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Creating palette-safe .pcx files without Photoshop!!!
To create palette-safe .pcx files for the game without buying any software or using Photoshop, follow the directions below:
1) Download the following programs:
IrfanView - image viewer/converter: http://hotfiles.zdnet.com/cgi-bin/te...l?fcode=000ABJ
Quant - Palette/file converter: http://hotfiles.zdnet.com/cgi-bin/te...l?fcode=000BTB
SMAC Palette: (file 'Palettes') http://home.nordnet.fr/~rpirez/smac/...es_goodies.htm
2) Unzip the files and load the software.
3) If using an original SMAC .pcx file to alter, load IrfanView. Load the .pcx file, we'll call it file.pcx. Then save a .bmp version of the file (file.bmp). Now you are ready to begin changing it. This also creates a .bmp file to be used as a palette file for Quant.
4) Create/alter your file in whatever paint program you wish. I have found MS paint to be adequate for most purposes. save it as a different file, say fileb.bmp.
5) Open Quant. i) Activate tab 'Input Files'. Load the file(s) to be converted to the correct palette settings by File/Add Images. In this case it is fileb.bmp. ii) Activate the 'Color Control' tab. Go to Palette/Load Palette. Here you can either load the .bmp file we created earlier, file.bmp, or the downloaded generic .pal file. Different files need different palettes. Most files will be fine with just the generic SMAC palette. But some have specific palettes, such as the faction .pcx files. Try it with the generic palette. If that does not work, use the .bmp created from the original .pcx file. iii) Activate the 'Output' tab. Select the output directory. it can be the same directory as fileb.bmp. Select Output Format to .bmp. NOTE the palette conversion will only work with .bmp files. iv) Push 'Convert'. You now have an altered, palette-correct .bmp file. Now all there is left is convert our new file, fileb.bmp, to pcx.
6) Load IrfanView. Load fileb.bmp. Save As .pcx, renamed to whatever filename works with the game, into the SMAC folder (or subfolder if applicable), say fileb.pcx.
That's it, that's all there is. The reasons for so many steps are that a) There are not currently any freeware paint/image viewing programs which you can load a new palette or function correctly when you load a new palette. Photoshop, Corel Draw and Paintshop Pro all do this, but they cost a substantial sum. This procedure is a way to do it without purchasing software. b) Quant somehow will not conserve palette integrity if you attempt to convert to .pcx from .bmp _and_ replace the palette. Hence the need to add the palette only to .bmp files. c) If at any stage you wish to check whether the palette has taken, simply load it into IrfanView and go to Image/Edit Palette. Irfanview, as well as Quant, will do batch conversions. (IrfanView for .bmp to .pcx or vice-versa, Quant for palette conversion).
I have done a substantial amount of research into how to do this using available freeware out there, and this, to my knowledge, is the only way. I would welcome hearing from anyone that found one program which does both .pcx<->.bmp conversion and correct palette conversion.
1) Download the following programs:
IrfanView - image viewer/converter: http://hotfiles.zdnet.com/cgi-bin/te...l?fcode=000ABJ
Quant - Palette/file converter: http://hotfiles.zdnet.com/cgi-bin/te...l?fcode=000BTB
SMAC Palette: (file 'Palettes') http://home.nordnet.fr/~rpirez/smac/...es_goodies.htm
2) Unzip the files and load the software.
3) If using an original SMAC .pcx file to alter, load IrfanView. Load the .pcx file, we'll call it file.pcx. Then save a .bmp version of the file (file.bmp). Now you are ready to begin changing it. This also creates a .bmp file to be used as a palette file for Quant.
4) Create/alter your file in whatever paint program you wish. I have found MS paint to be adequate for most purposes. save it as a different file, say fileb.bmp.
5) Open Quant. i) Activate tab 'Input Files'. Load the file(s) to be converted to the correct palette settings by File/Add Images. In this case it is fileb.bmp. ii) Activate the 'Color Control' tab. Go to Palette/Load Palette. Here you can either load the .bmp file we created earlier, file.bmp, or the downloaded generic .pal file. Different files need different palettes. Most files will be fine with just the generic SMAC palette. But some have specific palettes, such as the faction .pcx files. Try it with the generic palette. If that does not work, use the .bmp created from the original .pcx file. iii) Activate the 'Output' tab. Select the output directory. it can be the same directory as fileb.bmp. Select Output Format to .bmp. NOTE the palette conversion will only work with .bmp files. iv) Push 'Convert'. You now have an altered, palette-correct .bmp file. Now all there is left is convert our new file, fileb.bmp, to pcx.
6) Load IrfanView. Load fileb.bmp. Save As .pcx, renamed to whatever filename works with the game, into the SMAC folder (or subfolder if applicable), say fileb.pcx.
That's it, that's all there is. The reasons for so many steps are that a) There are not currently any freeware paint/image viewing programs which you can load a new palette or function correctly when you load a new palette. Photoshop, Corel Draw and Paintshop Pro all do this, but they cost a substantial sum. This procedure is a way to do it without purchasing software. b) Quant somehow will not conserve palette integrity if you attempt to convert to .pcx from .bmp _and_ replace the palette. Hence the need to add the palette only to .bmp files. c) If at any stage you wish to check whether the palette has taken, simply load it into IrfanView and go to Image/Edit Palette. Irfanview, as well as Quant, will do batch conversions. (IrfanView for .bmp to .pcx or vice-versa, Quant for palette conversion).
I have done a substantial amount of research into how to do this using available freeware out there, and this, to my knowledge, is the only way. I would welcome hearing from anyone that found one program which does both .pcx<->.bmp conversion and correct palette conversion.
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