flamescreen
Ancient Mariner
you have to name them in the same format in each subfolder(like from run01 to run09) and then locate the first one through the builder. There htm's that explain it better though(coming with the program).
Test of Time conversion
- Thread starter mrtn
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DJ Bonebraker
a.k.a Laura
When you create all 8 folders, you must have the series of files in each folder with the same name and number of files (i.e. all be unitX000-00x in each folder, not unitXNW001-00x). It should work automatically. I could post a ziped file of my own folders with my latest rendering if you have trouble figuring it out.
flamescreen
Ancient Mariner
you're doing it the wrong way.
Every folder(1 for each direction, so 8 of them, not just N), MUST have identically named pics in it. Preferably, no dots except for the one before bmp and no spaces. I put them in one folder I call "140", or "160", depending on what resolution I'm having.
SBB takes ALL pics from EVERY folder and creates one big bmp with all directions in it(which I then paste to an existing .pcx file through flicster.) You just have to open it and enter the first file name of the first direction folder.
go with VERY simple names just to make sure(e.g. unit001.bmp, unit002.bmp and so on)
Every folder(1 for each direction, so 8 of them, not just N), MUST have identically named pics in it. Preferably, no dots except for the one before bmp and no spaces. I put them in one folder I call "140", or "160", depending on what resolution I'm having.
SBB takes ALL pics from EVERY folder and creates one big bmp with all directions in it(which I then paste to an existing .pcx file through flicster.) You just have to open it and enter the first file name of the first direction folder.
go with VERY simple names just to make sure(e.g. unit001.bmp, unit002.bmp and so on)
I had problem getting SBB to do what I wanted until I renamed the files Name0000.bmp, i e exactly as in the tutorial. It may be that it didn't like the - in the unit name.
I have a batch rename program (called Bulk Rename Utility), btw, helps a lot.
25 frames per animation?
That sounds quite a lot for ToT, I haven't seen one bigger than 15 yet.
I've tentatively started converting the Great Bats, there are some colour issues though, not to mention the fact that it's bleeding impossible to see which animation is what direction...
I have a batch rename program (called Bulk Rename Utility), btw, helps a lot.
25 frames per animation?
That sounds quite a lot for ToT, I haven't seen one bigger than 15 yet.I've tentatively started converting the Great Bats, there are some colour issues though, not to mention the fact that it's bleeding impossible to see which animation is what direction...
its the corsair. he shoots 3 times in one animation!
mrtn, shall we make an agreement? i'll do only scifi ones, and you fantasy ones, so as to stop us making the same ones twice? (cos im an avid fantasy fan too)
well, i'll rename them. again.
mrtn, shall we make an agreement? i'll do only scifi ones, and you fantasy ones, so as to stop us making the same ones twice? (cos im an avid fantasy fan too)
well, i'll rename them. again.
I won't make any sci fi ones. On the other hand I don't know how many fantasy units I'll do, that depends on what I may need.
So I probably won't do any cavalry units, as those are quite ugly. I also doubt I'll do any units that have problematic shadows. But you can always ask if I've started converting a unit you need.
So I probably won't do any cavalry units, as those are quite ugly. I also doubt I'll do any units that have problematic shadows. But you can always ask if I've started converting a unit you need.
flamescreen
Ancient Mariner
have in mind, 25 might be too many. R8XFT had this problem with his first unit, till he reduced to 20 frames(I think this is the max).
DJ Bonebraker
a.k.a Laura
No, 25 is fine... The max is 64, and some of Steph's Cossacks conversions have almost 40 frames per direction. The problem is that you can't have any numbers in the unit name besides the last ones. i.e. unit7_001.bmp will not work, because the 7 confuses SBB, but Unit-001.bmp or Unit_001.bmp WILL work, since Poser generates Images using such a numerical factor. Of course, the storybord generated will be Unit-.bmp or Unit_.bmp, but when you convet the file using PsP and save over top of the blank storyboard PCX generated by Flicster, your problem is stolved.
DJ Bonebraker
a.k.a Laura
1. Open SBB
2. Pick the Single Unit Storyboard Builder option.
3. When the menu opens, click on the "Browse" button below the "Main Source Folder" box, then find one of the 8 folders the graphics are in, and double click on one of the files. If the first file's number ends in 0, you're good to go for the final step. If it ends in 1, check the box that says "First=1"
4. Check the orientations; all 8 directions should be checked, indicating that SBB found all the proper files. If everything checks out, click the Generate Storyboard button and you're done.
Now you can take the true color BMP into PsP, GIMP or Photoshop and convert it to a proper unit-pallete pcx file, and save it over the blank PCX that FLICster generates. It took me three days to figure this all out, so don't feel bad.
2. Pick the Single Unit Storyboard Builder option.
3. When the menu opens, click on the "Browse" button below the "Main Source Folder" box, then find one of the 8 folders the graphics are in, and double click on one of the files. If the first file's number ends in 0, you're good to go for the final step. If it ends in 1, check the box that says "First=1"
4. Check the orientations; all 8 directions should be checked, indicating that SBB found all the proper files. If everything checks out, click the Generate Storyboard button and you're done.
Now you can take the true color BMP into PsP, GIMP or Photoshop and convert it to a proper unit-pallete pcx file, and save it over the blank PCX that FLICster generates. It took me three days to figure this all out, so don't feel bad.
Quinzy, feel free to ask if you have any more questions. 
I started to convert the bat swarm, but the big civ colour blob doesn't turn out too good (it's very flat and big), so I'll probably ditch that project.
I have started to convert the Sorcerer, have done the default and half the attack, and this seems better, even if the shadows can be a female dog in some directions.
The cyan are the shadows, and the pale green arms are civ coloured. Had to mess around with the palette a bit, as there are both red and blue in the unit, so I had to settle for green civ colours...
I started to convert the bat swarm, but the big civ colour blob doesn't turn out too good (it's very flat and big), so I'll probably ditch that project.
I have started to convert the Sorcerer, have done the default and half the attack, and this seems better, even if the shadows can be a female dog in some directions.
The cyan are the shadows, and the pale green arms are civ coloured. Had to mess around with the palette a bit, as there are both red and blue in the unit, so I had to settle for green civ colours...
There's another way...
In my version of SBB, I have an "American Conquest converter" button...
That takes American Conquest single frame bitmaps, makes automatically the mirror, take them in the correct order (no needs to rename), etc.
If asked nicely, and some examples are provided, I imagine there could a a "convert from Test of Time" button...
That is, if the animations are really worth it
In my version of SBB, I have an "American Conquest converter" button...
That takes American Conquest single frame bitmaps, makes automatically the mirror, take them in the correct order (no needs to rename), etc.
If asked nicely, and some examples are provided, I imagine there could a a "convert from Test of Time" button...
That is, if the animations are really worth it
Stormrage
Ever Present Taskmaster
mrtn, you can request the bat swarm in my "Fantasy units! Loads of fantasy units thread". That site has a bat, it could be m-unit..
Please, Steph?Steph said:
I will email a couple of units to your free.fr address.
Yeah, that's the big question, isn't it? There are almost 300 units in ToT, about a third each from the "original", fantasy and sci fi.Steph said:
Most of the sci fi and fantasy units are good. Though some have already been created (aaglo made a skeleton or seven, so we might not need the ToT ones) for civ 3, of course.
Most of the original units are of worse quality than the civ 3 vanilla units, but some could find a use (like the alpine trooper, maybe?).
So, I'd say that "yes, it would be useful, provided it doesn't take you three months of hard programming to do."
It shouldn't be to long to program. Converters are easy to do when the animations are there.
So from the example, it should be relatively fast (don't expect something before January though, as Christmas and 1st of January have the bad idea to be Sundays...
Where could I find a list and preview of the existing units for ToT?
So from the example, it should be relatively fast (don't expect something before January though, as Christmas and 1st of January have the bad idea to be Sundays...
Where could I find a list and preview of the existing units for ToT?
mrtn said:Please, Steph?
I will email a couple of units to your free.fr address.
Yeah, that's the big question, isn't it? There are almost 300 units in ToT, about a third each from the "original", fantasy and sci fi.
Most of the sci fi and fantasy units are good. Though some have already been created (aaglo made a skeleton or seven, so we might not need the ToT ones) for civ 3, of course.
Most of the original units are of worse quality than the civ 3 vanilla units, but some could find a use (like the alpine trooper, maybe?).
So, I'd say that "yes, it would be useful, provided it doesn't take you three months of hard programming to do."
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