Civ3FlcEdit - Civilization III animation viewer & editor

[Cyber Dreyk]

Civ3FlcEdit is a powerful editor assigned to work with Civilization III FLC animation files.


Description
Civ3FlcEdit is a multi document MFC application.
It should perfectly work under Windows 9x, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Nevertheless it was tested only under Windows XP therefore possible some unexpected errors and problems with Windows 9x.
This utility is not assigned to work with other (non Civ3) types of FLC files and will not correctly works with them.


Features
View Civ3 FLC files.
Create a C3F Storyboard – set of files (image, palette and C3F file).
Export FLC to Storyboard.
Import from 8/24 bits images to C3F Storyboard.
Open existent Storyboard.
Export Storyboard to FLC.
Change FLC and Storyboard palettes.
Easily import and export palette to/from several formats.
Copy selected screen area to clipboard or file.
Play animation with sound accompaniment.
Registry FLC and C3F file types – it allows opening files of these types by double-clicking and from command line.
'Zoom' feature to zoom in/out a single frame.

Civ3FlcEdit still work only with 32 bit color mode. Sorry guys!


Credits
Hearty thanks to James Healey AKA Jimmyh for his great help!
Civ3Flc is never being done without his Civ3 Unit Editor utility and helpfully permission to use its source code.

I want to thanks Mike Breitkreutz (Lead Programmer of the FIRAXIS Games for information about internal structure of the FlicAnim format ("custom" FLC format used in the Civilization III).

Many thanks to all guys who have write to me, asked for new features and found bugs in the utility. The feedback is very important and I very appreciate for their help.

Also I want to tender thanks to Moeniir for his FLICster (unfortunately, it still stay unfinished), Steph for his SBB and SSS and Cyberbobjr for his Flc2Gif .
These guys and they works inspired me to made own FLC viewer/editor.

Thanks a lot to all guys who've make new units and leader heads!
I hope that Civ3FlcEdit will help you with your great work!
Good luck, my friends!


Note: thread is closed, please withit the following thread:
Civ3MMToolkit - Civilization III Mode Makers Toolkit


Civ3FlcEdit 3,0,7,90 is removed
Civ3FlcEdit & Civ3MM is removed


History

v.3,0,7,90 Jan 20, 2005
Added 'Ignore frame offset values (place frame to the top left corner)' option to the 'Options' dialog box (see 'Animation' sheet). This feature is allows to play FLC/C3F files without frame offset (requested by Drivebymaster). Note: in case this option is enabled 'Change Offset' tool is not working!
Added 'Custom Image' and 'Select Custom Image' features (see menu 'Background'). Now you can select any BMP, PCX, JPG, GIF, WMF or EMF file as background image.
Improved 'Copy to File' and 'Save Frame to File' features. Added JPG file format to "save as" list.
Fixed serious bug, reported by Dease: "Whenever I try and select a single direction for the animation to
play, the program freezes..."
Added 'Grid' feature (see menu 'Background'). Use it to easily offset changing.
Fixed bug with palette tables under Win 9x - no more "A required resource was" messages. Thaks to Dease!

v.3,0,6,85 Dec 23, 2004
Improved 'Import To Storyboard' feature.
Added preview for C3F files for Open File dialog.
Fixedbug with checking of the FLC & C3F file types registration.
Added 'Select colors from image' feature (in the 'Color Replace' dialog).
Added 'Palette' sheet in the 'Create a new Storyboard' and 'Export FLC to Storyboard' dialogs. All palette related information placed on this sheet now.
Added 'Get palette from file' option in 'Create a new Storyboard' dialog. This option allows to load palette from an external file and apply it to new Storyboard.
Added 'Make palette file (NAME.ext)' option in 'Create a new Storyboard' and 'Export FLC to Storyboard' dialogs. In case this option isn't selected, Storyboard will not has external palette file.
Added support for 24 bits per pixel Storyboards. Now you can export FLC to C3F or create new Storyboard with 8 or 24 bits color modes.
Added 'Make Default Storyboard palette file ('NAME_Default.ext')' option in 'Create a new Storyboard' and 'Export FLC to Storyboard' dialogs. This option is allows to save current Storyboard palette like civ-specified. This option is always selected in case 24-bits Storyboards because it’s needed to right conversion from 24 bits image to 8 bits with right palette.
Added 'Save Settings' option in 'Create a new Storyboard' dialog.
Improved 'Open Storyboard' functionality. Now it’s working much faster - in dozens of times!
Added 'Color Replace' (menu 'Tools') feature to easily change/replace palettes.
Features of the 'Color Replace':
-load civ-specified color palettes
-load palette from palette files (PAL, ACT)
-load palette from image files (BMP, PCX)
-load palette from FLC and C3F files
-select and replace color
-input color values manually
-replace a several colors at once (set first and last colors in palette to be replaced)
-move colors to up/down in the palette (select index 'From', index 'To', number of colors to be moved and direction)
-change colors brightness, contrast, hue and saturation for whole palette
Added 'Import To Storyboard' (menu 'File') feature to convert PCX/BMP files to C3F Storyboard.
Added 'Trim Frame Borders' option in the 'Export to Storyboard' dialog box. Now you can decrease frame sizes without decreasing of actual picture.
Added 'Show Preview' option in the 'Export to Storyboard' and 'Create a new Storyboard' dialogs. Now you can see approximated result of your manipulations with frame sizes and offsets.
Added 'Direction' menu items and toolbar buttons. Note: to customize toolbar buttons you should right click on toolbar and select 'Customize' option of popup menu.
Added 'Save Frame to File' (menu 'Tools') feature to save a single frame (only real size, not whole preview frame).
Added editbox to change delay values for 'Create a new Storyboard' and 'Export FLC to Storyboard' dialogs.
Increased size of animation preview frame to allow show full frames in case 240x240 animation (was 238X235).
Fixed bug with 'Offset' feature: changes saved only in case timer settings were changed.
Added 'Save' and 'Save As' options for C3F. Now in case C3F you can save changes of frame offset, frame delay and current palette.

v.2,0,5,58 Oct 27, 2004
Improved FLC->Storyboard conversion. Now increase/decrease operation results is much better!
Added 'Offset' feature to change frames X and Y offset. Look for it the 'Tools' menu.
Modified 'Save' and 'Save As' options. Now in case FLC you can save changes in frame offset, frame delay and current palette.
Added editbox to change delay values. Look for it a 'Delay' control of the Control Bar. Maximal delay value increased from 500 to 1000 ms.

v.2,0,4,56 Sep 23, 2004
Minor changes in installation and registration of file types.

v.2,0,4,55 Sep 22, 2004
Optimized source code, fixed minor bugs.
Fixed problems with accelerators (Ctrl+O, F5 etc).
Added 'Zoom' feature to zoom in/out a single frame.
Improved FLC->Storyboard conversion - now it's much more faster.
Removed status progress bar during create/open Storyboard (because of slacken speed and flics on Win9x).
Added fade of the app window instead of progress bar (for WinXP only).
Improved Control Bar. Now it has expandable control panels and vertical scrolling.
Added possibility to select last 32 colors during creation of a new Storyboard and FLC->Storyboard conversion ("Select Smoke/Shadows Colors Type (last 32 colors in palette)" option).
Fixed bug: when opening animation file by double-clicking opens a new application instance.
Fixed bug with creating a new Storyboard, reported by Dease.

v.2,0,3,50 Sep 10, 2004
First release.

Civ3Flc​

Download Civ3Flc v.1,0,1,24 (540 Kb):
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads7/Civ3Flc_1.0.1.24.zip

 

[zulu9812]

Will this be able to view civ colours without having to have Civ installed?

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

Will this be able to view civ colours without having to have Civ installed?

It won't be possible. Point is that Civ3Flc gets civ colors directly from "\Art\units\Palettes\*.pcx" files, the same as it happend in the game.
Therefore without installed Civilization you can view default palette only.

 

[Jimmyh]

Why not just supply the pcx files with the utility...

Or...

If civ3 is not installed just hard code some colour values in the utility.

P.S Great work on getting this utility up and running, can't wait to see it at the weekend.

Jimmy.

 

[warmwaffles]

So this is like the FLICster? In that case can this program creat a flict that is too big for FLICster?

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

Why not just supply the pcx files with the utility...
Or...
If civ3 is not installed just hard code some colour values in the utility.

James, I don't think that it's too importaint. Why we need to include 32 (even such small) pcx files in the app or hard code 32 x 256 = 8192 colors?
I'm sure that we all have the Civilization installed on our PCs.

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

So this is like the FLICster? In that case can this program creat a flict that is too big for FLICster?

No, FLICster is editor but Civ3Flc just viewer (at least now). It cannot modify and save flc files.
Moreower, it seems to me that Civ3 flc cannot be more than 240 x 240 pixels.

 

[zulu9812]

Please do think about this tool being able to view civ colours without having civ installed. Otherwise, I can't really think of any reason to use it over FLICster.

 

[warmwaffles]

Cyber_Dreyk you need to implement this view to be able to save the flic as a BMP the back to a Flic. If that was implemented I would use the tool like crazy.

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

Please do think about this tool being able to view civ colours without having civ installed. Otherwise, I can't really think of any reason to use it over FLICster.

Well, it can be implemented. But in the next versions only.
I really cannot understand why you need use the viewer without installed Civilization.
Nevertheless it's seems to me that Civ3Flc is more convenient to view FLC than FLICster. Moreover it can play leader heads... Whatever the case the user should decide which utility he will use.

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

Cyber_Dreyk you need to implement this view to be able to save the flic as a BMP the back to a Flic. If that was implemented I would use the tool like crazy.

It will be much more difficult than request with civ colors. But I'll think about it. Do you need to save FLC as BMP only? Maybe it's better to save them as PCX, like FLICster?
I know, what you'll answer! "It's better to save them as BMP, PCX, GIF, JPG etc."

P.S. May be somebody have some other requests? Please, let me know and I promise to thinking about it.

 

[zulu9812]

Well, it can be implemented. But in the next versions only.
I really cannot understand why you need use the viewer without installed Civilization.
Nevertheless it's seems to me that Civ3Flc is more convenient to view FLC than FLICster. Moreover it can play leader heads... Whatever the case the user should decide which utility he will use.

At the moment, I can use Quicktime to view unit & leaderhead flcs, just without civ-colours.

 

[warmwaffles]

Ya my Quicktime can view flics but not edit them or save them as something else.

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

At the moment, I can use Quicktime to view unit & leaderhead flcs, just without civ-colours.

Ya my Quicktime can view flics but not edit them or save them as something else.

Well, I see... I'll try to improve the Civ3Flc to make it more useful for you.

 

[zulu9812]

Thank you

 

[zulu9812]

Many thanks for the update

 

[Ekmek]

Any chance you can help with converting FLCs to sprites and vice versa?

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=3059171#post3059171

 

[Aluminium]

Cool new prog Dreyk! But there is a problem with the consuming of memory and CPU capacity. It raises the memory, if you load new FLCs in the same window. After some views I was over 700 mb.

For the civ-colors: Several people have edited the civ-color palettes. Who on earth wants 2 pink Civs in game? So my question is could you make a third option, which let you select the pallette directory by hand?

Another question: Do you plan a Alfa blending for 16 colors? Its because my unit shadows look a bit odd.

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

Any chance you can help with converting FLCs to sprites and vice versa?

I'm afraid - not yet.
But I have planes about smth. like it in the nearest future.

I have sent to you a private message - hope, it can help you...

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

Cool new prog Dreyk!

Thank you, Aluminium, for your approval and founded bug!

Cool new prog Dreyk! But there is a problem with the consuming of memory and CPU capacity. It raises the memory, if you load new FLCs in the same window. After some views I was over 700 mb.

Actually I have not many time to make all necessary tests. I'll fix this memory leak in the next version.

For the civ-colors: Several people have edited the civ-color palettes. Who on earth wants 2 pink Civs in game? So my question is could you make a third option, which let you select the pallette directory by hand?

Well, it's possible. Please, waiting for the next updates...

Another question: Do you plan a Alfa blending for 16 colors? Its because my unit shadows look a bit odd.

I still not investigated this point yet. But I'll thinking about it too.