Matrix Games Forums

Hi!

I'm trying to mod terrain tiles. I'm using "Gimp."

The problem is when I open a .bmp with Gimp, no matter what color I choose, it seems the TOAW .bmp files are using some sort of pallet that I can't figure out how to get away from.

For example, with gimp, on a green image, you can select black and when you paint a pixel it incrementally gets darker per click until it turns all black.. after 4 of 5 clicks. What I'm seeing is that the pixel goes straight to black. Or for example, I choose a color such as red, and when I paint it, it turns an earthy brown like they use on the mountains. I can't seem to shade or texture or use any of the brush options avialable in gimp.

I've tried making the files regular .bmp files via paint, and it doesn't make any difference. I've tried taking the image out of the TOAW folder and placing it in misc. images and it doesn't matter.

Anybody have any idea what I can do here?

Ray (alias Lava)

Okay,

I'm trying to mod the tiles.misc.bmp. That is your basic "green" grass terrain.

My last attempt was to copy one hex, put it in it's own file, texture it with gimp (it worked), then I tried to copy the hex and drop it onto the hexes in the tiles.misc.bmp. Once again, the image coloring changed and I get weird colors and not the ones I worked with gimp.

Geezz...

The only .bmp file I have been able to successfully mod was the open.bmp which is the background for the unit image in the right hand top of the TOAW screen. I think the reason I was able to do that is because it is just one block of color for the entire image.

Ray (alias "I'm going to figure this out one way or another" Lava)

Could this be due to the fact that the bmp is only 8 bit (256 colors)? Try converting it to 24 bit before working with it.

ORIGINAL: MrMox

Could this be due to the fact that the bmp is only 8 bit (256 colors)? Try converting it to 24 bit before working with it.

Okay, thanks I'll try that.

Another experiment...

I opened the .bmp file from TOAW, took a screen shot, pasted the screen shot in paint and sized it correctly, renamed it, textured it with gimp, saved it with the original name, put it in the TOAW folder and it worked.

Ray (alias Lava)

ORIGINAL: MrMox

Could this be due to the fact that the bmp is only 8 bit (256 colors)? Try converting it to 24 bit before working with it.

That is the key.

If you mod graphics some basic understanding of them is the ticket [;)]

ORIGINAL: Lava
The problem is when I open a .bmp with Gimp, no matter what color I choose, it seems the TOAW .bmp files are using some sort of pallet that I can't figure out how to get away from.

Anybody have any idea what I can do here?

Ray (alias Lava)

I also use The Gimp, you must convert bmp files from indexed (indexed files are smaller than normal) to rgb, mod them and then reconvert to indexed. Pay attention to white background, seen as transparent, because some times it is converted wrong, be sure it is exactly 255 for R, G and B.