Civ3FlcEdit - Civilization III animation viewer & editor

[Novaya Havoc]

I downloaded and installed both versions of the program, and the .dlls, but when I try to run the program I get an entry point error for GraphX.dll

Help?

-Ben

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

I downloaded and installed both versions of the program, and the .dlls, but when I try to run the program I get an entry point error for GraphX.dll

Help?

-Ben

It's oddly... You should install DLL's pack at first, then Civ3FlcEdit v.2.0.4.56 and finally http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/Civ3FlcEdit_2.0.5.58.zip. Please, look for instructions on the first thread's page.

 

[bhiita]

Sorry if I missed the sollution to this problem, but when I tried loading a new palette, it imported it in the PS orientation, not the PSP orientation I'm using. The colors reversed, but the indexing seemed to stay intact, thus rearanging the colors in the unit.



In the pic I'm posting you'll see why I'm moving to your program the right side is a screenshot from flicster and the left from Civ3FlcEdit.

I also experimented a bit, it imported a Flicster exported pcx palette fine, but it messes mine up no matter what I try. The program I'm using PhotoImpactXL. It has it's own pal format, but overwrites PSP and PS palette files just fine (at least I thought so ) but, I'm importing the pal from a pcx, not a raw pal file, so I don't know what's going on.

 

[Bungus]

Hi Dreyk,
Looks like this thread has started to see some action again.
2 questons:
Are you going to fix the problem Civ3flcedit has with resizing units? (adding color splotches, and other strange behavior)?

This question might not directly pertain to your program, but it should be an easy answer:
I wanna make Civ specific colors non-civ specific. So a unit is has blue parts instead of civ-colored parts. Whats the best way to do this?

 

[Steph]

Use PEdit.

 

[Bungus]

I'm sorry, I don't know what that is. If its a progrm I couldn't find it in the utilities section. Could you elaborate?

Oh btw Steph, thanks for your advice on shrinking units with SBB and flicster. I finally got the hang of it.

 

[bhiita]

nevermind my question, opening and then resaving the pcx file with photoshop does the trick.


and...... @Bungus, try this PalSuite I use PhotoImpactXL to actualy edit my palettes. What I noramlly do is render my unit then convert it to 140 or so colors, then save that image, open up the flicster pal, select the corrosponding cells (the unchanging colors of the actual unit... forget the exact positions) then load the colors from my first converted image I saved into the selected cells. Ican also select specific color ranges and fill with cell# instead of a certain color.


anyway, I really want to thank you Cyber Dreyk for all the effort you put and are putting into this utility. NO MORE UGLY FLICSTER CUTS! and the preview with grassland or ocean is spectacular. and if I can make a suggestion for the repositioning of units, all you need in the same size grid overlay that's in the map options. I'll attach a gif of the precise dementions of a terrain tile.

 

[Bungus]

I meant I wanna make the civ colors on an already made unit non-civ specific. There's a couple of units from the PTW expansion (as well as others that I plan on using as UU's, but look real silly in their civ's colors. I Just want to have the red or blue civ colored parts stay red or blue.

 

[Vextor_II]

Thanks very lot

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

Thank you, my friends for all your suggestions, questions etc!

Now I have making a new version of Civ3FlcEdit - more powerful than previous.
You'll have possibility to:
- increase/decrease units with a good result
- import data from PCX/BMP files to C3F Storyboard
- decrease too big frame size without animation changing
- easily change palette colors for FLC and C3F files, as well as get palette from BMP, PCX, ASC, PAL, C3F and FLC files, change them and save to a palette format
and much more.

Some of these features are already done, other almost done but I still have a plenty of work with it. So, I have planned to release new version about Xmas holidays.

P.S. In case you have any suggestions or requests for new features - let me know and I'll see what I can do for it...

 

[Parthius]

Fantastic Program!!!

Some dumb questions on palettes. I use PSP8 and when I save the palette in microsoft format (pal) the indices are reversed after importing into Civ3FlcEdit. Saving the palette in PSP format (.PSPpalette or something such) and changing the extension to .pal works (it is just a pain to have to change the extension). Are the PSP an microsoft pallets just reversed order? How come the .pal export version from PSP is reversed? Is there a way to use PSP and avoid manually changing the file extension?

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

Some dumb questions on palettes. I use PSP8 and when I save the palette in microsoft format (pal) the indices are reversed after importing into Civ3FlcEdit. Saving the palette in PSP format (.PSPpalette or something such) and changing the extension to .pal works (it is just a pain to have to change the extension). Are the PSP an microsoft pallets just reversed order? How come the .pal export version from PSP is reversed? Is there a way to use PSP and avoid manually changing the file extension?

Hi!

Actually, I have not PSP8 (Paint Shop Pro?) and don't know anything about PSP palette files.
Regarding MS palette file structure. It has 24-bytes header (first letters must be "RIFF") and then follows colors information: RGB and alpha values in binary format.
In case PSP has the similar structure you can use it after changing the file extension.

 

[Bungus]

Cyber Dreyk-
Periodically when I use Civ3Edit (before the latest patch) and export to storyboard and back again to flc, all transpanent areas within the frame turn a semi transparent grey. Its happend seeminly random when I change the offset. Do you know anyways around this?

I've tried the new patch, but the problem persists. Also, adjustments to a units offset don't save; the unit must be exported to storyboard then to flc for the changes to take place.

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

Cyber Dreyk-
Periodically when I use Civ3Edit (before the latest patch) and export to storyboard and back again to flc, all transpanent areas within the frame turn a semi transparent grey. Its happend seeminly random when I change the offset. Do you know anyways around this?

You can test the following options in the "Output Settings" sheet of the "Export FLC to Storyboard" dialog box:
"Original colors" - image file's palette will have the same last 32 colors as FLC;
"Hardcoded colors" - last 32 colors of palette will be replaced with hardcoded semi-gray colors (recommended mode);
"Get colors from file" - last 32 colors will gets from selected palette file.

Also, adjustments to a units offset don't save; the unit must be exported to storyboard then to flc for the changes to take place.

Yes, it's known bug, I have told about it above. You should switch from default timer to custom ("Delay" control sheet of Control Bar) - then offset changes will be saved. This bug will be fixed in the next version.

Good luck!

 

[Parthius]

Cyber Dreyk,
I think this was covered in an earlier enhancement request, but it would be really useful to be able to just use the palette that is part of the 256 color storyboard pcx file (like we got used to with flicster).

I have gotten used to using SBB to assemble all the images into a storyboard, importing into Paint Shop Pro where I apply the palette and save as a pcx file. Then it was into flicster to convert to a flc file (until I started noticing dropped pixels...). With Civ3FlcEdit, I have to do the extra step of supplying the palette in a seperate file. Not a biggie (especially given all the great features like offsets), but certainly a nice to have!

Keep up the great work, it is greatly appeciated!!!

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

Cyber Dreyk,
I think this was covered in an earlier enhancement request, but it would be really useful to be able to just use the palette that is part of the 256 color storyboard pcx file (like we got used to with flicster).

Sorry, it seems to me that I don't understand you quite well.

What do you mean: "just use the palette that is part of the 256 color storyboard pcx file"? You can use such palette in case select "Original colors" in the "Output settings" sheet of "Export FLC to Storyboard" dialog box. In that case palette file, which generated with Storyboard, will have the same colors as image file. (You will have a problem in case last 32 colors have the same RGB values - in that case all shadows and smoke will be red, as far as I remember).

Next version of the app will have option which allow create two palette files during Storyboard generation. One - like now, it may be current, hardcoded or selected palette and the other - it will has "_Default.EXT" suffix and contains current image file palette but all colors will be placed on the right positions opposed to palettes, generated by any other applications like Adobe PS, Paint Shop Pro etc.

Possible, I'll add a new feature - 24bit storyboard image files, i.e. you can select type of image file color depth either 8bit or 24 bit (not quite sure about the feature, now I'm scrutinize this possibility).

Please, let me know in case I don't understand you or features described above will not be enough.

Keep up the great work, it is greatly appeciated!!!

Thank you for compliments!

 

[Parthius]

Da, we have a mis-communication (but your English is great and far better than my Russian ever will be.)

Here is how I understand things: Once I convert an image file (any format) to a 256 color pcx format image, the palette information is stored as part of the pcx image. This means, for example that I can open the image and then open/edit the palette that was stored as part of the image. If the palette (that is stored as part of the image) is a Civ3 palette, then I don't need a seperate palette file.

To hopefully clarify further, I generate movie frames with poser, use Stephs SBB to combine them into one big bmp image, and then use Paint shop Pro to:
(1) open the bmp image, (2) apply the Civ3 palette I have created earlier, and (3) save as a 256 color pcx image file. If I use Flicster, all I need is the pcx image (I don't need the palette file seperately).

With Civ3FlcEdit, I need both the pcx file and the palette file to go with the Civ3FlcEdit c3f generated file. Is there a way to generate the c3f file so that it will not want both a pcx file and a palette file, but only the pcx file like Flicster?

From your post, it sounds like I can do this but I will have to go about things in a different way from what I have been. I will continue to experiment...

Now for something very positive: Your offset feature is Wonderful!!!!
Now I can generate all my frames and fix the vertical offset as a final step rather than working that out first. Fantastic program!

And thanks for the interest in and attention to my questions!

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

Da, we have a mis-communication (but your English is great and far better than my Russian ever will be.)

Thank you, but you didn't hear my spoken English - it's terrible, I quess.

Here is how I understand things: Once I convert an image file (any format) to a 256 color pcx format image, the palette information is stored as part of the pcx image. This means, for example that I can open the image and then open/edit the palette that was stored as part of the image. If the palette (that is stored as part of the image) is a Civ3 palette, then I don't need a seperate palette file.

Wow! I just check FLICster's storyboard and seen what you mean. I'm sure, it's possible to make civ specified palette for image files and it will be made.
Thank you very much!

 

[Parthius]

Just remember, it was requested as a "nice to have" feature when you get around to it. Civ2FlcEdit is fully functional without that ability (and it probably is good practice to keep a .pal file around with the .pcx file anyway)! Thanks!

 

[Cyber Dreyk]

Just remember, it was requested as a "nice to have" feature when you get around to it. Civ2FlcEdit is fully functional without that ability (and it probably is good practice to keep a .pal file around with the .pcx file anyway)! Thanks!

Oops! Excuse me! I just opened C3F Sb image file in the Abobe Photo Shop and seen that it has 'right' civ-specified palette, like FLICster's pcx files. I totally forgot about it! Separate palette file needed just to set initial colors to storyboard after any changes. So, it seems to me that your request already done.