Graphics Problems

[Ravlon the Magnificent]

I've been trying to edit the graphics files in CivII, and when I do, it screws up all the graphics in the game. I use Macromedia Fireworks 8 and can use Adobe Illustrator CS2 and Paint. Do these programs work with CivII, and, if so, am I'm just not doing something right?

[Ravlon the Magnificent]

I realize I could have posted a little more information, so here it is.

I have MGE and use the color pallet that is in the CivII built-in icon editor as the pallet in the graphics editors.

[McMonkey]

What exactly is happening? Are you ending up with lots of black, purple or grey triangles all over the map?

BTW Welcome to the Scenario League forum

[Ravlon the Magnificent]

No. I get different things for the different files. If I edit the terrain1 file, the terrain gets so messed up, that what is not black only shows up halfway. If I edit the background for the CivII windows in the icons file, the windows show either black, some kind of fleshy pink, or what I put in, but with completely different colors. Similar stuff happens with the other files, too.

And thanks. Glad to be part of it.

[McMonkey]

Strange! I usually use MS Paint, but then I only do minor mods and copy and paste stuff so I don't really need a better editor. There are several artists here who should be able to let you know what they use of offer an explanation to your problems.

[Ravlon the Magnificent]

Can you give me some usernames?

[McMonkey]

I don't want to volunteer anyone but I'm sure if you hang on for a day or two someone will answer your question. The forums is a little bit quiet nowadays and some members might not check in everyday.

[Ravlon the Magnificent]

Ok. Thanks!

[Harry Tuttle]

Try uploading the civ ii palette to your graphics program. Your graphics program is probably manipulating your colors to the point where they are unrecognizable to the civ program. Check this out for some tips:

http://sleague.apolyton.net/Guides/0civilisation2.php

[Ravlon the Magnificent]

Hey, thanks, HT. I used what you posted, and I think your right. I just tried one of my test scenarios with unedited files, and it worked out fine. I then saved the units.bmp file without editing it. I tried to open the scenario again, and the pop-up box colors got screwed up. Failure is a step in the right direction.

I then copied every gif file in the CivII folder into the test scenario folder. I opened them all up and saved them each, without editing, and the colors got screwed up again.

I'm starting to wonder if something in rules.txt has something to do with this...

[Ravlon the Magnificent]

Ok, so I decided to try MS Paint, and the colors don't seem to get screwed up, except that gray triangles appear. I don't see any in the background, though, so it is the color of the background. It is only cities.gif (NOT city.gif) and the two terrain files. Could somebody attach a file that has only the color(s) for the correct background?

[Ravlon the Magnificent]

I got it! MS Paint works perfectly! I am ELATED!!! Thank you, McMonkey and HT!

[GhostOfDisco]

Well, I personally use Photoshop, but I'm glad you finally got it to work!

[Ravlon the Magnificent]

Does Photoshop allow you to use your own pallets? MS Paint doesn't.

[GhostOfDisco]

Photoshop does allow you to set a document's color palette to the document's own colors (if there's 256 or less color in the document - otherwise you have to settle for 256.) I've got a copy of the original Civ II palette (minus the background colors) that, when I've needed to make an image compatible with non-ToT Civ 2, I've run through.