Working with city graphics

Chris Horscroft · February 13, 2001, 22:48

This may be a very basic question, but is there any way of getting to the tiff files for the city styles included in the game?

I do not know how to extract the city picture files from the sprite files so that I can fiddle with them, and am interested in doing so.

Any advice on this would be very much appreciated, as I really would prefer to start with something that already exists, rather than try an create the lot from scratch.

Many thanks

OmniGod · February 13, 2001, 23:10

Get out your screen capture device and capture away. Sorry

Chris Horscroft · February 14, 2001, 18:32

Thanks Omnigod,

I suppose I should have guessed it was that obvious - but somehow I always seem to go looking for the complex, slow and stupid way of doing things!

Thanks

Harlan · February 14, 2001, 21:39

Actually,
When I made a city graphics mod for CTP1, I did screen captures for all of the city graphics to help in making that. I think I included it with that mod. If not, let me know, and maybe I can dig it up from my hard drive somewhere.

Chris Horscroft · February 15, 2001, 20:18

Harlan,

Just downloaded the original CTP citymod. Can't locate any of the original city graphics other than as sprites. If you could put the screen captures up, that would probably help myself and others fiddling with them a great deal!

Thanks

Chris Horscroft · February 17, 2001, 06:07

HELP!

I have been playing with the screen capture tools, and trying to follow Harlan's instructions for using Paint Shop Pro to try and get the city graphics changed.

I can get the city image saved as a tif ok, and the sprite maker to convert it to a sprite (most of the time) but whenever I use the new sprite, CTP2 displays it within an enormous white area (not the white diamond from the blank; this white patch is the size of the 96 x 72 pixel box itself. I have tried replacing the pure white with pure black, but everytime I do this and then create an Alpha channel, it reverts to white again.

From the instructions supplied I can't see what I am doing wrong, but no doubt it is obvious to everyone else! Can someone please help?

Harlan · February 20, 2001, 02:43

Hi Chris,
Sorry it took me a while, but I was able to eventually find the file you want. However, you don't have an email address set in your preferences so I can't email it to you. I just emailed it to Omni to put in the CTP2 file database though, so maybe you can get it that way.

Its a .jpg file with all the city styles on a white background, including the extra ones I made. I also have it as a very large .psd file, which you may want to get from me, cos every time one saves a .jpg, one loses a little bit of info, so the .psd would be cleaner (but 2Mg instead of 300K).

About your sprite woes, I haven't tried to make a sprite since CTP1 days, so I can't add anything that might help you. Its probably something with channels though.

Chris Horscroft · February 27, 2001, 01:58

Thanks Harlan,

Have been away from the site (ill) for a little while, so only just got your message. My email address is scarlet.biro@bigpond.com - and I'd love to receive the psd file - many thanks. Tried to send you a private message with this email address on it some time ago, not sure if it worked...

Chris

Nuo · February 27, 2001, 17:23

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Horscroft on 02-27-2001 12:58 AM
Thanks Harlan,

Have been away from the site (ill) for a little while, so only just got your message. My email address is scarlet.biro@bigpond.com - and I'd love to receive the psd file - many thanks. Tried to send you a private message with this email address on it some time ago, not sure if it worked...

Chris

I'd like the graphics too. I'm clancy@elf.coara.ne.jp . If the graphics are already posted I apologise, but I haven't been able to locate them.

Nuo · February 28, 2001, 00:40

When trying to convert my city graphics into sprites, I keep ketting the error: "Error in bitmap data. Pixel with no associated alpha."

The only time I *don't* get this error is when I make the alpha channel 100% white. Any ideas? I'm making my .tif's in photoshop 6.0.

Chris Horscroft · February 28, 2001, 23:07

That's an error I've not had before. I'm about to start playing with Corel Draw (version 8) will let you know how it goes...

Chris
[This message has been edited by Chris Horscroft (edited February 28, 2001).]