PERFECT SPRITE EXTRACTION

Gandalf Parker · #1 April 28th, 2007, 01:19 PM

Hmm worked just now for me using Firefox.

Editing sprites for this game IS much easier when there are some to cut-n-paste from. Making a combat image (the second sprite for the "combat" move in case there are lurkers reading this) is much easier by cut-n-pasting the arm into a new position. Making new sprites by changing some colors of a unit image, or pasting together pieces of different images, also helps. Even just having an example to use for sizing and such.

Of course eventually its good to draw your own but I think this is a great thing for that middle section between just changing the text and completely designing your own units. And it will be a particular help to the "improved nations" modders who are working with the nations that are already in the game.

Foodstamp · #2 April 28th, 2007, 03:19 PM

Bah, you got me excited. I thought you had found a way to extract the attack sprites too. Knowing the optimal settings will definitely reduce the time I spend on sprites if I decide to edit in game sprites.

Now if we can get the modding graphics limit cap fixed, I may consider replacing some of my reused sprites with custom ones in a few of my mods.

Gandalf Parker · #3 April 28th, 2007, 05:15 PM

I think he was emphasizing "perfect sprites" rather than "perfect extraction"

and I thought the sprite cap was worked out. Something to do with the order that the commands were put into the mod file?

Foodstamp · #4 April 28th, 2007, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Gandalf Parker said:
I think he was emphasizing "perfect sprites" rather than "perfect extraction"

and I thought the sprite cap was worked out. Something to do with the order that the commands were put into the mod file?

Really? If so, this is great news. I have been steering clear of adding new graphics because of this bug.

Sombre · #5 April 28th, 2007, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Foodstamp said:
Bah, you got me excited. I thought you had found a way to extract the attack sprites too.

Attack sprites are easy for the most part - just adjust an arm and a leg, shift the weapon a bit etc.

VedalkenBear · #6 April 29th, 2007, 12:14 PM

Well, if someone can tell me a graphics program that can open and manipulate a .tga file, I might be able to get something done.

As it is, nothing I have seems to work.

Sombre · #7 April 29th, 2007, 12:41 PM

I use Paint Shop Pro, but people here seem to like GIMP, which is free. Just google for it.

Gandalf Parker · #8 April 29th, 2007, 12:51 PM

alot of people use IrfanView (I think its free) as a viewer so that you can see the graphics in the maps folder easily. Very handy when you are batch-generating maps. An added benefit is that it offers to "save as" to many formats. So you can convert the tga to a bmp, use paint, then convert it back.

VedalkenBear · #9 April 29th, 2007, 02:09 PM

IrfanView? All right, I'll check into that, Gandalf, thanks. (All I need to do is change the filetype.)

I might look at GIMP too, but I'm really not that good at art. Pixel-by-pixel in Paint is about my limit. ><

Endoperez · #10 April 29th, 2007, 04:12 PM

I use MsPaint for the extraction because it's very quick to use and to open. Once I define the image size to 64x64 it's very easy to paste, copy unit, ctrl+n for new 64x64 blank, paste, edit and save. I could do the same in Gimp, but it opens much more slowly.

I use IrfanView to open Paint-saved .bmp files and to save them as targa files Dominions uses.

I use Gimp when I need to change the colors of the unit or of (some of) its equipment. It's easy to change e.g. all blue of a Ranger's (LA Ulm) clothes to green. The things you want to be able to do are:
1) use the color changing/shifting tools, and the blurring tools
2) use various selection tools (by area, all similar color, the magic wand selector tool) to restrict e.g. the blurring or the color shift into just parts of the sprite
3) use the basic tools for pixel-by-pixel editing to change one weapon to a different one, or to make a shield or change the shield's type, or to add a symbol, or to make an attack sprite.
4) use layers.

Examples:
You take a LA Ulm Ranger: a crossbowman clad in green. You choose a correct option from the toolbar and get to a window that lets you change all blue in the picture to a different hue, e.g. green. the boots are now discolored, so you paste another ranger into another layer, copy the original boots and paste them on the green one. Ta-da: a William Tell the Marksman!

You take a Vanir, and remove the horse. You take a Wyvern. You select the Wyvern's wing and move it into a separate layer. You add the riderless Vanir to a third layer. You realign the layers so that the rear wing is behind the Vanir, but the front wing is before him. Ta-da: a Wyvern Knight!