Exult Forum

I thought that using a palette exported from studio would eliminate getting those glowing images.

The things is, using the palette.flx, I could create some shapes that didn't glow, but, the same palette got me glowing things.
I've searched here, and have been for days, but even to load a palette into gimp took alot of detective work and I haven't found what I can recognize as an answer.
I thought I had it figured when I got the first few shapes non-glowing, but than as soon as I introduced a some orange and yellow(from said palette) I got the funky town.
Any advice on what I may be doing wrong?

....It's a quick fix and not ideal, but I found that if I compare the image in Exult while keeping the same image open in gimp, I can carefully edit out the glow with some trial and error and get a usable shape.

Am I right in thinking that I should be able to create non-flickering/glowing images without guess work?

I tried the deleting of the last color(of 256) and than making the first black, but to no avail. I am trying to see what I missed. I hope that there is a solution though, so that I am not trying in vain.

Just so you know that you are not being ignored on purpose, but I can't help you there since I don't know enough. BUT there have been conversations about this and how to do it properly before here. Maybe a search of the forum might help (palette should be a good search string) but make sure you search ALL dates and not just the last 30 days (which is the default search).

When you create a new shape you need to select Image->Mode->Indexed...

Then select 'Use custom palette'. Make sure 'Remove unused colors from colormap' is unchecked and select 'Convert.

Now you can begin creating your shape. You can have the 'colormap' tab added to the Toolbox so you can select what color you need from all colors that can be used.

It's best to save your file as SHP (*.shp) so that the correct color index will be preserved.



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), 238 and 239 are translucent for some shapes.
240 to 243: Rotation group (4 colors), translucent for some shapes.
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.

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).

By default, the translucent colors should be the following color in game:

- 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

I'm not sure about index 238-243 colors.

@Dominus...I didn't think I was being ignored... I know that everyone here has other things to do plus have various knowledge. Even when I ask a question i am still trying to figure it out on my own... but thanks for the mention.
I did search the forum for palettes, gimp, shapes....plus many more! (plus all dates) often the information is buried, but I've found it's worth the time to look, especially because I find other puzzle pieces or interesting links....etc. Of course, I misinterpret some things, or forget a step. Which is why I've been keeping notes!

@Malignant Manor,
I've been doing the image->mode->index thing.
I've not been having success with saving as a .shp
In ES , with .shp, i get some whacked out image, like a tree turns into giant square plus three bisecting lines.

I will try what you said very carefully, to be sure I am not missing a step, but, and here is a problem I think,
I like using the blend tool in gimp to smooth out the color transition between pixels. This requires a switch to RGB, after which I switch back to Indexed when saving.

I'll report back after I've had a moment to try your sequence.
Thanks to both of you for taking the time to help!

So, I could import a .shp if I export a .png first.

I followed your steps Malignant Manor and found that I could still get the unwanted glowing. However,

I think that blending with the 'smudge' tool must be pushing some of the colors into the translucent zone, hence the 'glowing'...(?)
The blending really helps make nice artwork, so if it means I have to go over some shapes and pick out the flickering spots, that's ok.

Again, thanks for the help.
Everyday I make a little progress.

What I usually do is to export a frame, then I open it with PSP7 (hey--that's what I use--stop laughing!)

The exported graphic has the main 256-color U7 palette embedded, so I just save the palette as a .PAL file. Then, when I make a new shape or whatever, I just apply the .PAL file to it before I save it.

Not sure if that's exactly what you're looking for, but it works pretty well for me, though the occassional glowing pixel still happens.



What I think I'm gonna do now is to make a new .PAL file that is just like the regular one for U7, except that I'm gonna edit the last 32 colors to some off-the-wall, wouldn't-use-it-in-a-million-years color so that when I apply it, none of the special colors will be used in the new shape. THEN I'll apply the real U7 .PAL file (to keep Exult happy), and hopefully that'll stop all of the glowey thingees from popping up.