - I understand that the GIF scheme is copyrighted, and one must have a licence to write code that manipulates it. Now, don't get me wrong... I make my living as a programmer, and I don't care if others want to do the same; I just can't pay to licence something for a project I'm giving away
. I'll look into it, mebbe they have a shareware licence available. FLICster could read AVIs, mebbe, depending on the encoding.
One final comment... you asked about the borders in the storyboard... those are there for your benefit only... FLICster ignores them. If you mess them up, you can re-export the PCX to restore them.