Editing units_32.pcx files etc

[frunobulax]

Has anyone successfully edited this yet ? Any tips for us Mac users ?

I tried last night - using Graphic Convertor in OSX - and the new icon I added (after the worker icon in position 66) does not appear when I launch Civ3 again, though the unit is edited into the .bic file successfully (it's a WW2 Cruiser unit).

Any tips ? Is it something to do with the resolution of units_32.pcx file ? The original I was pasting from was made by a PC user, but will this need changing in anyway first before pasting ?

Also had same problem with the Small/Large pcx files for this Cruiser unit that go into the Civilopedia - they just came up as bright pink when I ran the game...

thanks

Fruno

 

[ejday]

Originally posted by frunobulax
Any tips ? Is it something to do with the resolution of units_32.pcx file ? The original I was pasting from was made by a PC user, but will this need changing in anyway first before pasting ?

Also had same problem with the Small/Large pcx files for this Cruiser unit that go into the Civilopedia - they just came up as bright pink when I ran the game...

thanks

Fruno

Pink? Sounds like Graphic Converter is changing the color table. I use GC to look at the FLCs, but I haven't edited anything with it. For the icon editing, I use Photoshop 7, and while I haven't messed with the units yet, I'm pretty sure the resources use the same system and those have come out fine.

I'll tinker with GC and see if there's a way around that...

 

[frunobulax]

ejday - thanks for the reply - I'm wondering if it's something akin to the problem of editing units graphics in good ol' Civ2, where you had to circumvent the Mac PICT colour table adding an extra colour at the end of the line. I know I had to tinker with GC's PICT open/save settings.

 

[ejday]

Originally posted by frunobulax
I'm wondering if it's something akin to the problem of editing units graphics in good ol' Civ2, where you had to circumvent the Mac PICT colour table adding an extra colour at the end of the line. I know I had to tinker with GC's PICT open/save settings.

That's what I was thinking too, but I'm starting to lean away from that. PCX color tables work differently from Mac-centric PICTs, so in the long run, we got lucky on that one...
***
I just played around a little in GC 4.5 and Photoshop 7.0 and they both seem to open and resave PCX fine (identically, it seems - but that may be dependant on your GC save preferences). Off the top of my head... I dunno. I'm stumped. I played with adding resources in GCs prefs to see if I could screw it up, but so far no. Could your GC have some rare affliction? Try d/l'ing a new version maybe and see if the old is corrupted?

...Or, maybe, I'll wake up and suddenly figure it out. But I'm about to pass out on the keyboard and it always leaves that funny waffle pattern on my face when I do, so I'm going to bed.

 

[senecasax]

GC Srews your PCX Files, at least it does mine.
I've installed X11 & fink, and then downloaded and installed an excellent FREE image program The GIMP. It's nearly the equivalent of photoshop, and it works flawlessly with PCX. It ALSO will read an FLC and make each frame into a layer.

 

[frunobulax]

How about Photoshop 7 ? I can (ahem) get my hands on a copy

 

[jbouklas]

I made a scenario with the help of this program, and it crashes my Civ3. All of the civilizations are new, and it just crashes when it tries to load the scenario. Does anyone else have this problem? Thanks.

-Jim

 

[frunobulax]

Originally posted by jbouklas
I made a scenario with the help of this program, and it crashes my Civ3

jbouklas - do you mean Photoshop 7 here ?

---
Anyways, I tried editing the "units_32.pcx" file again with Photoshop 7 and still no joy, except the pink is now blue where the image should go.

Also had same problems, using Photoshop, with the Civilopedia large/small pcx files for my new unit - even if I copy and re-title an existing one (e.g. Privateer), even if I renamed them "66Cruiserlarge.pcx" & "66Cruisersmall.pcx" or "75Cruiserlarge.pcx" & "75Cruisersmall.pcx" - since I'm not sure what the number should be (Privateer is #65 in Civilopedia, but in the units_32.pcx file my new unit is in position 75).

I noticed that Graphic Convertor DID do something to my pcx colour tables, losing the last "000000" (black) at position #255, so am trying Photoshop for the time being...

 

[DiamondzAndGunz]

Originally posted by frunobulax
Has anyone successfully edited this yet ? Any tips for us Mac users ?

Yes I have, with Photoshop. Don't think I did anything special- just opened it up, copied in the unit pics that I needed, a voila, they were there.