Castle Paradox

Machu · Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 9:17 pm Post subject: Master Palette

So, what does this really do? Does this let me change the colors available to use? So I could replace the existing gradients with, say, the 216 "web colors"? If so, how would I do this? I've just started a project, so I wouldn't have much to do if I had to start over.
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NeoTA · **Idiomatic Nomenclature** Joined: 15 Mar 2004 Posts: 165

the easiest way is to download my utility 2MAS from the ohr misc files page:
http://www.hamsterrepublic.com/ohrrpgce/miscfiles.php

and use it to convert a 16x16 24bit pcx file to an OHRRPGCE MAS file.
the default ohrrpgce palette is also available there as a .PCX, if you want to replace some colors and leave others as they are.

once you've made your palette in .pcx format and converted to OHRRPGCE .MAS format, you can import it into OHR using the 'import new master palette' menu item.

for more details , refer to the 2MAS help file (2mas.txt). ignore the information about insert.bat and fixedit.bat -- they are not needed for newer versions of OHRRPGCE. i've emailed an updated 2mas.txt to james, and hopefully the zipfile and misc files.php page will soon be updated to match .

Machu · Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2004 6:04 pm Post subject:

Alright, I've changed the master palette for my game. However, does anybody know which colors are used by Custom and Game(in general)? I left the topmost line alone, but when I edit graphics, the screen that shows every sprite has a yellow background instead of gray. I don't have enough progress to test the game, but since it'll mostly plotscripted, I bet I can work around funny looking menus.
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Aethereal · Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2004 7:56 pm Post subject:

I believe OHR Monthly #6 (may have been #5) had an article on that done by Neo. The site for Monthly is down right now, though, but it might come up eventually (depends on Harlock) so you may want to keep checking or ask Neo if he has the article saved to his hard drive.
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Bob the Hamster · Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2004 11:35 pm Post subject: Colors used

A future goal of mine is to make all colors used for boxes and menus and such customizable, but untill then, here are some guidelines that will help you design a usable alternate palette.

(consider the top-left corner of the palette color zero. The first row of colors is 0-15, the next row is 16-31, and so on. The last grey row is 240-255)

(1) Leave the first row of the palette alone (colors 0-15) These colors get used a lot. (they also happen to be the standard EGA palette for anyone interested in palette history) Most used are:
0 Black/Transparent
7 bright-grey
8 dark grey
14 yellow
15 white

(2) Leave the last row of the palette alone (colors 240-255) They get used fairly often, especially color 240, which is frequently used as a non-transparent black.

(3) Text boxes never use colors from the first row, they use colors from the third column for their body (the column that includes the vertical purple band of the "rainbow" at the bottom of the default palette), and text box borders are colors from the 12th column (the column that contains the vertical band of cyan in the "rainbow" in the default palette)

[Marked Palette]

NeoTA · **Idiomatic Nomenclature** Joined: 15 Mar 2004 Posts: 165

indeed.

"
Colors used to draw menus and textboxes.

These colors are used both in CUSTOM.EXE and GAME.EXE.

* 0 - background color - normally black
* 6 - "Incomplete OHRRPGCE Editor 20010611"- normally brown
* 7 - unselected menu item - normally mid-grey
* 7 - bitset which is on
* 7 - unselected hero
* 6,7 - selected bitset which is currently off.
* 8 - disabled menu item - normally dark grey
* 8 - bitset which is off
* 14, 15 - selected menu item - normally yellow and white, respectively.
* 14, 15 - active hero pointer in battle (which hero's turn it is)
* 14, 15 - selected bitset which is currently on
* 14, 15 - selected hero in battle
* 18, 28 - colors used for the border and inside of a textbox using bordercolor 0, respectively.
* 18, 28 - inside and outside of : menus, inbattle boxes.
* 21 - color inside active hero's timebar
* 34, 44 - textbox w/ bordercolor 1 - also selected save slot
* 35 - color for energybars
* 50, 60 - textbox w/ bordercolor 2
* 66, 76 - textbox w/bordercolor 3
* 82, 92 - textbox w/ bordercolor 4
* 98, 108 - textbox w/ bordercolor 5
* 114, 124 - textbox w/ bordercolor 6
* 130, 140 - textbox w/ bordercolor 7
* 146, 156 - textbox w/ bordercolor 8
* 162, 172 - textbox w/ bordercolor 9
* 160 - 174 - colors that the enemy selector cycles thru. for best results 160 and 174 should be similar in color.
* 178, 188 - textbox w/ bordercolor 10
* 194, 204 - textbox w/ bordercolor 11
* 210, 220 - textbox w/ bordercolor 12
* 226, 236 - textbox w/ bordercolor 13
* 242, 252 - textbox w/ bordercolor 14 - also "quit" box colors and unselected save slots
"

I updated the 2mas readme with this vital information and emailed the new version to you, James.

Machu · Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2004 11:25 am Post subject:

In case you want to see it, I'm putting it here. Despite all this interface stuff (which we can work out), you guys should feel free to use it, since it has a lot of "between" colors the default palette does not.

EDIT: There's a newer palette there. I put the greys back in at the cost of deorganizing the colors a bit more.
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TMC · Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2004 5:43 pm Post subject:

Since this has come up and reminded me, can I request that the version of 2mas on HamsterRepublic.com is updated to the newest version which outputs hss files too? I found that as useful as converting bmp --> mas.
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"It is so great it is insanely great."

NeoTA · **Idiomatic Nomenclature** Joined: 15 Mar 2004 Posts: 165

i don't have that version any more, ironically.
it's probably in my archives on CD. i'll rewrite it instead -- it'll take less time.

NeoTA · **Idiomatic Nomenclature** Joined: 15 Mar 2004 Posts: 165

james asked me to give some suggestions for a new default ohrrpgce palette. i made this example illustrating good general-palette-creating practice:

use it or study it if you want.

EDIT:
i've tested this palette on a lot of images, it works great in general. here's an example, which i drew based on colors from a photograph:
before palettization:

after palettization:

that second plant is just a color-manipulation i kept cause it looked good.

TMC · Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2004 10:27 pm Post subject:

I have it. I'll e-mail it to you.
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"It is so great it is insanely great."

NeoTA · **Idiomatic Nomenclature** Joined: 15 Mar 2004 Posts: 165

hahaha. you emailed that to me just after i finished and tested the rewrite, which is 12% of the size of the original.
i was wondering what that huge attachment was.