Help with resizing the images

[66ee376e63a2cluigge]

first of all I hope this thread is on the right place otherwhise you all may just move it.

I have edited some images to increase the size, and I used as a base the files of the newdark beta 2.7 since I play on steam and apparently I am uncapable of reading that there is a version 6 for the original game :|

https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?topic=22.0

so first of all, I decided to scale this picture here (...FAM.CRF/Tech/Orient.pcx) and I realized that the pallet for the original file wasn't matching the pa1.pal I guess since the other files on this folder had a different pallet.  (I am refering to the original game files where I opened them to see what indexed pallete was being used so the pallete for this picture was different from the pallete used by the other files.) 

the reson is that I wanted to change the color of the "TECHNICAL" font to match the lights of the entrance which the color is slightly off but the pallet that it uses doens't have a perfect matching color. but even if I change the image pallete color to match I suppose it uses this pa1.pal colors on the respective id positions so it doesn't change to the one I want.

also I believe this was the best I could do in terms of rescaling I had to use the original 64x64 and just write in a way that is legible since if you increase this image size it doesn't seems to work great (I am using the latest steam version)

https://imgur.com/a/HWN3l5L I have added here an image showing this image rescaled to 256x256 and it gets stretched like this and doesn't seem to scale well.

the game is set to run in windowed mode if does make a difference

I am exporting the scaled images to .pcx format with indexed color mode and the pallet I normally use the one from the original image so is this the right way to do it?

[66ee376e63c38voodoo47]

it's because you are doing everything wrong.

- use (NewDark) SHTUP files as base whenever possible (it's beta2 btw, the 7 is part of the 7zip archive file extension).
- no need to mess around with palettes, if you have to work with the original pcx files, just switch them to RGB (gimp image/mode/RGB) and export as png.
- orient.pcx is a bit special, you need to set up a mtl file so it would be displayed properly ingame. see the SHTUP orient.mtl and orient.inc files. NewDark documentation (SS2\Docs\newdark) has instructions on how to set up mtl files and explains when they are needed.

[66ee376e63e28ZylonBane]

Orient.pcx isn't special, it's just a terrain texture.

[66ee376e63f2avoodoo47]

didn't it need some extra mtl var to display properly? so that the psi text wouldn't be red.

[66ee376e6401fZylonBane]

Ah, that's a fix for the vanilla version using a mismatched palette. SCP and I think SS2Tool include that fix. The SHTUP version just replaces it with a new high-res texture.

[66ee376e64187luigge]

I needed the mtl file to display properly on the steam version.

now another question, I have edited the files caut_ and caut_1 but the bottom part of the image on the game is weird, do I need to do the same with the mtl file? I have also realised that the original game file instead of the text theres just a yellow bar so perhaps I should write the text in a different channel or something?

I have done exactly as it is on the SHTUP folder, indexed mode, without alfa channel and the same color map.

on the foreground it says "cuidado" in portuguese and in the background says "caution" in english

[66ee376e642a9voodoo47]

I would start by using RGB instead of indexed, and exporting as png. there is no (sane) reason to stick with the old format, it only causes problems.

[66ee376e643c4ZylonBane]

You've created some insane mashup of the vanilla and SCP versions of that sign. If you're modifying the SCP version, then don't try to modify the vanilla assets, and vice versa.

If you have no previous experience with texturing, nor any ability to figure out technical issues, this is not going to go well for you.

[66ee376e64573luigge]

let me explain what I am doing:

I have downloaded the files of shtup beta 2.

what I am doing is, just replacing the text and saving all as image.pcx format and they all work fine.

in the case of this image, I have exported as caut_.gif and caut_1.gif exactly as it is on the shtup folder. I even checked for what is the format and perhaps could be that gimp auto saves as indexed mode then.

what I say about messing with the original game files, is that I often just go to the original file to see how it is made because the file will replace and the behavior should be the same.

perhaps my steam version is a different verison

and I realized that the original file for that, instead of the text, it's just a yellow bar that then gets replaced by some transparent text that says caution.


I am playing on steam the latest version and the only other mod I have is the 400% terrain textures one.

[66ee376e64671luigge]

I even just replaced the Caut.gif files from the shtup and the behavior is the same it gets written that weird way

[66ee376e64931luigge]

I would start by using RGB instead of indexed, and exporting as png. there is no (sane) reason to stick with the old format, it only causes problems.

Well then so I should be exporting every image as png and rgb instead? I guess I can try that.

[66ee376e64a60ZylonBane]

There is no caut.gif, anywhere, in any version.

The SCP version uses a custom model for that sign. If you're trying to modify the SCP textures without the model, or the vanilla textures with that model, you're going to get a mess.

[66ee376e64b66luigge]

Caut.gif i meant caut_.gif and caut_1.gif

i am just modifying the files of the shtup folder, exporting as .pcx and putting on the mod folder just as that.

[66ee376e64c58voodoo47]

yes, if you are creating a texture mod for SS2, the new files should be saved as png/RGB, the old format can cause issues.

[66ee376e64e86ZylonBane]

i meant caut_.gif and caut_1.gif

None of those files exist in SHTUP or the original files.

With this level of attention to detail, you are going to have nothing but problems.

[66ee376e64fe8voodoo47]

ok, lets maybe start from square one - are you trying to create a texture mod with translated textures? if so, you have a decision to make;

1) you will work with vanilla textures, and the mod will not be compatible with SHTUP. in that case, do not use any SHTUP assets.
2) you will work with SHTUP textures (only taking out the textures that need to be translated), and the mod will require SHTUP as base. you will only work with SHTUP assets in that case.

so which one is it?


note - SHTUP is so essential that option 1 is pretty much not really an option, but hey, if you want to do the crazy thing then don't let me stop you.

[66ee376e6512aluigge]

I downloaded shtup-ND beta 2 that is what I am using, the file I said was under obj/warning/ cout_ and cout_1 apparently I am referring as a different beta version or such I downloaded from that link on the bottom.



alright, I apologize for the confusion, I didn't had the correct shtup mod version downloaded. apparently I have a different weird version I downloaded from somewhere else

also the original files are called "caut_" and "caut_1" but the shtup is called "cauta_" and "cauta_1" so, is it supposed to be called as that?

[66ee376e65238voodoo47]

then there should be no pcx files involved. you take the SHTUP texture, open it with gimp, do the edits, choose to overwrite to save the changes, done.

the SHTUP filenames are correct I'm very sure.

[66ee376e65326luigge]

I had downloaded the shtup localization pack this is why I was working with wrong files

[66ee376e65406voodoo47]

aha, ok. well, you probably should wipe the slate clean then and start again with SHTUP proper.

[66ee376e65516luigge]

this is what I say about these images wrong names
[caut.png expired]

[66ee376e65602voodoo47]

why would those bother you if you are trying to create a SHTUP translation? just ignore the vanilla crfs.

[66ee376e656fdluigge]

it's just that it won't load that since the name on the mod is different, I am just showing that so you change on the mod. unless it works normal as cauta_ and cauta_1

[66ee376e65811voodoo47]

ok, try to describe what you are trying to accomplish here, in as simple words as possible.

example: I want to edit the blinking caution sign to say cuidado instead of caution, and I want to use the vanilla texture as base.