Bring Ra and Cnc graphics in Dune2000?

[votadc]

Looks like if I import shp from Ra or CNC in Dune 2000 I get strange results. Units are just....brown (the main issue isn't that they are that ugly but the fact they don't use player color) and unit icon is a pixel mess. Both RA and CNC have the mix file that cointains shp, while the Dune2k have the r8 and r16 files that require another program to open (but it extract every single sprite separately instead of a shp file).

[Adrian]

Look at this mod.
viewtopic.php?f=83&t=21876

There are many interesting decisions there, in general.
And about shp. Author of the mod (Markis) uses shp-files there (for Dune2000). For his new unit „officer“.
For example: officer_icon.shp

( I already download Mission 8. I'm still going to start... some time. 7 Missions are completed...)

[votadc]

It gives me error, but I noticed that the sequence files are based on data.r8 rather than data.r16. I guess that the newest version of Dune 2000 has problem caused by the upgraded graphics. Renaming the R8 presented in the MDN-sequences.yaml doesn't fix that and give me a different error Exception of type `System.ArgumentException`: Collection must not be empty. (Parameter 'ts')
If I put officer_icon.shp elsewhere it works well as image and it is not pixellated.

[Adrian]

I guess that the newest version of Dune 2000 has problem caused by the upgraded graphics.

I use this mod with release-20231010. Without problems.
Actually, I cannot expain details, unfortunately. Maybe, author?
He answers some questions sometimes here. Actually, all my questions about game through...

I almost have no experience with specifically Dune2000 graphics. I tried, but this graphics looks rather complicated for me. Too much work for little result. And I do Dune2000 just for fun, sometimes.

I only saw code of this mod — with different way (approach). It looks interesting for me, so I remember it.
But I still did not repeat it practically.

Maybe this code will give you an idea!

[Adrian]

error Exception of type `System.ArgumentException`: Collection must not be empty. (Parameter 'ts')

It looks like syntax error. Maybe you tried to use object or variable that not exist. How I can understand.

At least I got this error in this case.

[Adrian]

Interesting question. It became interesting to me too.

I am trying import unit and shp from Ra to Dune 2000.
For example, medic. Because there are no medics in Dune 2000.

Medic in Ra (unit MEDI) has inheritance:
^Infantry —> ^Soldier —> MEDI

It was not quickly... but I repeated this inheritance in Dune 2000.
D2K has only ^Infantry object.
And I repeated (added) all needed graphic files.

After several errors (I fixed them) new unit works: run etc.
But! It is yellow-brown.

I suppose, it is something with Palette trait. Or not?

I suppose, it could be something like this.

Code: Select all

	Palette: player
	IsPlayerPalette: True

But it gives error:
Palette "player" does not exist.

[votadc]

Seems to work. You need to put the palette of the other game (not the yaml but a file .pal) under the bits folder, then
You have to change palette file

PaletteFromFile@ra:
Name: ra
Filename: temperat.pal
ShadowIndex: 4
then after PlayerColorPalette:

PlayerColorPalette@2:
BaseName: raplayer
BasePalette: ra
RemapIndex: 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95

every time a unit use a palette different from Dune 2000 you put this
RenderSprites:
PlayerPalette: raplayer

[Adrian]

Yes, it works!
Now new units has right colors of Dune factions.

I "played" with temperat.pal and Palettes too.

But I tried to use existing Palettes from Dune2000.
(Dune folder)/mods/d2k/rules/palettes.yaml

Actually without needed results.
Maybe it can be slightly interesting (but off topic). Just for design, for look.
The Palettes that make a unit half-transparent.

Code: Select all

     RenderSprites:
        Palette: effect50alpha

and

Code: Select all

Palette: effect75alpha

I began write rather long post about it, but decide to write much shorter.
Long post — maybe later. I am not shure, that it will be interesting.

Thank you for your answer. It was interesting.

[Adrian]

My persistent search :-)
(Rather big and rather useless post)

I "played" with temperat.pal and Palettes too.

---

About pal-files

I tried to extract image with right palette, using Utility. As told here:
https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/wiki/U ... ra-utility

(The commands under Linux)
I tried temperat.pal and even snow.pal

Code: Select all

./OpenRA-Red-Alert-x86_64.AppImage --utility --png medi.shp temperat.pal

./OpenRA-Red-Alert-x86_64.AppImage --utility --png medi.shp snow.pal

But it gives yellow-brown colors anyway.

---

About Palettes.

I tried to use existing Palettes from Dune2000.

From here
(Dune folder)/mods/d2k/rules/campaign-palettes.yaml

Code: Select all

		BasePalette: d2k
		(...)
		PlayerIndex:
			Atreides: 143, 142, 141, 140, 139, 138, 137, 136, 135, 134, 133, 132, 131, 130, 129, 128

or

Code: Select all

		PlayerIndex:
			Ordos: 175, 174, 173, 172, 171, 170, 169, 168, 167, 166, 165, 164, 163, 162, 161, 160
			

With no results. Just yellow color.

---

And examination of options here.
(Dune folder)/mods/d2k/rules/palettes.yaml

During some time (as I told) I tried to use existing Palettes, from palettes.yaml.

Something like this.

Code: Select all

     RenderSprites:
        Palette: d2k

It gives yellow color for unit. Not faction color.

And finally
effect50alpha and effect75alpha

Code: Select all

     RenderSprites:
        Image: combat_tank_a
        Palette: effect50alpha

It gives half-transparent unit and 75% transparent unit respectively.
But it does not make unit invisible for enemies.

The rest palettes give strange effects that unusable for me now.
Black or white background, violet or light-green color of unit and so on.