Help making Unit Icons from pictures

[Plumbean]

Can you make Unit icons from a picture.I tried it with the new editor I downloaded but as it gets smaller it keeps getting fuzzy.
First can you do this and make it clear,or do you have to draw from scratch.If any one has any Info please let me know thanks

 

[Prometeus]

Two tips for you... first, of course, backup the pic.

a) remove ALL of the unnecessary backgrounds ( very important!!! Do it asap )

b) reduce colour palette to a maximum 150 colours.

c) Then resize it to civ2 format. If it's still too much fuzzy, retouch it a little.

 

[kobayashi]

I usually use Adobe Photoshop.

Like Prometeus, the first thing I do is remove the background. Use any contrasting colour to draw a outline around the object you want and then colour away the rest of the background.

Then adjust the brightness,contrast and shift the colour spectrum as required to get the best image.

Save as the big picture in JPEG format.

Resize to fit Civ 2.

Adjust the brightness and contrast again. At this point I usually choose the 'sharpen' comand as a final touch.

Then cut and copy over to the unit.bmp in MS paint.

In MS Paint, look for unwanted border colours. I use the colour of the unwanted border pixels repeatedly to fill the background (which eats up the unwanted border pixels) until all are gone.

Finally fill in the background with the standard pink and proceed with manual touchup.

 

[Evie]

Originally posted by kobayashi
I usually use Adobe Photoshop.

Like Prometeus, the first thing I do is remove the background. Use any contrasting colour to draw a outline around the object you want and then colour away the rest of the background.

Then adjust the brightness,contrast and shift the colour spectrum as required to get the best image.

Save as the big picture in JPEG format.

Resize to fit Civ 2.

Adjust the brightness and contrast again. At this point I usually choose the 'sharpen' comand as a final touch.

Then cut and copy over to the unit.bmp in MS paint.

In MS Paint, look for unwanted border colours. I use the colour of the unwanted border pixels repeatedly to fill the background (which eats up the unwanted border pixels) until all are gone.

Finally fill in the background with the standard pink and proceed with manual touchup.

The one thing I might add is that it really doesn't take that much time to do. It seems like a long process written there, but as long as you have a good graphic program to do the actual editing (read : NOT PAINT ) and are competent enough with a mouse (so that you don't end up cutting half your pic with the lasso tool or coloring over it), the basic process can be done in, what, 15 minutes or so? (transfer to units.bmp file not withstanding). That's less time than it would take actually hand-drawing the pic into the file, or as much at best - and the quality is, usually, far superior.

 

[Morten Blaabjerg]

One thing that can be useful, is to save the palette from the units.gif, and load in the palette to your picture before you paste it into the units.gif. That way you can see how the new palette looks with the new graphics and make adjustments or color replacements before you copy n'paste.

And the magic wand is wonderful too, especially the "invert selection". This way you can mix and copy'n paste pictures together from different sources with relative ease. Just use the magic wand to select all the (single-coloured) background of an image, then invert the selection, so you have the unit grapx selected instead, then copy and paste where you want it.

 

[Plumbean]

Wow thanks for the support everybody I will give it a try.Adobe photoshop is there a site you could try it on the net.I have serval good pictures of russian T-90 tanks and I want to try it out.I will let you all know how i did:crazyeyes

 

[Plumbean]

Ok everybody here is my first work it is a Russian T-90 tanks/Thanks for all your help any pointer on how to make Better I will gladly listen

 

[Plumbean]

Here Is the original picture

 

[Plumbean]

Here is a russian carrier I am getting better with the fuzzyness but I need more help with the color it look Dull

 

[kobayashi]

T-90's good, although you could darken manually a bit the few shiny parts. Carrier's beond redemption though but ships are notoriously hard to do using this method since they are mostly the same colour.

 

[Plumbean]

Thanks with the Info Kobayashi,I like the tank but the ship is really hard.I think i will let some else do ship do Them.Do you know any one who can do them good.Here is a russian armored car I just edit a picture I found

 

[kobayashi]

This one's good too. To be picky, there are still two white pixels on the right of the vehicle and also getting rid of the shadow below will make it easier to recognize as an armoured car at a glance.

 

[Plumbean]

Ok Kobayashi here the newer version hope you like