Problems with Flicster

[Gary Childress]

Well, I tried using Flicster for the first time ever to make the improved run animations for my German riflemen. Everything seemed to work great. But now when I try to incorporate the unit into the game, the game freezes up when I try to make the unit run in game. I have isolated the problem and it is definitely the run animation which I made with Flicster that is freezing the game.

This is what I did to create the run animation.

1. built a storyboard with Steph's SBB (like I always do).

2. Opened Flicster and created a new FXM file.

3. Loaded the correct palette into the storyboard file using PSP.

4. Saved the storyboard over the PCX file which was created in the process of creating the FXM file.

4. Opened up the FXM file in Flicster (everything looked fine. The run animation looked good in Flicster).

5. Exported the file into a FLC file and placed it in the game.

Now when I try to make the unit run in the game it freezes in its tracks and causes the whole game to freeze up so that I have to do a Ctrl Alt Del to end Civ III.

Any ideas why this is happening? I normally use CivFlcEdit for animations and have never had a problem like this with it.

 

[Plotinus]

It looks to me like you're doing it right, so I don't know what this problem could be.

 

[TopGun]

Don't use Flicster. I always use Civ3FlcEdit. Much more robust.

 

[utahjazz7]

Which version of FLICster are you using, build 17 or build 18? If you didn't install build 18 over 17, then that might cause the problem.

 

[Plotinus]

Don't use Flicster. I always use Civ3FlcEdit. Much more robust.

The extra frame bug in Civ3FlcEdit ruins it for me, unfortunately.

 

[Vuldacon]

Not sure what is happening there Gary...Use Version 18

IF you need the Flicster Files...Early Full Version 17 and the version 18 Patch, I Uploaded it all here: http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=9961 Read Me Files included.

IF you generate a storyboard with Civ3FlcEdit from an existing Flc, it will not place the extra Frames because it will only reproduce the frames that are in the existing Flc. It adds an extra frame for New Flcs...so a work around is to first generate the new Flc with Flicster then generate a new storyboard from that Flc with Civ3FlcEdit. Personally I prefer Flicster for use. The Only thing to keep in mind when using Flicster is to keep your images at least 2 pixels away from the East Frame to avoid anomalies.

 

[Gary Childress]

Don't use Flicster. I always use Civ3FlcEdit. Much more robust.

I normally do use Civ3FlcEdit, but this time, for some reason, Civ3FlcEdit decided to chop off a frame of the run or something. There's a jerk from the final frame to the first frame. I've never had that trouble with Civ3FlcEdit before. So I took the same storyboard and incorporated it into Flicster and everything looked perfect. But then when I went into the game it's giving me this weird crash.

I'll try the Flicster patch and if that doesn't work then I'll give the workaround Vuldacon suggested a go and see if I can make that work.

 

[Gary Childress]

OK. Now I'm getting palette problems. I'm using version 18 Flicster and there is a gray haze around my unit when I put it in the game. Everything else works OK now.

This doesn't happen with Civ3FlcEdit. But of course Civ3FlcEdit has mysteriously decided to malfunction on me by adding an extra frame or something. What is it with this unit???? Higher powers don't seem to want me to make this animation.

 

[Vuldacon]

Check the Magenta Color on your Palette. Your background probably picked up a "Shadow" Magenta Shade for the Background rather than the Pure Magenta that you indexed on the palette.

IF you start with your SBB Storyboard then use Flicster with your Unit Palette Loaded...all should work fine. IF Not there is something else wrong...Not Flicster.

Civ3FlcEdit Always places an extra Frame on New Units as I mentioned before.
Flicster has no problems other than you need to make sure you keep at least 2 Pixels away from the East Frame with your Images.
The Only Other Thing that Flicster does not do is allow offsets. It will center them but with New Units this is no problem because all can be centered in the first place.

 

[Gary Childress]

Maybe it has something to do with my Flicster install. I downloaded all the components and installed the orignal install 17 or whatever. Then I pasted the EXE file of the install 18 over it. Is there another way I'm supposed to upgrade Flicster?

 

[Vuldacon]

Your Unit palette was the problem...it had applied a light smoke shade to the background. This was due to the light smoke shade being set as 255, 0, 255 and the Pure Magenta 255, 0, 255 shade for transparency was set as 250, 0, 250. The Palette index makes all the difference.
There should be Nothing wrong with your Flicster installation.
I E-Mailed you corrections for the simple fix.

 

[Gary Childress]

Thanks Greg. This was a really weird problem. I've been using the same palette template for all my units and had index 224 set as the 255,0,255. I had also always been using Civ3FlcEdit for units. There must be some quirk with Civ3FlcEdit that doesn't mind if I have the background color indexed wrong.

Anyway thanks for the correction. I'll probably start using Flicster from here on out.

 

[Vuldacon]

It is an easy thing to happen because those shades of Magenta are Not visible as different to the eye.
I believe Civ3FlcEdit keeps the same palette index for units so not sure why this just showed up if you have been using the same shadow and smoke palette all along.

Anyway...Glad you are up and Running with no problems now.