Olorin0222
Maia
Yeah, that's when I got Poser 
Unit Making Tutorial by utahjazz7 (May 9, 2005)
- Thread starter utahjazz7
- Start date
ruby_sauce
Outside the box
OK I have classic version of uvmapper (0.26)
I can with UV mapper only export and save as a .uvs file... and then I cant load it into photoshop. what to do?
I can save as bitmap file, but I cant change color specific pieces of the kilt then, they just refuse to be selected...
I can with UV mapper only export and save as a .uvs file... and then I cant load it into photoshop. what to do?
I can save as bitmap file, but I cant change color specific pieces of the kilt then, they just refuse to be selected...
flamescreen
Ancient Mariner
Basically that was promotional to lure buyers for P7. I doubt they will do it any time before P8 will be available. Factor in the products like DAZ studio might have removed a part of their sales. I wouldn't do it if I was them. But considering Bryce 5.5. and Daz Studio are available for free I'd give those a shot.
My excuse to start with Poser was when P3 was available for free through a mag.
rifleman
Varangian Guard
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2002
- Messages
- 415
eFrontier (the company that owns Poser now) does have an agent that posts older versions of Poser (like 5) on eBay. 5 usually goes for 60-70 USD.
Rm80
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2007
- Messages
- 78
Im confused on one part, after I created the palette and are going to load it and then paste my own animation over the SpDe.pcx, but then I will only paste over it with one direction? In my specific case the SDe.bmp (south direction).
The only solution I can come up with is paste in all directions for every animation, but im sure this is not the real way of doing it and it is very time consuming aswell.
I have read the tutorial over and over but I just can't figure out what im doing wrong....
I hope my question made any sense^^
The only solution I can come up with is paste in all directions for every animation, but im sure this is not the real way of doing it and it is very time consuming aswell.
I have read the tutorial over and over but I just can't figure out what im doing wrong....
I hope my question made any sense^^
Bjornlo
Deity
Not sure I follow you.
Once you render out the animation frames. You create a single storyboard of all the facings for each action.
So, yourunit_default.bmp should have all the default frames in all 8 facings. The palette is a global setting and there is no way to apply it to only one facing in a story board, since that facing will only be 1/8th of a file.
utahjazz7
Deity
I think something went wrong with Steph's Storyboard Builder. Somehow, it seems, only one direction was put in the storyboards, instead of all directions.
Rm80
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2007
- Messages
- 78
Yep then i guess I did something wrong in SSB... What I did was that I first choosed the SDE.bmp and created a 15 frame storyboard then I choosed the SeDe.bmp and created a 15 frame storyboard and so on....for all directions for all animations.
I guess thats where my problem is then since it gives me 8 storyboards for every animation.
Big thanks for the answers and hmmm how do I do it correctly?
I guess thats where my problem is then since it gives me 8 storyboards for every animation.
Big thanks for the answers and hmmm how do I do it correctly?
I did that the first time too. You need to make sure that the renders from Poser are saved in folders labelled S, SE, E, and so on. You also need to make sure that the renders all have the same name. For example, the files in the S folder will be called something like Unit_0001, Unit_0002, Unit_0003, and so on. And the files in the SE folder will be called the same things. So each folder should contain the same number of files, with the same names, although of course they are different images. Then, when you run SSB, select the first file in the E folder. It should create a storyboard containing all eight directions.
Rm80
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2007
- Messages
- 78
Aha thanks alot Plotinus, you just saved me from going insane.
I have been reading the tutorial several times today and not been able to figure out why I did not get one storyboard for all 8 directions.
(and I thougth I was so smart when naming them SDe, SeDe, EDe, NeDe...and so on^^)
edit: I guess the S stands for spearman and not south then as I thougth
I have been reading the tutorial several times today and not been able to figure out why I did not get one storyboard for all 8 directions.
(and I thougth I was so smart when naming them SDe, SeDe, EDe, NeDe...and so on^^)
edit: I guess the S stands for spearman and not south then as I thougth
Ogedei_the_Mad
Caffeinated Khagan
I accidentally did this as well. I've got lots of files to rename now. 
Does anyone know the process of doing palettes in Photoshop 7? I've downloaded the free trial of PSP 3.12, but the program says that it will only last for 30 days.
Does anyone know the process of doing palettes in Photoshop 7? I've downloaded the free trial of PSP 3.12, but the program says that it will only last for 30 days.
Bjornlo
Deity
Palettes in photoshop are very easy.
I have previously used both v6 and v8... skipped 7. But what part of the process has you guessing?
I have previously used both v6 and v8... skipped 7. But what part of the process has you guessing?
Ogedei_the_Mad
Caffeinated Khagan
How would I follow the PSP steps (the part on creating and exporting the palettes) in utahjazz's tutorial in Photoshop? I only use Photoshop for simple BMP to PCX conversions so I don't know what most of the features do.
Bjornlo
Deity
Well, I don't know what the tutorial says, but this is how I do it.
First I render the unit in umteenbazillion colors. This renders out to a series of frames. I use SBB to convert these frames into storyboards.
I look at the storyboards and see if there is one which uses more color. Typically it is the death that uses the most. But, for a human animation it might be one of the attacks.
Then I make a copy of this storyboard (after one incident of accidentically saving over the original). I load this copy.
In photoshop, I click on the IMAGE menu, I select ADJUSTMENTS, I select HUE and Saturation. From this menu, I completely de-saturate the magenta and blue shades. These are already in the palette and are not needed.
Then you change the color of your paint brush to one of the exsiting. (see image below). Just click on the color to change (the back color in the below image is the paint brush). Select some other color you wish to keep that is not black, white, pink nor blue.
Next I change this gray to one of the existing shades in the image. (although this can be done at the end as well, if you go to 161 colors, you will get slightly better results if you do it to begin with). You select the gray shade with the magicwand.
Select the color to remove with the wand (see the icon which is selected)
I suggest you have CONTIGUOUS turned off and the TOLERANCEset to 20 or so.
Next select black and white, they are already in the palette and I do not want them wasting a spot and messing up the dithering. I use the magic wand again to do this.
Once these 3 are selected, I zoom out. Select the paint brush. Make sure it is set to 100% opacity, hard edges and VERY large. Then just paint all the bad colors away.
Up to this point, I have typically been using Photoshop for less than 5 mins.
Your image should now look like crap. But this is a good thing. Since you are not working with THIS image, but with the color palette.
Once this is done, I 2nd check the colors for once I know are in the standard colors and are not needed. If neccessary another round with the magic wand.
Then go to IMAGE menu, select MODE and select indexed colors. I set it to 255 colors.
Now in steps of 10-20 colors I go down to 160 colors (163 if you left gray, black and white in).
First I check the palette. Do I see any shades I do not want. This is much faster than scanning the big 'ole image. To check this I go to IMAGE / MODE / COLOR TABLE.
Cut a few colors, check the table.... repeat.
Once I am at 160 colors, open the color table and take a screen shot of it. I then select NEW image and paste in the screen shot. I move this well out the way and make sure it is visible.
Then I open any PCX file with a Civ3 color palette. I select the 160 colors locations to be imported (see tutorial). I set the First color to WHITE and then highlight all the 160 spots ending at the last color to be replaced and set that one to WHITE. Photoshop will automagically set all the colors in the range to white (or more precisely a graduated spectrum begining at the first color and ending at the last color, but since they are the same...)
I do this so I can clearly see which colors need replacing (ie all the white). I then use the eye dropper to move over the 160 colors I have selected.
Once this is done, I save the PCX file I opened as JUNK.pcx and save the palatte (go to the color table and it allows you to save out the palette).
Then I load up a clean copy of one of my renders, ideally the one I used originally to set the palette.
I use the magic want to make sure all the background pink is indeed pure magenta (255,0,255).
Next, I select the entire storyboard and hit CTRL +C (copy image to buffer).
I then set the image to indexed colors.
I load the palette I saved off. Your image will once again look like crap.
Then, I hit CTRL + V (paste buffer) and magically the image is nice and has your palette all set.
Entire process the first time might take a little time. But, eventually it can be done in less than 10mins. Assuming you are doing a simple unit with a simple palette. A complex palette might require you to manually weed out a few of the colors so you can have better control over the final color list.
Another option to get things done fast is to use the spectrum spread if you know your unit is primarily a single color. For example, a gray ship... you need alot of shades of gray, not super important if they exactly match the pre-existing (rendered) colors.... only that they are well spread out and there is no blue nor pink in them.
Hope this helps, glad to see you branching out.
First I render the unit in umteenbazillion colors. This renders out to a series of frames. I use SBB to convert these frames into storyboards.
I look at the storyboards and see if there is one which uses more color. Typically it is the death that uses the most. But, for a human animation it might be one of the attacks.
Then I make a copy of this storyboard (after one incident of accidentically saving over the original). I load this copy.
In photoshop, I click on the IMAGE menu, I select ADJUSTMENTS, I select HUE and Saturation. From this menu, I completely de-saturate the magenta and blue shades. These are already in the palette and are not needed.
Then you change the color of your paint brush to one of the exsiting. (see image below). Just click on the color to change (the back color in the below image is the paint brush). Select some other color you wish to keep that is not black, white, pink nor blue.
Next I change this gray to one of the existing shades in the image. (although this can be done at the end as well, if you go to 161 colors, you will get slightly better results if you do it to begin with). You select the gray shade with the magicwand.
Select the color to remove with the wand (see the icon which is selected)
I suggest you have CONTIGUOUS turned off and the TOLERANCEset to 20 or so.
Next select black and white, they are already in the palette and I do not want them wasting a spot and messing up the dithering. I use the magic wand again to do this.
Once these 3 are selected, I zoom out. Select the paint brush. Make sure it is set to 100% opacity, hard edges and VERY large. Then just paint all the bad colors away.
Up to this point, I have typically been using Photoshop for less than 5 mins.
Your image should now look like crap. But this is a good thing. Since you are not working with THIS image, but with the color palette.
Once this is done, I 2nd check the colors for once I know are in the standard colors and are not needed. If neccessary another round with the magic wand.
Then go to IMAGE menu, select MODE and select indexed colors. I set it to 255 colors.
Now in steps of 10-20 colors I go down to 160 colors (163 if you left gray, black and white in).
First I check the palette. Do I see any shades I do not want. This is much faster than scanning the big 'ole image. To check this I go to IMAGE / MODE / COLOR TABLE.
Cut a few colors, check the table.... repeat.
Once I am at 160 colors, open the color table and take a screen shot of it. I then select NEW image and paste in the screen shot. I move this well out the way and make sure it is visible.
Then I open any PCX file with a Civ3 color palette. I select the 160 colors locations to be imported (see tutorial). I set the First color to WHITE and then highlight all the 160 spots ending at the last color to be replaced and set that one to WHITE. Photoshop will automagically set all the colors in the range to white (or more precisely a graduated spectrum begining at the first color and ending at the last color, but since they are the same...)
I do this so I can clearly see which colors need replacing (ie all the white). I then use the eye dropper to move over the 160 colors I have selected.
Once this is done, I save the PCX file I opened as JUNK.pcx and save the palatte (go to the color table and it allows you to save out the palette).
Then I load up a clean copy of one of my renders, ideally the one I used originally to set the palette.
I use the magic want to make sure all the background pink is indeed pure magenta (255,0,255).
Next, I select the entire storyboard and hit CTRL +C (copy image to buffer).
I then set the image to indexed colors.
I load the palette I saved off. Your image will once again look like crap.
Then, I hit CTRL + V (paste buffer) and magically the image is nice and has your palette all set.
Entire process the first time might take a little time. But, eventually it can be done in less than 10mins. Assuming you are doing a simple unit with a simple palette. A complex palette might require you to manually weed out a few of the colors so you can have better control over the final color list.
Another option to get things done fast is to use the spectrum spread if you know your unit is primarily a single color. For example, a gray ship... you need alot of shades of gray, not super important if they exactly match the pre-existing (rendered) colors.... only that they are well spread out and there is no blue nor pink in them.
Hope this helps, glad to see you branching out.
StarTrekie
Chieftain
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2007
- Messages
- 10
I know this is a really old thread but I have a question since I'm new to the modding world of Civ 3. I really don't want to have to spend $200 on Poser 7. Is there a free program similar that doesn't involve the giving away of personal information? Thanks alot guys. I really hope I can mod Civ 3 in the future.
polyphemus
join the long blue line
You have Openfx, Blender, Bryce, Truespace, ppModeler, and many others. Just google and im sure you'll find lots more...
StarTrekie
Chieftain
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2007
- Messages
- 10
Hmm. Okay thanks man I'll google around and see what it brings up.
Another question. (i'm such a newb.) I was capable of getting Poser 7 demo. Would this per chance be capable of making units? I'm guessing "no"
Another question. (i'm such a newb.) I was capable of getting Poser 7 demo. Would this per chance be capable of making units? I'm guessing "no"
NavyDawg
Audentes Fortuna Iuvat
I don't know what capabilities are in the demo, so I can't say. I will say that version 5 (which I use) seems to work as well as 6 or 7. Maybe you can find a bargain on it, since there are newer versions...
