FLICster Crash - suggestions?

[Micaelus]

Alright, so now that I've finally got time to flicify my four Balkan peasants, and I've decided to use FLICster to get round the extra frame in Civ3FlcEdit (you all converted me), I get 4 animations complete before FLICster decides to stop working.

I can still create the storyboard file and the pcx (which I have edited to include the palette and the SBB storyboard) just fine. Now any time I open a FXM storyboard in FLICster, it seems to open okay, but if I try to view the animation, FLICster closes itself--usually without a warning. I've gotten an error 9, script out of range, or some such thing, a few times, but otherwise it just closes itself. If I try to skip that and just export the flc, it similarly closes itself. Once I have even got the blue screen of death (in XP!) from this progression.

Needless to say, I uninstalled it, re-downloaded it, and have tried to run the new version. This has made no difference. Also, when running the new version, it would appear that the uninstall is far from complete as, even if running FLICster from a different directory (or drive), my old file history is still present.

Any suggestions? Do you know what registry entries I may need to manually delete? Or other files that will need to be edited? Or have any other idea why FLICster of all things would be wrecking such havoc?

 

[Micaelus]

UPDATE: It seems to be something wrong with the way the GIMP is saving the PCXs. I sent a couple of PCXs to my buddy and he saved them again in Photoshop and when I used his Photoshop saved PCXs, FLICster has no problem with them at all! But if I open them, save them again with the GIMP, FLICster closes itself when I try to export them. So...I'm going to reinstall the GIMP now and see if I have any better luck.

 

[BadKharma]

That seems like a weird problem to have hope you get it sorted out.

 

[Brenshar]

Terribly sorry for the thread necromancy, but did this problem ever get resolved? I'm experiencing the exact same thing

 

[tom2050]

Make sure you have the latest version v1.0.0 Build 18; the previous version had a problem of giving FLC's an Animation Time of 0, causing crashes.

If you have Build 18 and you still have an issue, let us know.

 

[Brenshar]

I have reinstalled both FLICster (the previous version was build 18, on a side note) and the newest version of Gimp (2.6.11), but to no effect.

I would like to mention that normal files work (meaning .flc) fine, but when I create my own unit or even modify an existing unit using the Gimp, FLICster suffers from the effects mentioned above i.e crashes without warning, or crashing with a

"Run-time error '9':
Subscript out of range"

message when I try to view the unit animations or to export it.

I've also noticed that sometimes when I click the animations tab in FLICster, the unit animation DOES show up, only it is a "mess" for lack of a better word. (It literally looks like all the different frames stretched across the screen and sort of vaguely playing the actual animation) If this is happening and I change the animation direction, it will crash, always and without exception.

I think that is it, though I will repeat that all the standard .flc files found in any unit folder, including non-firaxis ones, run fine.

I am also of the opinion that this is being caused by Gimp somehow.

Oh yes, and perhaps transparency might have something to do with it? Cause when I try to save a Gimp image as a .pcx, Gimp says it can't handle transparency and exports it, which removes the transparency from the image, basically. (Though I HAVE heard that CivIII does not use "real" transparency...)

Also does the palette matter in this case at all?

Perhaps I should switch programs? And in that case which (free) program would you recommend?

Thanks for all help

 

[tom2050]

When Flicster shows a 'mess' of frames, it is usually because the storyboard graphic is larger than the Flicster XFM file was saved to be. I think if the actual storyboard graphic is smaller Flicster will crash.

I've also noticed that sometimes when I click the animations tab in FLICster, the unit animation DOES show up, only it is a "mess" for lack of a better word. (It literally looks like all the different frames stretched across the screen and sort of vaguely playing the actual animation) If this is happening and I change the animation direction, it will crash, always and without exception.

Others use GIMP to make units, so I don't think GIMP is directly affecting it. Palette uses certain rows of color for transparency... you shouldn't have any actual transparency in the image. If the storyboard is not paletted, I think it will cause a crash as well.

 

[Brenshar]

When Flicster shows a 'mess' of frames, it is usually because the storyboard graphic is larger than the Flicster XFM file was saved to be. I think if the actual storyboard graphic is smaller Flicster will crash.

How could I verify this, or attempt to fix this if this is indeed the problem? Do you know?

 

[tom2050]

Make a new storyboard with Flicster. In Flicster; File -> New.. enter the appropriate information; frame size, frame count, file name, file path. It will create a blank storyboard PCX, and a new FXM file in the output directory.

Save the other storyboard over the newly created PCX file from Flicster. Then use Flicster to open the FXM file, and it should work if you input the correct parameters.

 

[Vuldacon]

If you do not know the exact frame size... Check a Frame in your Graphics Program to see the exact size. It seems to be the Frame Size that is causing your problem.

As Tom Posted, you can set up a New Storyboard with Flicster by typing in the Factors then after generating the New Storyboard and .FXM file you can toss out the New Storyboard and Place your Existing Storyboard in its place. You would only need the New .FXM File. If you have placed all of the Needed Factors correctly and your Palette is correct, you should have no problems.
...If you continue to have problems, If you will Post a Zip file, I would like to see a Storyboard and Palette you are using.

 

[Brenshar]

I've tried doing what you've just mentioned already before, but it didn't seem to work. So I'm trying something even simpler now: (I'll try to be as clear as possible)

I create a new storyboard using FLICster (30 by 30 frame size, 6 frames, and name it TESTING). This creates a new .pcx file and a new .FXM file, in the appropriate folder.
I choose yes for opening a new FXM file.
I close the FXM file viewer.
I go to my .pcx file (TESTING.pcx) and open it with Gimp.
Without making any changes, I save the .pcx.
I open the .FXM file (TESTING_Storyboard.FXM) with FLICster, but when I view the animations, it looks just like before, in my previous post, sort of like the frame is jumping out of place. I change the animation view, and it crashes.


So I guess there is something wrong with the way Gimp is saving the files (as Micaelus as already mentioned previously).


I tried this instead then:

I do all of the above, as before (Except I change the name to TESTING1), opening it with Gimp. However now, using Gimp, I save the entire image onto the clipboard.
I open a new .xcf file with Gimp, that has the exact same dimensions (in the advanced options I select Fill With Transparency).
I close the original picture.
In the new, blank file, I paste the copied image.
I convert the image to indexed.
I save the new image over TESTING1. This is where Gimp's

" Export File
PCX Plug-in can't handle transparency
Flatten image "

Message pops up, like I mentioned before.
I choose the the Export option (the ignore option doesn't work).
It saves, and I close Gimp.
Now, with FLICster, I open this new file.

Okay, what the heck, it crashes I've done just this before and it worked...
I even edited that picture that time.
And I've already deleted that picture

I think it will be best if I just switch programs though, if you can recommend any? Or who are some of Civfanatics people who use Gimp that might be able to help?

Oh, yes, and I don't think that there's anyway to check the frame size of a file using Gimp, unless you measure the actual frame yourself by hand... in which case it is.

Okay, so anyways, here are the files

TESTING and TESTING1 are the files I mentioned above, while Battlecruiser is the unit I was trying to create/edit.

 

[Vuldacon]

BrensharQuest... The entire problems are the Resolution for all Three Files are 300 and should be 72 and the Palette is not correct for BattleCruiser_run.pcx. The Shadow Shades, Green Shadows and transparent Magenta are mixed in with the other Unit Colors as well as the Civ Specific colors and need to be in separate areas on the palette.

Do you have the Original BattleCruiser Unit Default Flc? When you open it or anyother Flc with Flicster and generate a Storyboard, you will have a .pal and Alpha.pal palette along with the .pcx Storyboard and .FXM files. You can use Pedit Palette editor to transfer the Unit Colors to a "Normal" Unit Palette that already has the Shadows, Smoke and Fog Shades already on it. Then load that Palette using maintain indexes.

I do not use Gimp but it does not save palette indexes the same as Paint Shop Pro for example. Perhaps others who use Gimp can offer how they use Gimp to save their Unit Palettes correctly.

IF you will provide me with the Original Unit Palette, I will correct all of this for you. I am sure the Green areas around the Cruiser are meant to be shadows and these would be on the Unit .pal and Alpha.pal Palettes in the correct areas.

EDIT... The Frame Size for the BattleCruiser is Width 151 and Height 81 for Flicster but you need to set the Resolution to 72 for the entire Storyboard and that Width is 1521 and Height 657.

Here is your BattleCruiser with Corrected Resoultion and you can open this in Flicster now but it still needs a correct Palette.
...I am including a couple of Unit Palette Images that I hope will show you where colors go on Unit Palettes. Other than this, make sure your Storyboards are set to 72 Resolution.

Another EDIT... Just a thought. Although I do not use Gimp, IF it will allow you to save a palette and apply it, you could save a correct palette then apply it before saving your Storyboard so the indexes are correct.