Duck and Cover

O.K. this is just a transfer from the old DAC forums, but I think some of us will find it helpfull. It explains basic .spr creation with Spray.
Here it goes:

dArk#LorD{69} wrote:

Hail!
I am currently making my own FoT mod right now (unfortunately all by myself now heh, maybe ill call the team "One Man Army" or something:) and I need to add new items and such, but I am having difficulty converting the jpg (of a pack o' marby cigs!) to raw file so I can convert it to a spr. In Domin's updated readme, to do this using photoshop (i have 5.0), and after setting the right size and saving the palette, it says make alpha channel, and i've lasso'd the pic, but it says click the "save selection as channel" button in the bottom of the channel box. Um.... I have no idea where this is, even after thoroughly searching the help files. Anyone know where this is and how to do it? Or maybe even some other way to do this? Its extremely frustrating, and I'd appreciate any advice someone has to offer better yet, maybe someone out there would be kind enough to let me email them a short quick question email to them about a couple things??? I personally think the campaign im makin will be very cool (a bold idea of making a new vehicle, 69' camaro baby!! and i got a wicked plan of how to do it!!^^) so if anyone could do this, I promise to crack out a sweet mod you'll like to play!!! Thx again


jimmyjay86
Fallout Fantasy Island
Posts: 1032 wrote:

I have a short tutorial written - I think. If I don't I'll rewrite it and post it later today when I get home. You have to switch modes from RGB and then go to the channel toolbar. I can't remember it all offhand without the program in front of me, so check back later.


dArk#LorD{69}
Vault Dweller
Posts: 19 wrote:

Sweet man, if you could post that it would be great. Much obliged friend. You are helping aid the process of great masterpiece!!!! Many thanks!


jimmyjay86
Fallout Fantasy Island
Posts: 1032 wrote:


Ok, this should be a pretty comprehensive guide to using photoshop to create a raw file:

1. Open your jpeg or gif file.

2. Hand color the background into one single darker color. Make sure it does not share a color with your image.

3. Use the magic wand tool to pick the background. Switch to the lasso tool and hold down "Shift" to add elements to the background or "Alt" to subtract areas from the background. The magic wand occasionally will select more of what it should so zoom in close and get as exact as possible.

4. Hold down "Shift+Ctrl+I" to make an inverse selection. This will select the object. Now hit Ctrl-C to copy the selection.

5. Go to "Image-Mode-Indexed Color" and use the default values of Adaptive palette, 8 bits/pixel color depth, 256 colors, and no dither.

6. There will be a toolbar for layers and channels on your desktop. Switch to the tab for channels. There should be one channel labeled "Index". On the bottom of that tool window there are 4 icons. Pick the icon that says "Create New Channel" when you hover the cursor over it. This will create an alpha channel. Click the empty gray box to the left of the Index channel. Make sure the alpha channel is still highlighted and hit the delete key. The object should show up now. Hit Ctrl-D to deselect.

7. While you are still in indexed color mode, go to Image-Mode-Color Table and save the color table. Hit the "OK" button. [Note: this is the palette you're using. You don't have to do it for each image you create.That was a mistake I did before realising you can actually import it in all 3 sizes of the sprite.]

8. Go to Image-Image Size and size your image to the size of the guibig as outlined below.

9. Save as a raw image with interleaved order and hit ok again.

10. Scale down the image twice more and save one for the guismall and the default images. [for the default images you can play with mirroring the image to get the directions you want]

11. Import them in Spray.
Typical image sizes:
Book
guismall-48x27
guibig-96x53
default-19x11

Gun
guismall-42x27
guibig-84x52
default-18x9

Armour
guismall-51x27
guibig-101x54
default-35x32

Ammo
guismall-59x27
guibig-116x53
default-11x6

Follow these guidelines closely, especially for heights. Otherwise there will be funny things happening in your gui screen.

JJ86


flamescreen
Strider of the Wastes
Posts: 234 wrote:

I've been having a problem with the spray import part. I go and try to import the 3 images into spray but I get a "violation..." error.I tried opening plasma pistol(I'm making a new pistol for starters) in case it needs a sprite already in place(you mentioned in the Domin thread you were trying to import to a blank sprite so I thought that was my mistake) but the picture imported is full of diagonal lines(there is a term to describe it but I keep forgeting), then I import the .act file but it just adds some color and makes the picture slightly better, but not much.I made the pistol in the exact measurements you mention above.The plasma sprite is 97x103 or something like it.Could this be the problem(difference of sizes?)?
Maybe i'm not saving the .act file when I should.I don't see it mentioned anywhere, so I do it just after the 'Ctrl-D to deselect part'.Possibly even not entering it when I should.Didn't have the time before getting here(I don't have a personal net provider so i'm using a 'net cafe" for such, if you're familiar with the term), maybe I should first import the .act file, then the.raw?
Or perhaps I'm not doing the proper changes. I use the magic wand tool to select the background and then use the bucket fill to fill it with color(It's just too difficult and time consuming to make it manually).The base colors of the pistol are in the range of yellow-brown and I'm using dark blue for the background.The .raw files are saved with red background.
Sorry to bug you about this, but it's not as easy as I thought it would be.I'm using the complete(not LE) version of Photoshop 5.


jimmyjay86
Fallout Fantasy Island
Posts: 1032 wrote:

When you are in photoshop and before you save the image as a raw file, check the image size. Write it down. Then in Spray there are boxes that you input this information into on the right side of the screen and the bottom row of entries. For example, you'd want to start with the guibig highlighted and then import your raw file. Then import the color table - it really doesn't matter which you do first. Once you have the correct image size entered, it shouldn't have any diagonal lines in the picture.


JJ86



flamescreen
Strider of the Wastes
Posts: 234 #7 Mar 25, 02 - 6:10 AM


So the correct way is :Enter the width and height, then .raw file, then act file?
I still have to have opened the plasma pistol file prior to this?(If I interprete the "have the guibig highlighted" correctly I must).
Thanks for answering that quickly.



jimmyjay86
Fallout Fantasy Island
Posts: 1032 wrote:


Actually the order really should not matter. Well except for opening a sprite first. Yeah open a sprite similar to the one you want to create - don't open a character sprite to turn it into a gun.



flamescreen
Strider of the Wastes
Posts: 234 wrote:

Great,thanks! I can't wait to get home and make my first batch of new sprite files.You rock(getting overexcited here, lol)!

[added Mar 26 2002 6:03AM]

It works really nice.i've already made a few weapons.Btw, do you know of some way to rename the images on spray in the name field? It doesn't let me do it.



jimmyjay86
Fallout Fantasy Island
Posts: 1032 wrote:


You can't rename the name fields in Spray. It doesn't have that option.



flamescreen
Strider of the Wastes
Posts: 234 #11 Apr 02, 02 - 5:46 AM



I was trying to make a new rifle equal to a laser in proportions and the 111x34 in various riflesizes doesn't work(too small).Then I try the 126x38 and it's wider but still too small.Can I surpass Yx50 here?(I didn't have the time to test this yesterday night.Had to sleep.)
Also do you have any clue why sometimes when I import my guibig or small image it gets placed in the upper part of the image it replaces,and splits in two?I got in on occasion when I went to sizes of 160x50 for rifles(or about that much).



jimmyjay86
Fallout Fantasy Island
Posts: 1032 #12 Apr 02, 02 - 6:01 AM



The maximum guibig height is 55 pixels. I am not sure what the maximum width is but you may be pushing it with 160 pixels. You may want to try shrinking the image in x direction in photoshop to make it work out better. You should be able to shrink it a little without obvious distortion. I had to do that with one of OTB's armor sprites to make it work better in the gui.



flamescreen
Strider of the Wastes
Posts: 234 #13 Apr 02, 02 - 7:05 AM



In Reply To #12
Thanks i'll try that in a while.

Long but usefull, I thing. Efforts are rewarded sometimes.

-FS

one question what do you have to do first? you have to create 3 images first or what im confused and if you do have to create 3 images first what do they have to be for a gun lets say

Thanks for reposting that Flamescreen, I was starting to go through some old posts last night to compile them into a comprehensive tutorial that I've always had.

Chaos - for a weapon, you only really need two views and can get away with one. The one view that shows up in your inventory gui for example is usually a side view with no perspective although you can give it perspective. And then the default image is the one that shows up when the weapon is on the ground. It should have the same perspective as ground tiles for example.

Create all of the images before you go into Spray and then follow the steps as outlined.

Ehhh... I'm using PSP Pro 5.0, and I don't see a Mode entry under Image... can't find anything w/ Indexed Color either... hmm...

Sorry that's for Adobe photoshop, not Paint Shop Pro. There must be a similar function on PSP, but I wouldn't know of it. I think there was a thread describing such differences in Old DAC. I will try to have a look next week. Untill then you can look for yourself if you don't want to wait.
I think it's in a discussion of Domin and JJ86, but not sure.

So is there some free program out there that'll let me make my own sprites using the above method? Or, can someone tell me how to do it using PSP Pro 5.0?

Or, I can just send all my pics to someone and THEY can make the sprites for me! MUA HA HA HAAAAA!!! :vamp:

/desperation

Max-Violence wrote:
Or, I can just send all my pics to someone and THEY can make the sprites for me! MUA HA HA HAAAAA!!! :vamp:

/desperation

~looks at JJ86~

i feel kinda bad... i've been dumping my stuff on other people (otb, jj86)... anyway, thanks guys. honestly, jj86 is the only one i know/seen making new sprites.

on another note but same topic, i think it'd be nice if someone made a collection of a few clips/images from the other fallout games. it'd be kinda cool to see a dead bos soldier with the old bucket armor.

Hm, I couldn't find it.(though searching through 15 pages of archives).
If Jimmyjay 86 doesn't do it , I might, using the demo anniversary edition. Hopefully it didn't expire yet.
Warbringer, not true. It's relatively easy to make new sprites. I have done a few weapons for my last campaign(the one cancelled)
Question to anyone knowing: What happened with that guy Stormbringer? He looked like he could help with his sprite editing abilities(in new char sprite creation)

Anyway, here is somewhat relative info about PSP and alpha channels(Read the entire thread, it does mention Alpha channels-JJ86 posts-. I tried a bit with it but I can go up to creating alpha channels, but it's only the shadows and can't think anything of .Raw and .Act files. In last chance, if JJ can't help, I could make your pictures sprites( 2 sprites maximum and only as a final solution, Max-Violence).
For those knowing what file format is most suitable to replace .Raw format in PSP Pro, here is a link to a program called WCVT2POV. Scroll until the corresponding initial to get it.

Whelp, I grabbed that WCVT2POV program just in case...

You can e-mail me 2 of the photos you want to turn into sprites and I'll see you get them untill the end of the week(make it inventory items photos for best results. I haven't yet tried scenery ones and it could be more complicated than I think).

Thanks, FS, but JJ86 already volunteered his services, and I don't very well need 2 versions of the same pic

Thanks for the offer, though!