A little Rant and hopes for the coming patch

[LordGuyOfRome]

Greetings

So, after 24 hours of fiddling with graphic files, I just have to say it since I think some of the real developers are watching this:


- LBMs and BIFs: WHY!? some sort of masochism or some unconscious sense of "I did it, now you will not touch it anymore?".

Seriously, why using file formats abandoned by everyone (BIFs) and when using one still more or less supported, chosing an apparently odd subspecies that can't be worked upon with normal graphic tools like PSP?

The bifreader 2.1 thing, which is great, apparently won't work on some machines (out of resources errr while opening a 3 KBs bmp???) and the lbm editor is so ancient that won't work on modern machines (out of memory error, I know I'm not the only one who faced it).

Now, while I wonder if someone has a suggestion about how to work around those two problems, I hope/suggest/pray that the patch will have something for teh game to read different file formats, even bmps if necessary! Incidentally, and out of curiosity, anyone knows what program the actual developers used to create the files? Maybe that would make it a tad easier for modders if we could use teh same tools used to create the real game...

Sorry for the venting part (after 12 hours of fiddling, it happens, any modder knows it...)

G

[solypsist]

Quote Seriously, why using file formats abandoned by everyone (BIFs) and when using one still more or less supported, chosing an apparently odd subspecies that can't be worked upon with normal graphic tools like PSP?[/QUOTE]

I think you answered your own question.

[giskard]

File formats rarely go out of date.

The entire IFF (ILBM) standards had advantages over even the modern standards such as Gif, Jpeg and many others. IFF being a standard used on the Amiga which was at the time one of the best graphical platforms outside of a silcon graphics machine.

It allowed animations, transparent backgrounds, 24 bit images and many other things. All in the same image. Can you imagine an 24bit gif animation ?

I used it a lot in my amiga days and turned out many animations using those file formats.

Another thing worth remembering is Electronic Arts made the standard. They improved on it and its usefullness other years and used compression techniques that are used in satelite TV today to get the large number of channels we all love.

Basically they only stored changes to an frame rather than an entire fame. This in some cases caused blurring but most of the time it significantly reduced the size of an animation without side effects.

IFF/ILBM supported colour modes from 8 colours up to 24bit colour too. Unlike most modern formats which only support one or two modes. The PC is a bit of a patch work quilt when it comes to file formats. Its neither the best nor the worst at handing graphics.

However its a tool most people have so they use it. Rare file formats dont always work will on the PC due to the lack of support because traditionally Microsoft as avoided supporting other peoples standards.

Today I would say the these file formats offer features that cannot be gotten else where so some companies use them. Also because they are rear it prevents people like me and you from breaking copyright laws by illegal use of the images.

If the PC as a platform has very little support for that standard then its natural that the instances of copyright breaches will be lower than normal.

I would suspect that this is in part why no company produces a image editor for the rare file formats. It would encourage users to break copyright laws.

But thats just my opinion.

Just for the record. Anybody with a network capable Amiga sitting around and a copy of Delux paint will be able to do hand painted LBM images that far exceeds the capabilities of modern paint packages. Because back then hand painting was a skill you had to have and all paint packages came with an extensive collect of easy to use tools, today its more a case of manipulating other peoples work and those tools are only included as an after thought or they would be more user friendly. So the artists remain a rare bunch.

Anyway ILBM is a pretty useful file format in a lot of ways bit it is not the fastest when it comes to running animations. Which it is still very good at doing.

Giskard


[This message has been edited by giskard (edited 09-20-2002).]

[barocca]

Quote Originally posted by LordGuyOfRome:
The bifreader 2.1 thing, which is great, apparently won't work on some machines (out of resources errr while opening a 3 KBs bmp???)
[/QUOTE]
If you have Warlords editon may i suggest you have a look at the Naginata Bif Set I created,
each individual frame is 258 KB, bif reader had no problems importing those frames,
i think you may have a BIOS memory restriction, or expanded memory disabled.
(expanded is different to extended, i always make sure both are enabled)

Quote
and the lbm editor is so ancient that won't work on modern machines (out of memory error, I know I'm not the only one who faced it).
[/QUOTE]
Again i think a BIOS restriction may apply here
- my machine is definately not ancient, and i have no troubles at all.

Quote
Incidentally, and out of curiosity, anyone knows what program the actual developers used to create the files? Maybe that would make it a tad easier for modders if we could use teh same tools used to create the real game...
[/QUOTE]
The programs actually used are not known to us, but i suspect they are not GUI, (as in windows GUI), and most likely proprietory built - therefore not available to us.

I suggest you have a carefull wander through your BIOS, and check that all memory options are enabled (expanded and extended),

As for Operating Systems disabling various legacy memory options that is a Q for the Tech Support forum.

[LordGuyOfRome]

Quote Originally posted by barocca:
I suggest you have a carefull wander through your BIOS, and check that all memory options are enabled (expanded and extended),

As for Operating Systems disabling various legacy memory options that is a Q for the Tech Support forum.[/B][/QUOTE]

UMM... my bios setting does not speak of Expanded or Extended memory at all... and XP apparently doesn't like to talk about it either... UMMM... my modding enthusiasm is kinda fading by the minute :/

As for the rest, yes I agree with you, I just felt like venting after having spent hours making shields and flags that I can't import now...

Regards
G