Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: TopAce on January 13, 2010, 01:25:55 pm

Title: Getting the palette for briefing icons - but how to apply it?
Post by: TopAce on January 13, 2010, 01:25:55 pm

After some searching around, I figured out that briefing icons need a special 15-color palette, otherwise it will be messy. I also figured out how to make GIMP read the palette of a [V] icon. I can now see the palette via the Colormap feature, but I don't know how to apply that palette to another image (which is the first frame of the icon I'm about to make). I figured it would be possible but strenuous to note down the RGB values of each of the 15 colors to a text file and use it as a reference, but there must be a simpler way of doing it.

Can anyone help? I use GIMP.

Title: Re: Getting the palette for briefing icons - but how to apply it?
Post by: chief1983 on January 13, 2010, 01:28:43 pm

Hmm, I ran across some palettes the other day, don't remember what any were for though.  Or where I saw them.  Could be on my basement PC, my dying drive, my main PC...

Title: Re: Getting the palette for briefing icons - but how to apply it?
Post by: TopAce on January 13, 2010, 01:31:00 pm

I also found some palettes, but they're for Photoshop. I'm a poor GIMPer.

Title: Re: Getting the palette for briefing icons - but how to apply it?
Post by: The E on January 13, 2010, 01:33:21 pm

Personally, I use irfanview for that sort of thing.....

Title: Re: Getting the palette for briefing icons - but how to apply it?
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on January 13, 2010, 02:07:18 pm

In the main GIMP window, go Image -> Mode -> Indexed. Then, under "Colourmap", pick "Use custom palette". Select the palette you want to use. Uncheck "Remove unused colours from colourmap". Then OK, and save as PCX.
When making an animation, I recommend to open all frames as layers and index them all at once. Then save all the frames separately again. Saves you some work that way.

Title: Re: Getting the palette for briefing icons - but how to apply it?
Post by: Galemp on January 13, 2010, 02:21:21 pm

The easiest way? Open an existing icon, extract those frames, paste your image into the indexed frame, and save. It's much simpler than applying a palette to an existing image.

Title: Re: Getting the palette for briefing icons - but how to apply it?
Post by: Talon 1024 on January 13, 2010, 02:45:47 pm

Here are the palettes in GIMP format: http://www.ciinet.org/kevin/myimages/FS-palettes.7z

If you are a windows user, extract them to C:\Documents and Settings\Username\.gimp-2.6\palettes\

To extract the palettes yourself:
1. Open up an image with the palette you want to use
2. Open up a palettes tab in one of your docks
3. Click on the little arrow on the top right
4. Under the palettes menu, click "Import Palette"

Title: Re: Getting the palette for briefing icons - but how to apply it?
Post by: TopAce on January 13, 2010, 03:10:55 pm

Quote from: FreeSpaceFreak on January 13, 2010, 02:07:18 pm

In the main GIMP window, go Image -> Mode -> Indexed. Then, under "Colourmap", pick "Use custom palette". Select the palette you want to use. Uncheck "Remove unused colours from colourmap". Then OK, and save as PCX.
When making an animation, I recommend to open all frames as layers and index them all at once. Then save all the frames separately again. Saves you some work that way.

Thanks. This one helped. It took me a while to get everything done correct, but it works now.