This seemed like the most appropriate thread to ask this in.
I don't know why not simply create a new thread with a more meaningful title than this, but anyway:
The best way to edit graphics for Exult is to use a paletted image using a palette generated by ES/ipack. Or better yet, export a shape and edit it directly using the Gimp plugin (and pressing 'cancel' when it prompts for a palette). Editing it in full color and hoping ES/ipack will do the right thing is a route to madness.
In the game palette, the last 32 colors are 'special'. They behave, by index (0-based), as follows:
- 224 to 231: Rotation group (8 colors).
- 232 to 239: Rotation group (8 colors).
- 240 to 243: Rotation group (4 colors).
- 244 to 247: Rotation group (4 colors), translucent for some shapes.
- 248 to 251: Rotation group (4 colors), translucent for some shapes.
- 252 to 254: Rotation group (3 colors), translucent for some shapes.
- 255: Completely transparent.
Thus, there are 11 'translucent' palette indices in U7. These are the semi-transparent colors you are looking for. That is, if the shape in question has/can have translucency. Based on shape source, here is the breakdown:
- faces.vga, sprites.vga: Always translucent.
- fonts.vga, gumps.vga: Never translucent.
- paperdol.vga, shapes.vga: Translucent if you check the 'translucent' check box in the shape information window in ES (in the appropriate tab).
(edit: corrected sprites.vga)
Now, for the actual translucency information. Normally, Exult will load the translucency tables from the "xform.tbl" in
static dir. There are 11 such tables (one for each translucent color), and these indicate what each palette entry will look like behind that translucent color. If Exult doesn't find the above file, it creates the tables using certain RGBA values for each translucent color; these RGBA values are also used for OpenGL rendering, so they can be trusted. Here they are, again by color index:
Code: Select all
- 244: R 144, G 40, B 192, A 128
- 245: R 96, G 40, B 16, A 128
- 246: R 100, G 108, B 116, A 192
- 247: R 68, G 132, B 28, A 128
- 248: R 255, G 208, B 48, A 64
- 249: R 28, G 52, B 255, A 128
- 250: R 8, G 68, B 0, A 128
- 251: R 255, G 8, B 8, A 118
- 252: R 255, G 244, B 248, A 128
- 253: R 56, G 40, B 32, A 128
- 254: R 228, G 224, B 214, A 82
Note: These values are used for
rendering. If you try to input these values in your image, you will
not get what you want! Like I said, you have to use the game palette and use the colors for the corresponding palette entries
or use the shape plug-in and paint with the color it generates for the palette.