Graphics Modding Questions

J

JimTheDinosaur

Vault Dweller
Modder
I've been trying to put together new interface items, like AP values for above 9, but I can't get it right. The "AP" in this screenshot has black "holes" in it and just generally looks shitty:

scr00002.bmp


while the pcx (and the bmp I've converted it from), look fine:

newAP.bmp


I first used frm2bmp, then modified the bmp to add the grey backdrop from another frm converted to bmp, then converted to pcx with Easy Graphic Converter (set to 8-bit). I guess the problem was in the bmp modifying, right? I think I should have used the Fallout colour palette there somehow, but I have no idea how to do that.
 
Thanks Pixote, but I still can't get it to work. First I tried importing the Fallout Palette color table included in Frame Animator 7.0, but I'm not sure whether that did anything (it should automatically apply to the image after loading it right?). Didn't work anyway after converting to pcx. Then I tried using "Save FRM" of your "Mr. Baldie" action, which is supposed to save the image in the Fallout palette, right? Then I converted to pcx, and it looked the exact same as the other time.

What am I doing wrong?
 
You need to save the image as a 256 colour image - typically a GIF (indexed colour)...In Photoshop when you save your image as a 256 colour image a panel will open, go to the "Palette:" option and load the custom palette - Fallout.ACT. The colour table below shows the actual Fallout colours.

nijb.jpg


The program (Photoshop) will estimate the colours when translating, the light greens have very few colours, so they don't work well, while darker earthier colours look good.
 
I do this when making inventory and item graphics:
Photoshop
ONCE FINISHED AND HAVE SAVED A COPY AS PSD ALREADY:
Change color mode to Indexed
"Save For Web"
GIF, 256 color, "Selective" palette Transparency yes
Do not resize during save process!
Gif2frm.exe

Not sure if that's helpful :shrug:
 
Thanks guys! Finally got it to work; in case somebody has Photoshop CS3 like me, you have to use "Save for Web & Devices", and then load the palette like Pixote says.
 
Hey @.Pixote., when you personally do those steps, does it look exactly the same in-game as it does in Photoshop? i.e. no change in hue, darkness/lightness, contrast etc.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sduibek said:
Hey @.Pixote., when you personally do those steps, does it look exactly the same in-game as it does in Photoshop? i.e. no change in hue, darkness/lightness, contrast etc.
Click to expand...

Yeap, I convert the image inside PS before exporting/saving the image outside PS, that way I can see the finished results - remember always use the pure blue colour B-255, R-0, G-0 as the alpha, and never make soft edges (blurred), because it will leave a faint blue outline in the game...so if you need to resize something use the hard edges option in PS. :twitch:
 
Hmm, seems I've been cheering too soon. Everything works for me now, except for black pixels that pop up every time. I.e., this:

newAP1.gif


becomes this:

newAP1herp.gif


Sorry it's so tiny, but the yellowest pixel (top left of the "1") becomes black for some reason (if I paint it over with another color it works fine again). It's not just that specific color yellow either (I think): in another instance it's an even yellower pixel which becomes black.

Ayone have any clue what's causing this?
 
hexer said:
Send me the files, I'll convert them to FRM for you. I'll PM you my email.
Click to expand...
Can you post a detailed breakdown of the process you use? To help people who find this thread later and need to know how to convert to FRM without issues :nod:
 
hexer said:
Send me the files, I'll convert them to FRM for you. I'll PM you my email.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer, but just to be clear, I don't need to convert anything back to frm, just frm->gif->pcx for use in the UI. It looks pretty much perfect when following @.Pixote. 's steps, except for the aforementioned "dead" pixels. Has seriously nobody ever encountered this problem?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sduibek said:
hexer said:
Send me the files, I'll convert them to FRM for you. I'll PM you my email.
Click to expand...
Can you post a detailed breakdown of the process you use? To help people who find this thread later and need to know how to convert to FRM without issues :nod:
Click to expand...

I would open up FRM with FrameAnimator (with correct Palette) and then take a screenshot and load it into the Photoshop. From there you can do whatever you want with it.
 
Try making a blue (R-0, G-0, B-255) boarder around the image and then convert it in FrameAnimator.

jrh8.gif
 
You are trying to make a FRM correct? With a blue boarder and the Auto-cutting "on" (inside Frame Animator), the blue will be cropped. Is that meant to be the number 1?
 
.Pixote. said:
You are trying to make a FRM correct?
Click to expand...

Haha, no, Sduibek mentioned that and for some reason that's stuck around. I want to convert frm images to gif, edit them, then convert them to pcx so I can use them in the UI. I'm not sure where I'd use your proposed method during that process. What I've done is saved both the AP numbers FRM (which have a transparent background) and the "action box" FRM (the box where the AP numbers, weapon image, etc. appear; doesn't have any transparency around it) as bmps with frm2bmp.exe. Then I crop the box down to the area I need for the numbers, save that as a gif with the fallout palette included in FrameAnimator; then I save the numbers as a gif as well, then copy the relevant number (in the example "1"), insert it in the area, save it as a gif with the palette, and finally convert it to pcx with Easy Graphics Converter set to 8 bit. And the result is the annoying dead pixel apparently always in place of the brightest color in the image. I guess that means your border adding idea wouldn't be of any help right? Maybe @Lexx has an idea?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top