Background Shogun image -- how darken?

[planetfall]

Couldn't find better forum for this.

The current background Shogun image for C3C has an orangish
sky that is about 4 gray scale units too bright.

Is this image editable with an image editing program or is it embedded?

If editable, where is the image.

Thanks

-- PF

 

[EmperorJay]

I believe, but don't pin me down on it, that it was released as a background some time ago at www.civ3.com

 

[planetfall]

Jay,

Your link includes a period.

Great link. So this is called either Wallpaper or "Desktop Theme".

Looks like a standard jpg file so should be editable. Guess I will have to search for jpg's and find the right one to replace. The fireworks wallpaper should be much easier to live with.

Thanks

-- PF

 

[warpstorm]

It is editable. It is x_title.pcx in the conquests/art directory.

 

[planetfall]

What programs allow us to change pcx file types?

thanks

-- pf

 

[shirleyrocks]

Any halfway decent graphics editor...Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop, MS Photo Editor, etc, etc, etc. You can find trial versions of Paint Shop Pro all over the Internet.

 

[planetfall]

Hey this is a low risk change. If you goof, and replace the wrong file you get the PTW title instead of C3C title.
Not bad.

Image looks much better darker, don't see detail of temple, but the sky is now cool.

-- PF

 

[cgannon64]

How can you tell that it is exactly 4 shades too bright? Is there some universal standard for what shade of a color looks best?

 

[planetfall]

Grayscales go from 0 to 100. Usually image editing tools either have a dial to change by 1% or a pick icon to change in 5% increments.

I was trying to say the sky is about 20% too bright. If reduce brightness by 20%, then image is ok.

FYI http://www.civ3.com has an alternative desktop background called something like fireworks... which would have worked much better than the shogun.

I tried to use this to replace the default pcx file but did something wrong. Either replaced wrong file, or more likely had the wrong pixel size than what C3C needs. Currently I get the PTW background on start menu screen instead of C3C. I still get C3C, but just darker background. The problem is the creator did not adequately consider what the background would look like after added text selection lines and displayed on a bright monitor.,

-- PF

 

[tomart109]

I'm a graphic artist, and i think the image is just fine -- dazzling, in fact.

I think the creator did a great job of combining the dark, brooding temple with the bright, emotive sky, and incorporating the foreground text elements. But i do like intense colors. (You should see my work!)

My only picky gripe is that the shogun has no fingers.

 

[planetfall]

Tomart109,

You mis-understand. The image is great as an image, but is poor in context. With a digital monitor and glare sensitivity the sky is just too bright and painful. The contrast is too high between the sky and the menu choices. The image might be ok on an old tube monitor. I have not tested that yet.

Most people who are not glare sensitive usually have a hard time understanding how glare can be such an issue. Unfortunately it has always a problem for me. Just those Northern climate eyes, I guess.

As mentioned earlier, if I take the pcx file and reduce contrast by 20% the contrast is good. Probably would work at about 12-15% but my pcx editor is limited. But if fix the contrast problem then lose detail on the middle and base of the temple.

Ideal solution would be a choice of background images to use at the main screen.

-- PF

 

[tomart109]

oh, ok, sorry - i haven't tried a digital monitor.

Photoshop lets you choose just the highlights and adjust them, without losing any of the darker or mid-tones.

 

[planetfall]

Thanks for the hint. I have to rebuild my install. I forgot I have photoshop on the computer. That will be a much more satisfying solution. The human image is great, the color palette is cool. It is only the bright intensity that creates a problem.

Well, off for a fun weekend of C3C and playing with Photoshop again.

-- PF

 

[warpstorm]

Originally posted by planetfall
Grayscales go from 0 to 100. Usually image editing tools either have a dial to change by 1% or a pick icon to change in 5% increments.

This really depends on your tools. Mine allow 256 shades.

 

[planetfall]

256 ??? really? I had not heard of gray scales being other than 0 to 100. Other color attributes are almost endless. I got the image working now. XP didn't like the file with normal user owning it. After changed ownership to admin, it worked like a charm.

-- PF

 

[dexters]

Originally posted by tomart109
I'm a graphic artist, and i think the image is just fine -- dazzling, in fact.

I think the creator did a great job of combining the dark, brooding temple with the bright, emotive sky, and incorporating the foreground text elements. But i do like intense colors. (You should see my work!)

My only picky gripe is that the shogun has no fingers.

I just want to correct a technical error. That is not a temple on the image, but a traditional Japanese castle.

The most famous of course is Osaka castle

 

[planetfall]

You're right, it is not a temple but a castle.

PF