AlphaImage Experiments

The DvD · Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 5:02 pm Post subject: AlphaImage Experiments

I did some research on the Alpha Light Post. There is a file in conquer.mix that's called D85..... orso, but sometimes XCC Mixer displays it's name right, namely ALPHATST.SHP. This Image looks weird in any pallete except the fullfnt and sidefnt palettes. However, this is unlikely the palette the game uses to display the image. Here's what i got when I converted an image to .shp using fullfnt.pal, named it ALPHATST.SHP then added it to my ecache03.mix... As you can see the pallette is completely wrong, but there is some transparancy (you can see the desert terrain type through it)

alphaimage.jpg

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The DvD · Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 5:05 pm Post subject:

Maybe the problem lies with XCC Mixer. When i tried other palettes, the game crashed very, very hard.(quits to desctop, TS and RA2 don't display anything when i start them)

FinalMoon · Cyborg Cannon **Joined**: 21 Apr 2003

I could easily convert it if I can get a good screenshot of it, even just in the XCC window... if you can get it to display it right, I can convert it.

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~FinalMoon

The DvD · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2003 12:19 pm Post subject:

Just do as i did with your own .pcx image... you'll see what i mean. Maybe the game will even crash...

kopaka649 · Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2003 4:11 am Post subject:

im still having no luck with xcc. it scans ALL my renegade map files(a lot) and that usually takes a long time

awrethien · Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2003 12:41 am Post subject:

Does any one know what this thing actualy is?

SMIFFGIG · Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2003 1:11 am Post subject:

The lamp thats in TS that has the cool looking circular glow around it (Alpha Lamp Post)

Well this thread is about how that unique effect is achieved and if it can be changed etc
"it" being the Alpha Image

hope that helps u understand Smile

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awrethien · Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2003 1:18 pm Post subject:

Ho! OK I understand now.

Dethro · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 12:48 pm Post subject:

Completely Off Topic: If you want to prevent XCC scanning Renegade/Generals Mix files, all you do is rename the Ren data folder to data 1, and the generals folder to generals 1. That way you can still browse to them and open them, but XCC will not scan them. You will have to rename them back if you want to play them though. Shocked

Sorry about being off topic.

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Blade · Cyborg Commando **Joined**: 23 Dec 2003

Have you tried disabling compression on the .shp like you have to do for the mouse cursor .shp file? Also, do you know if there is an image associated with the spot lights or if its a direct draw effect like the ion cannon ripple.

The DvD · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:28 pm Post subject:

I already found out how this works, in fact it doesn't use any palette but only does certain levels of transparancy, 256 levels to be exact, the number should sound familiar Smile

And yes the spotlights are rendered by the engine, like ion cannon effect, explosion flashes, lasers, particles and ion lightning.