Annoying error on BIF reader

[CenturyGamer]

Okay.. this is pissing me off. i work forever on this little shield, and when i try to load it into BIF reader in bmp format it says integer overflow. Help? :D

[CenturyGamer]

Its a bmp file i'm trying to load into it btw, dont know if that makes any difference.

[Raz]

The bmp image isn't saved as a 256-colour bmp.
It is strongly not recommended to use MS-Paint to save the image as a palette as it uses a standard palette for every image, it severely hampers the look of the image. I'd recommend using GIMP or Photoshop to convert the image as a 256-colour palette.

If you need any further advice on how to do this, simply post here and I or another fellow orgah will help.
Good Luck, BIF reader can be tricky to use and can cause severe bursts of anger directed at your PC.

[naut]

Yep what Raz said.

Use Ultimate Paint, GIMP or Paint.Net. All of which preserve the palette better than MSPaint.

Second: what version of BifReader are you using. The newer version 23c (I believe) is much more stable. Link here.

[CenturyGamer]

thanks dudes, even though i have no idea what you are talking about :p, guess i'll try to find out what 256 colour is and see how to save it as that in Ultimate paint.. by the way i was using PSP7 not paint.

[CenturyGamer]

Sorry to double post but do i have to start from scratch? :(

[CenturyGamer]

What is a 256 colour image? How do i make one?! THis is too confusing i give up :(

[naut]

Easiest way is to convert a current .bif file into a .bmp using BifReader. Then copy and paste your new image into the converted .bmp file. It may mess up some of the colours, which you will then need to change, but at least the palette will be correct when you convert it back to a .bif.

[Raz]

What is a 256 colour image?

Without getting too technical:
A 256-colour .BMP image is an image with a maximum of 256 different colours. These colours are stored in a palette inside the image. It can also be called an indexed colour palette.

You'd have saved your BMP image as (most likely) a 24-bit BMP, which has a possible 16 million different colours.

A .BIF file can't handle this number of colours and so uses an indexed colour palette, thus you need to save your BMP images accordingly - otherwise BANG! "integer overflow". =)

How do i make one?!

Unfortunately, I'm not too skilled with paint shop pro. Haven't used it in quite some time and that was PSP5. =/
There's usually an Image drop-down menu at the top of the program, along with File, Edit, etc. Try clicking there and finding a Mode sub-menu, or a Colours sub-menu or a Palette button, or something along those lines.
Failing that, you might be able to save it as a palette image when you click Save-As. The box will have the file's name and everything and underneath that you might find a 256-colour .BMP save option.

Using GIMP is quite simple for this:

THis is too confusing i give up

Don't! Well, you can if you want, but give it another crack. It's quite satisfying to see your own little soldiers dash across the battlefield using your very own shields, weapons, horses... etc. You can sit back and relax... then say "Ah, I made those shields." =P
Of course, you'd lose the battle cause you're sitting back and relaxing, but that's beside the point.

[CenturyGamer]

Without getting too technical:
A 256-colour .BMP image is an image with a maximum of 256 different colours. These colours are stored in a palette inside the image. It can also be called an indexed colour palette.

You'd have saved your BMP image as (most likely) a 24-bit BMP, which has a possible 16 million different colours.

A .BIF file can't handle this number of colours and so uses an indexed colour palette, thus you need to save your BMP images accordingly - otherwise BANG! "integer overflow". =)



Unfortunately, I'm not too skilled with paint shop pro. Haven't used it in quite some time and that was PSP5. =/
There's usually an Image drop-down menu at the top of the program, along with File, Edit, etc. Try clicking there and finding a Mode sub-menu, or a Colours sub-menu or a Palette button, or something along those lines.
Failing that, you might be able to save it as a palette image when you click Save-As. The box will have the file's name and everything and underneath that you might find a 256-colour .BMP save option.

Using GIMP is quite simple for this:




Don't! Well, you can if you want, but give it another crack. It's quite satisfying to see your own little soldiers dash across the battlefield using your very own shields, weapons, horses... etc. You can sit back and relax... then say "Ah, I made those shields." =P
Of course, you'd lose the battle cause you're sitting back and relaxing, but that's beside the point.

Thanks! I'll give it a shot if i can recover all these images i made :D

[CenturyGamer]

Excellent! Since i cant see an edit button, i might as well double post, thanks a bunch! Worked fine!

[Stazi]

Do you know any image browser (or plugin for any popular browser) that can read bifs, bufs and lbms. Readbif can open them but opening one by one to find the appropriate is annoying. ACDSee can open most LBMs but what about two others?