Need help with LBM files

[DRG]

You're using PSP and so am I so we have the same controls

M-60P

Start by converting the photo to grey scale

Next click on the EFFECTS tab then use ENHANCE PHOTO then Automatic Contrast enhancement

Do 1 at Lighter / Normal/ Flat then one at Lighter / Normal/ Natural

Now click on the EFFECTS tab again and then click on the Sharpen tab then do "Sharpen More"

Use the selection tool to draw a rough 2:1 box around the area you want to use in your pic then press CTL-C and then Ctrl-V ( you now have a copy of the photo ) then do the following

RESIZE with the controls set to SMART SIZE and both resize all layers and maintain aspect ratio ON and PIXEL SIZE selected. It varies by photo but in this case I set the width to 164 and that gave me height of 86 which fits well with the 160x80 size of a PIC.

Now press SHARPEN once then cut and paste the entire photo into a pre made 160x80 image already set up with the PIC palette and you'll get the right side of this attachment instead of the left or you can take out the tanks and men you don't need and get in closer like the second attachment ( which is what I would do but I'd use the photo we already have )

Don

[DRG]

..and sometime you just have to look for a different photo . "Alpine squad" just doesn't work well no matter what you do,

Don

[Wolf_Warrior]

great... Thanks
I never thought of contrast enhancement, it really makes a difference

[DRG]

It depends on the photo what you use and how much of it but most colour photos need it wen converte to B&W

Don

[Cross]

Originally Posted by Wolf_Warrior

I wanted to ask you, which program can i use to edit LBM pictures.
Till now i used Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3, but my trial expired, now i need a new program. Any suggestions?

THX

P.S.

Some advice on creating good LBM's is also usefull

I use these:

IrfanView.................... ......... To view LBM files, and can sharpen BMP images.
IrfanView Thumbnails........ To view and sort a lot of LBM files at one time
Paint.Net............................. To create, change, clean up, resize and sharpen BMP images
LBM Tool – Picture Utility.. To convert BMP files to LBM

I mostly use Paint.Net to resize the images, and agree that it’s important to sharpen them after the image has been resized. Then I save the image as a 160x80 BMP file and then use the LBM Tool to convert the image to SP colours and create an LBM.

The LBM Tool can also:

Flip image facing
Resize to 160x80
Increase contrast
Reduce image colours (to SP colours)
Convert to grayscale
Highlight invalid colours

I sometimes get a glitch if I try to use the LBM Tool to flip the picture horizontally, so I usually use Paint.Net to get the picture and size (160x80 pixels) as I want it, and then just use the LBM Tool to open the BMP file, apply SP colours, and then create a LBM file.


LBM Tool – Picture Utility was developed privately (not for or by Matrix Games) by Michael Hale in 2009 for SPWaW, but it works just as well with WinSP to create lbm pictures.



The only catch is that you must either have SPWaW installed here:

C:\Matrix Games\Steel Panthers World at War

OR

You can just create two ‘new folders’ in the above locations,
rename the folders to ‘Matrix Games’ and ‘Steel Panthers World at War’,
then put the following 4 files in the ‘Steel Panthers World at War’ folder:

palette.lbm
palette.pal
palette.pcx
steel.pal

To make it easy for anyone interested I’ll attach the folders and files in a zip folder below (Matrix Games.zip) Just unzip the folder to your C: drive.

I’ll also attach the LBM Tool – Picture Utility to this post.


Cross

[scorpio_rocks]

Originally Posted by Cross

To make it easy for anyone interested I’ll attach the folders and files in a zip folder below (Matrix Games.zip) Just unzip the folder to your C: drive.

I’ll also attach the LBM Tool – Picture Utility to this post.

Cross

Thanks!

It took me a while to work up the "courage" to try to add my own LBM pictures. However after following your great guide to learn how to edit icons and discovering it was easier than i had surmised, I thought I would give this a try and am very happy with the results!

[DRG]

Or he can do it all with PSP which is what he's already said he is using and what I have used to create every graphic in the game

Don

[Cross]

nm...

[Marder]

Cross, is there are there any rules for converting pictures to lbm's with the lbm tool ? i can convert this M36B1 file but not the T30 ?

[Cross]

Originally Posted by Marder

Cross, is there are there any rules for converting pictures to lbm's with the lbm tool ? i can convert this M36B1 file but not the T30 ?

The LBM Tool can sometimes be a bit temperamental, but I was able to convert both JPG images with the LBM Tool.

I opened the images, with LBM Tool.
Hit the 'Resize' button.
Hit the 'Reduce Image Colors' button (not the 'Convert to grayscale' button).
Hit the 'Save As...LBM'
Done.

I prefer to, and have better success, when I first use an image editor to:
Size the image down to 160x80
Sharpen the image slightly
Save as a BMP image

Then open the sized BMP with LBM Tool
Reduce Image Colors
Save as LBM

Although I was able to go straight from JPGs to LBMs, I'll attach the LBMs I made after converting them to BMPs.

Cross