A bit frustrated

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

About 3 hours ago I finished the framework for a new mod. I tried it out wihout sprites as often Dom III can just assign approximately appropriate sprites to new critters, and I just wanted to see where I was at that point.

I got the 'critter has too high sprite# error" so I knew I needed to actually put in sprites. I fired up the Gimp and got to work.

I made a bunch of first pass tga files and tried them out. Dom III crashed with a "bad tga file" error. I checked and sure enough I had saved them with compression on, so I resaved them.

Same error. So I resaved them to new file names and then deleted the old compressed files and renamed all the new files to the correct filenames.

Same error. So I checked filenames referenced in the dm file and sure enough had one filename misspelled wrong "batelmage.tga" instead of "battlemage.tga". I fixed it.

Same error. So, I got rid of all references to all tga files except one.

Same error. I checked the file. targa--check. uncompressed--check. 24 or 32 bit? I have not a clue. I have no idea how to check that. Sigh.

I decide to change the one file over to SGI rgb format. I do it, make sure it is uncompressed.

Same error. Well, the manual says 'must be targa or sgi, 24/32 bit color, and uncompressed or RLE.' Maybe it means that in sgi it must use RLE. So I resave it.

Same error. Even though it is not a tga file any longer. What the heck?

I try a few other things. No joy. Very frustrating. I have wasted my day--In No Small Part because the error codes are so dang vague and unhelpful.

How about Helpful Codes like:
bad tga file--batelmage.tga
bad tga file--battlemage.tga should not be comprssed
bad tga file--battlemage.tga is 16 bit, must be 24 or 32
bad tga file--batelmage.tga does not exist
bad tga file--directory battlemages does not exist
bad sgi file--battlemage.rgb is whateveraslongasitisinformative.

Sigh. Ok, any body have any helpful hints? I will attach a sample file to take a look at.

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

Looks like it won't let me upload a tga file. I will try a zipped version. Sigh.

[DrPraetorious]

I'd suggest using "#copyspr" for now. That's what my mod uses, and it lets you copy existing sprites by unit #.

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

Thanks! I like that.

[Arralen]

Uh-Nu-Buh said:
Looks like it won't let me upload a tga file. I will try a zipped version. Sigh.

6.5 #spr1 “<imgfile>”
The file name of the normal image for the monster. The
size of the image should be 8, 16, 32, 64 or 128 pixels
wide/high. A human being should be about 32 pixels
high and there should be 2 pixels of free space between
his feet and the bottom of the image.


picture size: 32x53 pixel

.. bad tga ...

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

I checked out some other sprites people have made, and noticed they are pretty much all 128X128. I took my 32X53 files and added a larger transparent canvas to make them 128X128, even though the pics are much smaller. It works.

I am not an artist by any means. I hate this kind of stuff... it just does not come naturally to me.

Thanks to everyone who helped me out!

[UninspiredName]

Wait... Do you need to have the width and height the same number? I had a 16X32 unit, and am trying to figure out why the mod won't run...

[Amos]

32x32 is minimum I think. But the width and height dont have to be the same. I just change most of my canvas to 128x128 to be safe.

[UninspiredName]

Well, I'm pretty sure the manual said 16 was acceptable, and forcing Hoburgs to 32X32 doesn't really make sense. I guess I'll look over the .dm file again.

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

If you make the figure in the sprite the correct size, and the rest of the canvas transparent, then you can't go wrong with 128X128 as Amos has said.

Be interesting to experiment with though.