Converting Civilization3 unit animations

[zweihander]

I'd like to have dead bodies of the same size (no lilliputs and giants lying around). To achieve this we need to make all soldiers textures the same or similar size to avoid SCALE manipulation because different scales make bodies size different. This is all or nothing situation. We have to rework all units into 1024p AND keep their size as similar as possible OR leave everything as it is in 512p. But If you decide to not have dead bodies at all then we can mix 512 and 1024 textures. I don't want to force my point of view but that's how I see it.

My opinion is:

Mix 512 and 1024 textures, for better performance of living soldiers, which is more important than deadbodies IMO.
But this doesn't mean that I abandon the deadbodies. We can modify the DEAD256.LBM, for example, as the original LtOpHelm animation is replace by Civ3 landsnkencht now, we can also modify the DEAD256.LBM, replace the original LtOpHelm dead body by a 50% size landsknecht dead body on the DEAD256.LBM.

This is my opinion.

[Stazi]

My opinion is:

Mix 512 and 1024 textures, for better performance of living soldiers, which is more important than deadbodies IMO.
But this doesn't mean that I abandon the deadbodies. We can modify the DEAD256.LBM, for example, as the original LtOpHelm animation is replace by Civ3 landsnkencht now, we can also modify the DEAD256.LBM, replace the original LtOpHelm dead body by a 50% size landsknecht dead body on the DEAD256.LBM.

This is my opinion.

Reducing the size of dead bodies which are already very low 256p quality? It'll make them an unrecognizable groups of pixels. But.. ok. If you both don't care about dead bodies we go the mixed way.

@cegorach, @zweihander - let me know what you think about my previous post.

[cegorach]

@cegorach, @zweihander - let me know what you think about my previous post.

It is a nice idea, but unlikely to work - these are old, very old files so unlikely to give us any results.

Is it possible to enlarge the images without losing quality e.g. before they are converted into .bmps?

[zweihander]

Is it possible to enlarge the images without losing quality e.g. before they are converted into .bmps?

Sadly, impossible.

I suggest to PM imperator1961, who is one of two modders who made many units during Renaissance era(the other one is Sandris) and he still login these days, to ask if he can help.

Edit: if you think this is a good idea, I would like to try to make a contact with Imperator.

[Stazi]

Edit: if you think this is a good idea, I would like to try to make a contact with Imperator.

Sure, go for it. It won't hurt even if he says no.

EDIT

@cegorach - I wonder if I should replace Mongol Heavy Cavalry with that NTW grey horse so LiHorse would be our light mounts only folder? I think it'd be better to put MHC in EHorse folder as their horses are armored.

[cegorach]

@cegorach - I wonder if I should replace Mongol Heavy Cavalry with that NTW grey horse so LiHorse would be our light mounts only folder? I think it'd be better to put MHC in EHorse folder as their horses are armored.

Yes, that is a good idea, but I thought about using ArmHorse for armoured horses (can include MTW EHorse and MHC).
Just leave one-quarter of the 1024p file free in case we will need it for something in the future.

Tomorrow I'll post a list of files I think are good directories for PMTW animations, I haven't finished it yet.



Right now LiHorse is full, so will be ArmHorse, where do you plan to put those musketeer/hangunner animations?

I think that Custom directories should be left for new animations. For the sake of some order in the process.

[zweihander]

where do you plan to put those musketeer/hangunner animations?

I think that Custom directories should be left for new animations. For the sake of some order in the process.

I suggest the LgTuCnHi folder, which is use for the CossackMusketeer now.

[Stazi]

It is a nice idea, but unlikely to work - these are old, very old files so unlikely to give us any results.

Is it possible to enlarge the images without losing quality e.g. before they are converted into .bmps?

Here. It's how it looks when you double the size:


It's the best we can do.

[cegorach]

They're good enough, but I have to remind you, nearly all of them are in pretty small size, a bit smaller than the two units I have converted. And, could you please also list the author of the units?

I have no idea. It was downloaded years ago and there is no such information in the downloaded folders.

I suppose you could ask him what can be done.

Here. It's how it looks when you double the size:


It's the best we can do.

Not great, but better than what we have. Would be less of a problem if we could combine 1024 and 512 files.

At least I think it would, but that means all sorts of other problems... hmm.