Which program to use?

[GePap]

I have Civ2 FW version, first of all:

I have tried many times with MS paint to manipuate .GIF's to get at unit graphics: exmple, I download a compelation of Nemo's WW2 tanks designs. The problem is that I have never been able to manipulate such a .GIF to be able to use the graphics in making a scenerio: every time I make a new file, it ends up as a .bmp but the editor will refuse to open it and the game crashes.

Any small suggestions about how to do this with Pint, or which programs I need to do it successfuly?

[Pap1723]

I use a trial version of Jasc Paint Shop Pro.

I think it is the easiest to use and the trial works for 60 days.

Pap

[Mercator]

Isn't it marvellous how everyone's using PSP for only 30 days, while new graphics just keep on coming? My clock must be ticking a little faster.

[GePap]

Tanks for the info: how big a program is it to download?

[Mercator]

It's available here: http://www.jasc.com/download_4.asp?

If you want the latest version 7, it would be over 30MB. And that would stop working after 30 (or 60?) days.

You could also download version 3 instead (bottom of linked page). That one won't stop working after the 30 + 30 days (you'd get a nasty nag everytime you start up though). It is rather old, but is quite functional, especially if you're used to the Civ2 editors and/or MS Paint. Besides, it's a download of less than 2MB. So if your connection is not quite so nimble, go for this one instead.

[Mercator]

I just had a look at PSP3 at it IS ancient indeed!

But all of the "required" features are there. And it keeps on working forever (just set my system clock forward a year, and PSP3 started up alright)...

Just remember it's a program designed for Windows 3.1... So long filenames/paths won't do very well, but that shouldn't be much of a problem, because Civ2 itself was also designed for Win3.1.

As for the GIFs... Save them as non-interlaced, version 87a (in case you didn't know).

[GePap]

Thanks for the info

[tanelorn]

Oh, GePap, you don't have to use that obsolete piece of crap (PSP3). Just set your clock back to the time the registration still held et voila! Your PSP7 trial will work perfectly.
After you are finished, move your windows clock to the future again.
That isn't illegal, to my knowledge, in case it bothers you. There is no hacking/ cracking thievery involved, and its still the trial version, not the full program. If Jasc disagrees, let me know.

However you don't even have to use PSP to do what you ask, you can use MSPaint (I do it all the time).
1 Copy a selection from a .gif or a .bmp
2 Open a Civ2 graphics .gif file (units, cities whatever.gif)
It has the Civ2 colours palette loaded.
3 Paste your selection and save it. It is now a gif with no distortion, the palette matches(unless it is a ToT.bmp that has 24bit colours but you can work your way around that too).
Thats it, you 're done

[tanelorn]

Besides 256 colour .bmp files work fine with FW and MGE, so if file size is not a consideration, what's the problem? You don't even have to delete previous gif's, the Civ2 program loads the .bmp automatically, as long as it is named units.bmp etc.

[St Leo]

After you are finished, move your windows clock to the future again.

1. Please don't post illegal stuff on my board.
2. PSP only checks the date when it is being launched, so you could, theoretically, reset it immediately after clicking past the opening dialogue. Naturally, I wouldn't know anything about that.

[Stefan Härtel]

1. Please don't post illegal stuff on my board.

We are the people!

I got introduced into MS paint again and again, but I must honestly say, I just didn't get along with it. I use Adobe Photoshop, which is, IMHO, much easier to handle. But that is only my opinion...