European Air War - The Gen

Any luck on the minor islands and reefs you were looking for, Moggy?
(Referring to your posts at SimHQ).

Also, I could use some hints on using Paint Shop Pro.
I have stopped development on island and sea mods out of frustration.
I simply cannot smoothly match the edges of the tiles.
At close range, the imperfect joins are obvious and ugly.
Again and again to the point of irritation and despair, I have tried.
Is there a way to put the edges of one tile up against another in PSP and adjust them?

Hello Woody,

Still haven't got the names for those minor reefs. May have to use my imagination as suggested

I'm not the best to give advice on graphic tools - I only do graphical things when I can't get anyone with more graphical talent than me to do them

Some one like DeanH might be better placed.

Ah, I appreciate your taking the time to answer.

Good luck on the reefs--I doubt you will get too much further. but one never knows what can turn up.

Well, I put out the call at SimHQ on tile joins. As usual, Von B. tried to be helpful (and was to some extent).
It seems this is a common problem. I notice several scenarios have trouble with terrains close up.

O/Topic, are the new terrains up at the lock box?

Oh, one other thing.

I badly miss people in our scenarios. Those gray figures jerking around sometimes don't do the job.

Has anyone done "realistic" people, like groups marching, etc? Or even standing around.

Hi guys, ...(Dean cruises in chewing on a half finished red delicious apple, looking slightly bemused when the others stop talking and stare at him, wondering where the hell he's been for the last six months! )

Wuddy, regrading the tile matching using PSP, well, I have never made tiles (unfortunately) (NOT! ) lol
However, I'll relate a method I use, when trying to develop a brand new skin for an already established (HiRez) AC.

The key word is 'Layers' - in PSP, have a look around for the layers palette, it will become an invaluable tool in ALL work in PSP.
"This izz yer Layer Palette" - Take care of her, She izz yer friend!!"

I WILL waste a little time explaining it all here, because the logic behind these choices is what will make the information 'stick' rather than just expecting you to follow directions. I hope that's ok?


I'll start with a HiRez AC skin method, and you'll see the connection, I'm sure.

I would gather all the seperate pcx's for any given HR AC, and open them at 100% in PSP, then I would start with the tail section (lets call it 'tailLeft')

Make it's colours 'Millions' - because this is the only way to get layers to work.

*Now, my aim is to get a 'complete AC side view, so I could paint on it all at once, that way the smudges/insig/camo whatever, will carry 'accurately' across pcx joins in game.
(note:) Knowing a pcx/tpc is 256 pixels wide, - to make a full side (tailLeft PLUS NoseLEFT, I'll be wanting a 512 wide area, ok?

Take the TailLeft pcx, and go to "CANVAS"size under 'Image' at the top.
This changes only the canvas, not the whole picture. Enter 512 pixels, or 200% in the width section. There's usually a grid with clickable boxes to tell the program which 'side' you want the additional space to appear on.
In PSP I get it wron all the time, ie. click the centre left one, and the canvas appears on the right instead, just experiment, use Ctrl-Z to revert if it goes wrong, and try again.

Sooo, we now have our TailLeft image twice as wide, with a useful space in the front, in which we can drop another image (NoseLeft)

Open the Nose pcx, and (it might get tricky) use the Lasso tool (freehand selection) and hack around the left nose section of this pcx. Double click when you reach the beginning again, and you'll get the 'marching ants'

Once done, click 'Ctrl-C' to copy to clipboard.

Go back to 'TailLeft' and here we go!! Click "CTRL-L" this will paste the left nose section onto it's own layer but fully visible within the TailLeft pcx.

NOW, By using the 4headed arrow tool, you can drag the nose section anywhere you like, as it's 'floating' on it's own layer.
Drag it to line up exactly with the tail section, and you have yourself a full side view which is 100% accurate for the game.


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Now, relating all that to Your situation:

Open the tile upon which you wish to work - I don't know the sizes of terrain tiles, so I will simply stick with 256pxl sections ok? Translate as needed.

Make the image Millions of colours (remember your colour *.pal files)

Make the "Canvas" larger 512 wide for a 2 tile match, or even 768 in BOTH directions!! That would allow you to have up to 9 tiles arrayed in 3 rows of three.

Anyway, open your 'second' tile. Select 'all' (Ctrl-A) - copy (Ctrl-C) and paste on the first image, on a new layer (Ctrl-L). position it where you want with the 4 headed arrow tool, and you should be good to go.

You will have to remember to keep the active layer as the one you are working on. Use the "Layers Palette" and click on each one as needed

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I hope you find this useful Wuddy (let alone Understandable! LOL)

Cheers
Dean

Dean--- Yes, that IS helpful and I thank you for the time you spent explaining it.

I have been using a shareware program called Dogwaffle, but bought PaintShop Pro because it seems more precise. But haven't learned to use PSP well. So your words help me there.

The process is very similar to the one I discovered in Dogwaffle: make an image, copy it, make a larger canvas, insert it. Then do the same for the next tile or join. The problem came in cutting them back out of the joined canvas images with any precision.

What I have not discovered (until now) is your secret to using layers.
I haven't tried your method, but it's an "Aha!" for me. It will allow me to move and join tiles precisely without having to cut them back out of an already-joined image. They can be saved separatly, right ?

So I look forward to this with "great eagerness" (to quote from a Magoo sound file).

Nyah! nyah-ha-ha....aaaah wuddy, eeeyou've done it again! ......

Yeah mate, I would suggest doing the 'drift' into PSP from Dogwaffle. Not that I have anything against it, but a) PSP is truly a heap more powerful, and b) guys such as myself, who mainly use Photoshop or PSP will be much more able to help you out in the future.

About the layers and (you picked it!) the ability to cut the separate sections back out again. I realised after I finished that THAT was probably the next most important aspect of this type of job.

I believe the best way to deal with that job (re-establishing individual parts) would be to practically 'DOUBLE' the number of layers and rejoin one full set of them on the *TOPMOST layer * while maintaining the lower copies in individual layers. (This is especially important when skinning with just the needed sections of a side.)

You would do all of your adjusting on the topmost layer where they are 'joined as one' (Amen!! LOL) - and when completed select the shape of (eg) layer 1 tile, jump to the topmost layer (in the layer palette) the selection will now be selecting from your adjusted image, but in the exact size and position of the tile on layer 1 - then Ctrl-C (copy) and Ctrl-V (paste as new image) - bang! done!

There are some more subtelties that you may discover yourself as you work. I like those best, because you remember them easier (I think)

However, should you find yourself stuck, feel free to contact me.
dpg via iprimus com au

Cheers

Dean

I didn't know dpg via iprimus com au you had a site in Latin

No "@" sign in there?

Really, Dean, you have been a great help. Will be back scrambling tiles again soon.