Messages

1

Resources / Re: image editors / graphics programs

« on: August 24, 2014, 04:00:38 pm »

OP: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=2676.msg28507#msg28507

I'm pretty sure that it won't work unless your final image contains every color in the palette (or at least the first and the last color), else the palette will be truncated. and sometimes shifted.

I assume it might work if you keep a full-palette image as an invisible layer, which forces the GIMP to keep all colors in the palette... but I don't know what happens in the export function. if this actually works, it would be really cool, because I love the GIMP.

Sorry for the delay... I just tested that with GIMP 2.8.10 on some HANDOBs - the palette was correctly saved with all the original colors in their positions even though there were only 43 colors in all layers (original layer deleted).
The background color of the new graphics must match that of the palette's original (at index 0) - since some sprites use different background colors.

Edit: Okay, that didn't answer your question.
Another test: saving blank image (all filled with color id 0): still saves the palette right.
Saving an image filled with some middle color from the pallete also saves the palette right. Export options: all unchecked.

2

Tools / Re: sprite tools

« on: August 02, 2014, 12:58:28 am »

Linux users may use the ImageMagick toolset to merge a list of individual images into a spritesheet. (Win32 builds exist too, I believe)

$ montage ./hand*.gif -adjoin -geometry 32x40 -tile x1 -background transparent hadndob_unmapped.png
-- here all files beginning with hand were merged into 1-row sheet
may use -tile 32x for armor spritesheets (32 columns)

Note, that I'm naming my output 'unmapped', because the process reduces the palette, making it incompatible. Finally, this would require restoring the palette - I just paste the new spritesheet with GIMP into an existing valid image (one of the originals, with good palette), resizing it & removing the original layer; then save as new.

(manual on montage: https://www.imagemagick.org/Usage/montage/)

3

Resources / Re: image editors / graphics programs

« on: August 02, 2014, 12:37:05 am »

Hello, using GIMP on Linux.
I've found that you can reuse a palette from existing valid graphic files. Just open a good image in GIMP, delete/hide the original layer, resize as needed and paste into it your own graphics; the palette should remain from the previous image and apply to your new layer.
This has produced working sprites for me.