Editing BIF Images

[King David]

Could someone please, provide a simple step by step process of converting BMP/JPG/BIF images to BIF?

I have been using READBIF and Ultimate paint.

[Wellington]

KD,

The best way to think about Bifreader is an excellent tool for -

- Extracting images from BIF format to BMP format
- Importing images from BMP format to BIF format

How many images you extract/import depends on how many frames (BIF's can contain many frames - each frame being a different plate of images) the BIF contains.

The process most people use is as follows (presume the name of the BIF is "example.bif") -

1) open the BIF "example.bif"
2) choose the option 'File' then 'Extract all Frames'
3) CLick on 'Save' - DO NOT CHANGE THE FILE NAMES

- this will give you 1 or more .BMP's (1 for each frame in the bif). They will be named "example_f*.bmp" - where * represents the frame number.

- change/amend these .bmps however you wish using whatever graphics product you wish (WIndows Paint is ok for most purposes - it's just a question a choice/familiarity what product you use to amend these .bmps)

- once you have changed all these .bmps (from 1 to n - depending on how many frames where in the bif) you noe how to import them back into the same bif

IMPORTANT : you MUST import these bmps back into the bif from which you extracted them - NOT a new/different bif ... so ...

4) open the SAME bif that you extracted them from
5) select the "Import all Frames" option
6) just click on 'open'
7) do NOT change any file names
8) save the new bif (which will now contain all the bmp's that had the same name as the bif and the same frame identifier (ie: "example_f1.bmp ...... "example_f12.bmp")

Have fun
Welly

[King David]

Thanks Wellington, I know how to use BIFREADER. The problem I have is the following:

I want to create a unit icon or a review panel building. I have a nice BMP or GIF or JPG to convert to BIF.

Using a program like Ultimate paint and Irfanfiew to resize the image and extract pallet from existing BIF.

I can never quite get the colors do display correctly. I usualy have to so degrade the picture just to get the pallete to work (In order to Import image from BMP to BIF).

The Pictures I added to the Epic.BIF file could only display properly by decreasing colors to 2 colors then increasing to 256 colors and then applying the pallete of the BIF.

Looking at LKs unit icons, i cant understand how he gets those colors to display correctly. That is all.. I would apreciate some help with this, realy interested in adding buildings and ships to the mod im working on.

[Wellington]

Is the colour degrading occuring BEFORE you import your image into the BIF or AFTER?

In other words immediately before you import the .bmp into the .bif are the colours in the bmp still good?

[dr3mew3vr]

Here is what I do to replace an existing MTW bif file with a modified one....

1) Open existing mtw bif in Readbif and extract as one frame of the 256color bmp.

2) When you create your new 24bit bmp (using your favorite image/paint program), make sure to give it the same image size as the one it is replacing.

3) Using MS Windows Paint, copy and paste your 24bit bmp onto the 256color bmp that was extracted from mtw (very important for keeping the colors as close as possible).

4) Save the modified 256color bmp.

5) Create a new bif in Readbif with the same size as above.

6) Import your modified 256color bmp frame into the new bif file.

7) Save bif--This actually overwrites your bmp and doesn't create a new file (so back it up first&#33http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif.

8) Your modified 256color bmp is now a bif file, so you will have to rename the extension from yourfilename.bmp to yourfilename.bif.

[King David]

Quote[/b] (dr3mew3vr @ Jan. 28 2003,07:42)]Here is what I do to replace an existing MTW bif file with a modified one....

1) Open existing mtw bif in Readbif and extract as one frame of the 256color bmp.

2) When you create your new 24bit bmp (using your favorite image/paint program), make sure to give it the same image size as the one it is replacing.

3) Using MS Windows Paint, copy and paste your 24bit bmp onto the 256color bmp that was extracted from mtw (very important for keeping the colors as close as possible).

4) Save the modified 256color bmp.

5) Create a new bif in Readbif with the same size as above.

6) Import your modified 256color bmp frame into the new bif file.

7) Save bif--This actually overwrites your bmp and doesn't create a new file (so back it up first&#33http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif.

8) Your modified 256color bmp is now a bif file, so you will have to rename the extension from yourfilename.bmp to yourfilename.bif.
Thank you very much. I will try it.

[King David]

Quote[/b] (Wellington @ Jan. 28 2003,05:48)]Is the colour degrading occuring BEFORE you import your image into the BIF or AFTER?

In other words immediately before you import the .bmp into the .bif are the colours in the bmp still good?
the color degrading happened after I applyed the pallete of the BIF Image to the Resized BMP Image. But I will try the method posted here. Thank you, I hope it works. I have some nice images id like to turn to bif.

[King David]

Still having problems getting the BMP to BIF conversions to show in the review panel. At least I have succeeded in getting the image to import into the existing BIF but when I try to copy it to review panel buildings catholic folder It shows the same dam church. Trying to replace the church with a Roman Temple. I might be doing something wrong. I just hate BIF files.

[Lord Krazy]

KD,
I don't know why the temple wont work
did you add it to the building folder also?
It works on mine if I just add it to Catolic one.

I tought the temple looked fine considering
how big it was in the first place.

Unless you compile the image with the colours
of the original bif I think it wont
work without some distortion.
I don't care really it's not that bad.

LK http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[King David]

Quote[/b] (Lord Krazy @ Jan. 29 2003,00:40)]KD,
I don't know why the temple wont work
did you add it to the building folder also?
It works on mine if I just add it to Catolic one.

I tought the temple looked fine considering
how big it was in the first place.

Unless you compile the image with the colours
of the original bif I think it wont
work without some distortion.
I don't care really it's not that bad.

LK http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif
Hello LK,
Nooo Your temple looks great. I was just using a temple example and also experimenting on a temple building but has nothing to do with your modification of the building.

I have been trying forever to master the BMP to BIF conversions with my paint programs and BIFREADER. The best I could do was the Epic.BIF file and even that looks shity.

Thanks LK,

[Lord Krazy]

dr3mew3vr,

That sounds very complicated in comparison
to just importing back into the same bif?
Do you think it gives a better result or
is it just an alternative.
It's good to know anyway
as all roads need to be travelled http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

LK http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[barocca]

jst to confirm you guys are using version 2.2a?

that version allows for 2 different pallette bases,
please read the instructions with the download because i really can't explain it any better than RSW can at this time.

[King David]

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif If I resize and cut and paste a BMP in order to Import into a present unit or building BIF using BIFREADER2, Once I import the BMP will the color table be that of the BIF or the BMP ?

[dr3mew3vr]

Lord Krazy, the reason I did it that way was because my palette would get screwed up if I just did it the normal way. Can you post a step-by-step way that you do this, I'm curious because of all the graphics you release;)?

Barocca, I tried both versions, 2.2a seems buggy to my system.

King David, it should be that of the original bif.

I use Win98SE, so Microsoft Paint doesn't have any filters on it (Win2k and XP does). The advantage of that is it doesn't mess with your image by adjusting the file with filter effects (smoothing edges, etc.)