Author Topic: unit sprite help  (Read 6326 times)

Offline luke83

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unit sprite help
« on: December 08, 2018, 04:14:57 am »
Hey, i have a several unit sprites from 2012 that i need to update to PNG with working pallets, can someone make  or link me to a tutorial on how to do this with Irfranview  or  Asprite, would love a OXC specific tutorial if its possible not a generic online one :P.

Trying to move away from GIMP due to pallet issues BUT dont have the spare cash for Photoshop :) 
« Last Edit: December 08, 2018, 04:29:17 am by luke83 »

Offline ohartenstein23

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Re: unit sprite help
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2018, 06:20:12 am »
Hi luke, I've been using GIMP for most of my modding - I wrote a post for ensuring that you have the proper palette in your images here, which includes all the palettes for UFO in GIMP's format. One thing that I've found that helps is filling the blank space in your images with index 0 instead of leaving it transparent, which I set to an obnoxious bright green that's not used in the rest of the palette in those files.

Offline luke83

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Re: unit sprite help
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2018, 09:37:22 pm »
@ ohartenstein23 - i dont know how to get Gimp to read in the custom pallets, i sent you a PM on this topic.

@ Everyone else -I have since tried  using Irfanview but dont know how to force everything to a particular pallet, some help with this one would be appreciated.




Offline luke83

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Re: unit sprite help
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2018, 11:50:24 pm »
 i have placed your templates into the Gimp folder but my gimp is still not showing them

Offline The Reaver of Darkness

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Re: unit sprite help
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2018, 01:59:49 am »
I have heard tell that Photoshop can be made to do palettes, but multiple users have stated that Gimp is better than Photoshop when it comes to respecting or altering palettes.

But I'd recommend you put your images through Falko's palette-converter, specifically made for openxcom. It's a great tool when it's up, and if it goes down, you can just ask Falko to refresh it. It stays up for a few months at a time.

Offline Meridian

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Re: unit sprite help
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2018, 02:03:46 am »
From my experience, Photoshop does not alter or optimize palettes and can be used easily.

I've seen GIMP alter/optimize palettes, but it was a long ago and I stopped using it completely... maybe it's better now.

Offline luke83

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Re: unit sprite help
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2018, 02:26:43 am »
I have heard tell that Photoshop can be made to do palettes, but multiple users have stated that Gimp is better than Photoshop when it comes to respecting or altering palettes.

But I'd recommend you put your images through Falko's palette-converter, specifically made for openxcom. It's a great tool when it's up, and if it goes down, you can just ask Falko to refresh it. It stays up for a few months at a time.

Falkos palette converter doesnt seam to work, below are two files, Can anyone please see if you can get it to workm i have tried several times so i am either doing something wrong. I even tried transferring the Sectoid from UFO - TFTD and Back again but the files still dont work in game. ( shows black boxes with a gun):

Note: B1z is for the titlescreen, i have no idea what pallet that uses  ;)
« Last Edit: December 09, 2018, 05:57:23 am by luke83 »

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: unit sprite help
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2018, 02:29:44 am »
I have heard tell that Photoshop can be made to do palettes, but multiple users have stated that Gimp is better than Photoshop when it comes to respecting or altering palettes.


Offline Meridian

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Re: unit sprite help
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2018, 12:07:01 pm »
Converting images into OpenXcom palette tutorial:

« Last Edit: December 09, 2018, 12:19:56 pm by Meridian »

Offline luke83

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Re: unit sprite help
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2018, 10:19:36 am »
Converting images into OpenXcom palette tutorial:


Thankyou this tutorial was very useful, i now have them in game but they are a little messed up ( like they have a set of legs on there head in one orientation and in another there gun is floating out in front of them, i assume this is not a pallet issue but some OFFSETS i need to specify ( as my game must still assume they are Humans).

Offline Meridian

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Re: unit sprite help
« Reply #10 on: December 10, 2018, 06:11:21 pm »
Thankyou this tutorial was very useful, i now have them in game but they are a little messed up ( like they have a set of legs on there head in one orientation and in another there gun is floating out in front of them, i assume this is not a pallet issue but some OFFSETS i need to specify ( as my game must still assume they are Humans).

Yes, that's most likely the case.
Various units have various drawing routines, and expect various sprite sheets.

Offline The Reaver of Darkness

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Re: unit sprite help
« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2018, 04:18:30 am »
The F_sectoid.bmp image is correctly paletted with the battlescape palette. If you don't see a palette on it, it may indicate that IrfanView does not recognize bitmap palettes? mtpaint recognizes the palette, and Falko's converter confirms it by being able to palette swap the image without problem.

Offline Meridian

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Re: unit sprite help
« Reply #12 on: December 11, 2018, 09:36:19 am »
The F_sectoid.bmp image is correctly paletted with the battlescape palette. If you don't see a palette on it, it may indicate that IrfanView does not recognize bitmap palettes? mtpaint recognizes the palette, and Falko's converter confirms it by being able to palette swap the image without problem.

IrfanView also correctly recognizes F_sectoid.bmp as paletted with battlescape palette... not sure what you want to say.

Offline luke83

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Re: unit sprite help
« Reply #13 on: December 11, 2018, 11:08:22 am »
IrfanView also correctly recognizes F_sectoid.bmp as paletted with battlescape palette... not sure what you want to say.

Yes, it has imported Correctly ( colour wise at least) i need to work out how to define its heights and weapon positions to get working correctly so for now i am just trying to disable the kneeling and i can come back to this part later on in my mod.