a little bit of insight on the ship texturing

[vakundok]

Are the downloads only links, or they are stored on swrebellion.com? In the latter case how can I delete my uploaded file?

 

Actually I finished a newer version of the texture converter able to export and import palettes.

[Guest Pucho777]

No, feel the force. The pain will fade then (btw, it's just Mask )

I couldn't fire with that DS, at least not in the ten minutes I waited for the energy bar (already shown) to fill at least a bit.

Also, you're right, both are applied to any DS.

 

Even with multiple textures, they'd still have the same palette. Or is your problem to get all the parts of your model into one texture, Gank ?

 

Hi Guys.

 

Could you fill me in on how the Death Star I and II workout in-game? Is it simply while a Death Star is being constructed (in any stage of construction) it would be seen as Death Star II in tactical, (yet unable to fire in any stage of construction) but only if there's something at the system to bring about tactical? Then, once it's completely constructed, the full Death Star is automatically incorporated into tactical?

[Tsunami]

Pucho: That's it.

 

Vakundok:

And how come the planets show strange things in strategy? Do they use the same palette as in tactical (would be the logical conclusion)?

 

Could you work up a palette to use for the planets, maybe distribute it with some version of your texture converter? Would be really great because then we could start working on the planets.

[vakundok]

Tsunami: Well, it would be logical to use the same palette for the whole game.

 

The pictures of the strategy screen use a different palette then the pictures of the tactical screen. I will involve the strategy palette as well into the version 0.3. Planets can use only 86 colors, but these colors can be defined for each planet. However I recommend to select colors from the palette of the strategy screen to avoid color differences between the two.

 

I am thinking of further supplementing the converter to be able to analyze bmps ,modify and divide them to fit into the place of Rebellion tactical planet pictures.

 

When this is done, you will be able to create planet pictures using the palette of the strategy screen (Use 86 colors and black only!) and it will create the palette and the compressed bitmap data files to export into Rebellion.

 

But now I am playing with Imperium Galactica so I think the new converter will not be available before weekend

[vakundok]

Mask: I downloaded the figther editing tutorial and I like it! (BTW I am vakundok not Vakundok. )

 

The converter started like a pure DOS program. I have just learned about the file handling of the Visual C, so I think I am able to create a real Windows version now that can handle longer filenames if it is required at all.

[the_mask]

Mask: I downloaded the figther editing tutorial and I like it! (BTW I am vakundok not Vakundok. )

- Ok, we're even now.

 

-If you have any probs with Ms VisC, pm or email me. The file handling should be something I remember

 

-You should be able to modify your link, if you click on details and then modify. Maybe this works.

[ElvisMiggell]

Okay, if you swap 5010 and 5020, you get the second DS in tactical, i cant remember how it appears in the fleet window etc. But when you're in tactical, it looks just like the DS II, don't know whether it fires anyfaster or anything.

[the_mask]

Fire rate and everything else should be the same, since only the picture gets replaced with switching these entries.

[ElvisMiggell]

Good good. In RebEd, do i want a higher number or a lower number in the weapons recharge rate if i want them to fire faster. And does this affect the DS?

[vakundok]

The 0.3 of the converter is on its way to the download section. It can handle the palette resources (entries above 5527) in the Tactical.dll and create files that can be used to replace the pictures of the planets during tactical battles.

 

However it still can not handle long filenames (I have problems changing the text of buttons in runtime. ) but at least it is small.

[Tsunami]

If I may quote Austin Powers on this one:

"Yeah baby, yeah!"

 

Now we just have to work up the stuff for the planets in Strategy.dll and then send them over to Strategy.dll.

 

The game resizes starfighters if the newly imported pic has a different resolution. Is this true for planets, too?

[vakundok]

Yes.

 

Hey, I am promoted to corporal!

[Guest Pucho777]

The 0.3 of the converter is on its way to the download section. It can handle the palette resources (entries above 5527) in the Tactical.dll and create files that can be used to replace the pictures of the planets during tactical battles.

 

However it still can not handle long filenames (I have problems changing the text of buttons in runtime. ) but at least it is small.

 

Hi Vakundok:

 

A brief description on exactly what the 'BMP Converter' download is and what it is used for in-game please?

 

Simple words please.

[vakundok]

The Bmp converter contains four files:

 

Tactpal.bmp is a bitmap containing the available colors that are usually used in tactical mode. (EG.: the explosions can use only these colors.)

(And even there are colors within it which are reserved for special purpose.)

 

Strpal.bmp is a bitmap containing the available colors used in strategic mode. (EG.: the protocol droid and the whole interface)

 

These are important because the 256 color bitmaps store actually color codes which are identified from the palette not the colors themselves. So, if you try to use a bitmap with different palette in the game its colors will be corrupted.

 

Howto.txt is a text file that try to describe how to use the converter.

 

And, of course the converter itself.

 

So, what is it for?

Many things of what you see in tactical mode are stored in the Tactical.dll as bitmaps. With Resource hacker, you can save them as .bmp files and also replace them with others, changing what you see in tactical mode.

But some of them are encoded (compressed). The converter is to create bitmap files from these encoded things and to encoding .bmp files. With it we can replace the encoded bitmaps as well.

[Guest Pucho777]

The Bmp converter contains four files:

 

Tactpal.bmp is a bitmap containing the available colors that are usually used in tactical mode. (EG.: the explosions can use only these colors.)

(And even there are colors within it which are reserved for special purpose.)

 

Strpal.bmp is a bitmap containing the available colors used in strategic mode. (EG.: the protocol droid and the whole interface)

 

These are important because the 256 color bitmaps store actually color codes which are identified from the palette not the colors themselves. So, if you try to use a bitmap with different palette in the game its colors will be corrupted.

 

Howto.txt is a text file that try to describe how to use the converter.

 

And, of course the converter itself.

 

So, what is it for?

Many things of what you see in tactical mode are stored in the Tactical.dll as bitmaps. With Resource hacker, you can save them as .bmp files and also replace them with others, changing what you see in tactical mode.

But some of them are encoded (compressed). The converter is to create bitmap files from these encoded things and to encoding .bmp files. With it we can replace the encoded bitmaps as well.

 

Köszönöm szépen.

 

An OUTSTANDING explanation! Quick question: What is the purpose of creating the .BMp files from the coded resources? Why do we want to replace those resources?

[vakundok]

Well, not at all.

 

The whole thing started to replace the ships with other types and overall better designed models. (Eg.: Home One (Ackbar command cruiser during the battle of Endor) instead of the Bulwark battlecruiser.) As a side effect we can now replace the figthers as well. (Eg.: If you would like to see Tie Scimitars instead of Bombers it is possible.)

 

I am quite impressed. Do you speak hungarian?

[Tsunami]

Oh heck, we can add planets.

And we can make them look GOOD.

 

BTW, I need a graphics program which lets me assign a defined palette to a pic (like for the fighters). Where can I get one? (I have got Paint, some Micro$oft standard from Win98b other than Paint and CorelDraw 4...)

[Jin_Roh]

What a timesaver it is to have the strategic & tactical palettes. No more wasting effort trying to turn a picture into the perfect Rebed card only to have the colors turn to junk once the card is uploaded. And finally I understand why my tactical images change colors when I import them. I know this info was there all along, but I didn't understand it until now . This is great vakundok.

[Jin_Roh]

Tsunami, you can download a trial copy of Paint shop pro from the Jasc software website http://www.jasc.com/download_4.asp?

 

This will let you load and save palettes, and assign palettes to images. But, the download is 31mb . There are probably better options but you can file this one away just in case.

[Guest JediIgor]

Am I missing something here?

 

The cards in Rebellion, and all the pictures.. there are only certain colors that will work? Can anyone tell me how to do this with Photoshop (or point me to any sort of link?).

 

All this time.. I thought it only pertained to ship texturing

[Guest Pucho777]

Well, not at all.

 

The whole thing started to replace the ships with other types and overall better designed models. (Eg.: Home One (Ackbar command cruiser during the battle of Endor) instead of the Bulwark battlecruiser.) As a side effect we can now replace the figthers as well. (Eg.: If you would like to see Tie Scimitars instead of Bombers it is possible.)

 

I am quite impressed. Do you speak hungarian?

 

Köszönöm vakundok.

 

Nem, Én don't speak hungarian. I have a language converter on my Favorites.

 

Am I correct in this assumption? The 'BMP Converter' allows us to see the image of whatever it is instead of the normal 'Resource Language' (1033) code in Resource Hacker?

 

If so...what exactly is the purpose of having that .bmp image as opposed to the language code?

 

If not...then...nem értem.

[Trejiuvanat]

Yeah, a way to do it in Photoshop would help me.

[vakundok]

Pucho777:

Nearly. But the encoded images are not separated by the resource language but their group instead. So, they all are in group 303.

It was only important to see those bitmaps to find out which entry is what. (Eg: to know that the picture of the finished Death Star is in entry 5010, since for displaying the finished Death Star during tactical, the game will display whatever encoded image it finds in entry 5010 of the 303 group.)

More important is the encoding since the game engine (in these cases) wants to use an encoded image and not able to handle a real .bmp instead.

 

JediIgor:

Originally it was. But there are many more things in group 303 than the textures only, encoded in the same way. (Or a similar way in case of the tactical planet pictures.)

The most recent about textures is Gank's idea to see whether the engine can handle more than one textures per ship to display more colors, not just 8 from 169.

[Guest Pucho777]

Pucho777:

Nearly. But the encoded images are not separated by the resource language but their group instead. So, they all are in group 303.

It was only important to see those bitmaps to find out which entry is what. (Eg: to know that the picture of the finished Death Star is in entry 5010, since for displaying the finished Death Star during tactical, the game will display whatever encoded image it finds in entry 5010 of the 303 group.)

More important is the encoding since the game engine (in these cases) wants to use an encoded image and not able to handle a real .bmp instead.

 

JediIgor:

Originally it was. But there are many more things in group 303 than the textures only, encoded in the same way. (Or a similar way in case of the tactical planet pictures.)

The most recent about textures is Gank's idea to see whether the engine can handle more than one textures per ship to display more colors, not just 8 from 169.

 

I'm confused on what you mean by 'the encoded images are not separated by the resource language but their group instead. So, they all are in group 303.'

 

So the 'BMP Converter' simply allows the code in the Resource Language (1033) to be converted into an image of the Resource Name that the game engine can handle. Out of curiosity, what kind of image is it then if not a .BMP?

 

And the 'BMP Converter' is of absolutely no use to us except to let us see what the Resource Names are, but it makes it greatly efficient for the techies changing the game for us to do their work...right?

[vakundok]

"And the 'BMP Converter' is of absolutely no use to us except to let us see what the Resource Names are, but it makes it greatly efficient for the techies changing the game for us to do their work...right?"

Yes, exactly. The converter is only for the "techies" NOT for players.

 

"the encoded images are not separated by the resource language but their group instead. So, they all are in group 303."

As I know the Resource language only means what language version of Rebellion you own. The most common is 1033 wich is the english. When you open the Tactical.dll with Resource Hacker you will see several groups, like WAVE, Bitmap, 301 and 303. In any entry of group 303 the code that you see is an image but not a standard bitmap file. The graphics softwares canot handle this code, it needs to be decoded into bmp format.