What do you edit textures with?

[Anonymous]

n/t

[ficedula]

I don't know of any tool to let you edit TEX files. It wouldn't be too hard to make, though, I *think*.

[The Skillster]

fice: best bet is to do this
convert the tex to tims then use source code from tim2bmp progs to comvert it to BMP for editing, then reverse the process for saving

[ficedula]

Oh, I already know how to convert *from* TEX to BMP's. Latest version of LGP Tools can do it. I haven't tried converting back the other way but, like you say, reversing the process *should* work.

(The reason it might not is that to convert from TEX->BMP I read only the size, palette and pixel data from the TEX. If there was other data that needs to be present, I don't know about it. I'll give it a go sometime though).

[The Skillster]

lgp tools does? is that the current available version?
thanks

[ficedula]

Sure is. Any file type that can be previewed (other than .P) in LGP Tools, right click on the preview window and there's a Save As option.

[The Skillster]

great thanks

[ficedula]

...or you could go and download the newer version of LGP Tools I've just uploaded, which can convert BMP's into TEX files.

[Anonymous]

WHOOHOO!!

[ficedula]

On a similar note, I've looked into background editing ... editing the actual texture for the background wouldn't be too hard, after all it's just two bitmaps layered on top of one another, stored in a rather strange format ... but there wouldn't be much point. Why? Well, unless you can edit the 3d geometry of the level as well then all you can really do is add logos, posters, that sort of thing ... you get what I'm saying.

Anyway, does anybody want that sort of limited background editing?

[The Skillster]

fice: that would be welcome start at least  
but what limitations are there, colour wise?
throw it in fice and then get some feedback then maybe think about progressing further.
mabe some clour enhancements could be done, or maybe a form of filtering or something?

[ficedula]

Colour wise each background has a 256-colour palette; each palette entry is a 16-bit colour value. That's a pretty strange way to store images though I can see the point, sort of ... paletted to save space (image data is the majority of the data in the field file), but 16-bit since that's all the game runs in.
There's no point whatsoever making backgrounds larger since the game would still be displaying 3d models at the normal scale - plus we can't edit the 3d geometry of the level.

[The Skillster]

i am not thinking of making them larger althought that would allow for smoothing effects to be done on the levels. i was thinkin of small corrections and improvements

[Anonymous]

I think it would be great just to be able to edit the backgrounds without the 3d stuff, then mods could be created that wouldn't look anything like the original game.

[ficedula]

Skillster: Yeah, you could do that.

Dark: Well, you really need to edit the 3d geometry too. Otherwise it's just really cosmetic changes. Now, if you could edit the geometry you'd be a moderate amount of the way towards creating your own locations.

[Anonymous]

I'm just saying that those cosmetic changes could give the game a completely different look and feel.

[ficedula]

Well, yeah, you could do that sort of editing. OK, I'll give it a go.

[Srethron Askvelhtnod]

Ficedula: I really have been out of it. Well, all I have to say is awesome! Looks like there have been 2 cool updates with the .TEX files, and now there will be preliminary background editing. This is very cool.   I know it isn't exactly a huge step, but it's a start.

[ficedula]

Hehe. That's what I'm here for.