Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 12:16 pm Post subject:
saving SHP for TD/RA
ok, just started modding with the OS SHP tool. Seems good. It opens the SHPs nicely, and even lets me edit them (currently trying to put the GDI A-10 into RA). Got my file all nicely made up, called it "yak.shp" (and saved to ".SHP (TD)" ) so that it replaces the Yak in game. Put it into the mix file in the right place, and made sure the old "yak.shp" was deleted.
Game just crashs if a yak is built.... hmm
So I try to RE-open the file, but I can't, apparently, if I don't save the file as ".SHP (TS)" the program doesn't want to open it.
So i now have my lovely A-10 saved as a .SHP(TS) but this doesn't work with RA1 (no dah), but more importantly, I can't SAVE files as .SHP(TD) because the function of this in the OS SHP maker tool, doesn't seem to work properly. It seems to save it as a wrong format.
Even if I just open the regular yak, do NOT edit it at all, goto file-->save (not even "save as", just "save") and then try to put that file into the game, or even RE-open it in the SHP maker tool, doesn't work.
Also Known As: banshee_revora (Steam) Joined: 15 Aug 2002 Location: Brazil
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 11:45 am Post subject:
It is indeed a bug with OS SHP Builder. I've tried to fix it several times, but I couldn't find out which part of the code causes it and how to fix it. QUICK_EDIT
Sadly, that didn't work, because the PNG was one LONG picture, not the seperate frames. So the SHP just ended up one really long frame with all the pictures of the unit in it. I know units CAN be converted from TD to RA, AND vice versa for that matter. I wonder how other people did it? QUICK_EDIT
Well, the SHP ended up as a single SHP because you used "Copy as PNG (single)"; instead you should use "Copy as PNG" (without the "(single)" part). _________________ QUICK_EDIT
Joined: 24 May 2004 Location: Flanders (Be) Posts:300000001
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:54 am Post subject:
I know this is a year old, but just a small hint on this... you can convert a single PNG to a SHP with multiple frames by using XCC's Clipboard->Copy and then Clipboard->Paste as SHP(TS) function. That way it will ask the frame dimensions and amount of frames, and cut it up automatically. _________________ QUICK_EDIT
Oh, thanks. That should be especially come in handy for those who want to convert Dark Reign (and other games) graphics into C&C format, as the Dark Reign tools export them only on a single picture.
I remember when i converted the Dark Reign Reaper into TS, i had to manually cut out all the several hundred frames by hand out of the single image, so XCC Mixer can convert them as a big sequence. _________________ SHP Artist of Twisted Insurrection: Nod buildings
Joined: 24 May 2004 Location: Flanders (Be) Posts:300000001
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:40 pm Post subject:
Yeah... been there, done that (though not with DR)... I was quite surprised to find that that "Paste as SHP(TS)" reacted differently than the "Copy as SHP(TS)" :-\
I don't even know why he called them that, since the Paste As SHP(TS) function asks a save location, removing the actual "clipboard" logic anyway. He should just have made it "Copy Single Image As SHP(TS)" and put it with the rest.
Maybe I should ask him to change that... make the whole Copy As list into a "Copy file(s) as..." sub-menu with all the options in there. That'd clean up the normal right-click menu nicely too. _________________ QUICK_EDIT
I think you're best off saving it as "SHP (TS)" and then using XCC Mixer to convert it to PNG and then from PNG to SHP.
Man... I just ran into the same issue with version 3.38 beta 22 today and before I looked here on the forum I did the exact same thing that was said by Bittah and it fixed it, hivemind ahoy , but seriously this issue needs to be fixed please.
This is the first time in years I have been editing shp's for TD/RA1 for OpenRA purposes and when I saved it as TD/RA1 shp format XCC either did not display anything or whole XCC Mixer crashed unless I saved it as TS/RA2 shp format . Also sorry about the 8 year thread bump but this is relevant. QUICK_EDIT
Also Known As: banshee_revora (Steam) Joined: 15 Aug 2002 Location: Brazil
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2019 11:13 pm Post subject:
I need samples of SHP (TD) files that were not saved properly and SHP (TS) files that could be used to generate these SHP (TD) files, so I can investigate the issue. QUICK_EDIT
Also Known As: banshee_revora (Steam) Joined: 15 Aug 2002 Location: Brazil
Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 4:41 pm Post subject:
Hey guys. I've got an interesting update here.
Djohe provided me a sample and I've made a patch that could fix it (at least in OpenRA). Try updating OS SHP Builder now to the version 3.38 Beta 23 or better. Check if the problem is over with your assets. QUICK_EDIT
I can confirm that saving as .shp(TD) seems to work now for three tests I did that did not work before and loads up fine in XCC Mixer, So far QUICK_EDIT
Time for a double post as I do not feel like this is super important and I know you are busy:
I wonder if you at some point in the future when you are less busy/occupied might be able to improve the compression ratios of atleast shp(TD) files.
Example APC from C&C1 TD:
Unmodified/Untouched: 10183 bytes
Recompressed with XCC Mixer 1.47: 11952 bytes
Recompressed with OS SHP Builder 3.38 beta 23: 14247 bytes
And also look into fixing loading some shp(TD) files that causes SHP Builder to error or crash but can be loaded fine with XCC Mixer 1.47. This is some SHP files I extracted from a C&C1 & RA1 combination mod for OpenRA and the ones that crash seems extra bloated in some way.
Pyleicon is the nastiest one and I am required to terminate SHP Builder via Process Explorer/Task Manager, while the other two lets me atleast close SHP Builder normally but with some error messages, I have also included XCC recompressed ones that will load up fine in OS SHP Builder.
crashing_cameos_test.zip
Description:
3 shp(TD) files that will make OS SHP Builder crash, also included safe versions of them that do not crash.
Also Known As: banshee_revora (Steam) Joined: 15 Aug 2002 Location: Brazil
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 3:17 am Post subject:
There is a new version of the OS SHP Builder available through auto-update. The version 3.38 Beta 24 can read all the files uploaded above. It also fixes a potential memory leak that the method to read SHP (TD) files used to have. QUICK_EDIT
Yep that fixed those 3 and most if not all others that I could remember that coughed up errors in OS SHP Builder (some shp(TD) buildup animations).
Beware that it says: Version: 3.38 beta 24 (ID: 3.37.99.024) on the about page. QUICK_EDIT
Posted: Wed May 06, 2020 10:19 pm Post subject:
OS SHP Builder wont save anymore
When I first used SHP builder a couple of weeks ago, I managed to correctly make 1 .shp file. After that one I kept getting Palette is empty error. I deleted and reinstalled SHP builder to make another .shp file.
After this it seems for whatever reason i'll get the palette is empty error 10% of the time, and the other 90% of the time it keeps saying it can't save to an address. Long alpha numeric codes that remind me of gameshark. I can't save anywhere(as I thought the file save location was the issue), or anything(cameo > png, png> cameo).
I've reinstalled it many times and I can't get it to work. I made 2 cameos for RA1 and since both I made were all I needed, it didn't bother me. I however did not save extras, and the new openRA release saved over the bits folder. So I cannot reuse the cameos I use to have.
Is there a simple fix for cannot save at address? QUICK_EDIT
Also Known As: banshee_revora (Steam) Joined: 15 Aug 2002 Location: Brazil
Posted: Fri May 08, 2020 7:57 pm Post subject:
If you actually pay attention to the contents of the topic, Allen, a fix for saving SHP TD files was posted last year. It doesn't happen often, but I can eventually fix things in this program.
Anyway, regarding WideEyeNow's problem, I need to understand how to reproduce it. Step by step and the exact error message. I've searched the SHP Builder's source code for "empty" term in a user message and the only file that has something suspicious is the one related to saving and loading GIF files, which do not seem to be related to what WideEyeNow was trying to do. QUICK_EDIT
My original image was an actual picture, that I scaled down to be pixelated enough to fit the dimensions for .shp (16x16, 32x32? can't remember).. But I think it was the colors (16 bit vs 64 bit) that was giving the palette is empty error.
In order for it to work I used the old cameos from RA, and was able to input my own words at the bottom of the cameo.
But if I remember correctly, even making a custom image in microsoft Paint, and either saving as bitmap or png, also did not work.. However, the original error of using a 64 bit image may have stuck, therefor not allowing me to use any image there after.
So to test, find a detailed picture.. shrink it down to the point it's pixelated, and can fit the dimensions. Save it as png. Then try to make a cameo from it.. (as I said I think it's the amount of colors in the picture, that cause all the errors) QUICK_EDIT
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saving SHP for TD/RA
, but seriously this issue needs to be fixed please.
. Also sorry about the 8 year thread bump but this is relevant.
