Converting day terrain to night

[Umbra_TSSI]

How do I convert the Day terrain files after modding to their Night terrain equivalent?

Couldn't find a "how to".

Thanks.

[Jason Petho]

That's set in the scenario editor by choosing the 1-10[d] or 1-10[n] or some varying combination.

That is in the manual, described in Section 8.4.1

[Umbra_TSSI]

I'm looking for a way to create the night files for the game to use in a night scenario. I created day terrain files but I need to create the night version of those for the night scenario to use.

[Hub6Actual]

Take your new creations and try running them through something that ramps up the blue saturation level. I use a free program called Irfanview that you can do a lot of things with. In this case, I would try doing the blue saturation change, and after I found something that worked, I would do a batch file conversion (Irfanview also does that), and convert all the files to have the same sat level. I would then batch rename everything (Irfanview again) with the file names appended with Night. The sticker is taking care not to alter the backer colour that the images reside on too much, or you will get ugly "halos" showing up around those images.

[Umbra_TSSI]

I use Photoshop Elements, you can't take a file and increase blue saturation in a file with no blue, the terrain files for day use a transparency color with no blue.

So, I'm asking how to take any day terrain file and make into a night file.

Thanks for your response.

[Jason Petho]

If you do a search for *Night*.bmp you should find all the night files.

[Umbra_TSSI]

ORIGINAL: Jason Petho

If you do a search for *Night*.bmp you should find all the night files.

Thanks Jason, but I'm simply trying to "shade" a "day" graphic terrain file I created into a night version that the game engine will except into it's night scenarios.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Umbra_TSSI

I'm simply trying to "shade" a "day" graphic terrain file I created into a night version that the game engine will except into it's night scenarios.

I use GIMP as the graphics editor, Night layers are variants of their Day versions with an added hex #004D65 / rgb (0,77,101) layer at 65% opacity setting as the top most layer.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Hub6Actual

Take your new creations and try running them through something that ramps up the blue saturation level. I use a free program called Irfanview that you can do a lot of things with. In this case, I would try doing the blue saturation change, and after I found something that worked, I would do a batch file conversion (Irfanview also does that), and convert all the files to have the same sat level. I would then batch rename everything (Irfanview again) with the file names appended with Night. The sticker is taking care not to alter the backer colour that the images reside on too much, or you will get ugly "halos" showing up around those images.

Yes, I have a GIMP script that does this as a batch, PSP has a batch mode as well, where you can first record the action, then repeat it at selected files.

As for the background colour, it does not matter which hue the background colour is, as long as it is unique, and does not appear anywhere else. Or there will be "holes" on one's images. Background colour is the colour found at top left corner of each image, at 0,0 position.

When resizing, soft edges are a problem, as those scaling algorithms with soft edges combine the image edge with background colour. Those appear as ugly artefacts in-game. Use a non-soft edge scaling algorithm with your editor, with GIMP it is No interpolation, with PSP it is Pixel resize.

If scaling is done with soft edges, use a background colour that while unique is close to map tile colors, e.g. a forest green, or mud brown, or matt grey, so the soft edges won't stand out (that much).

Good luck everyone with your efforts!

[Umbra_TSSI]

Thanks Jason, I'll work with this info to achieve what I'm trying to do.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Umbra_TSSI

Thanks Jason, I'll work with this info to achieve what I'm trying to do.

Good luck! Adding a "Night layer" should be the easiest way to add the effect. Let us know how it went!

[Umbra_TSSI]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Good luck! Adding a "Night layer" should be the easiest way to add the effect. Let us know how it went!

I can now make Night files... Yeah!!

Your hex/rgb numbers and opacity setting was the key... thanks!

[Crossroads]