SHP annoyances-please advice

Exley · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:21 pm Post subject: SHP annoyances-please advice

uhh I am very frustrated now :/
what I did was simple recolor of Nod laser fence icon
I do this in photoshop 9, now before bashing comes in place Smile

I didn't simply use replace-color tool,
what I did was 1st edited real laser fence section (wall) inside shp-builder
with blue lasers (using color replacement tool)

then simply copy/pasted same image into Photoshop - so yes output IS 8bit !
(and naturally just merged few of same images to make cameo look ok)
-----------

PROBLEM rises when I want to convert either saved PNG or PCX back to SHP

sure, I did easiest way, select-all copy paste to shp-builder
but even if cameo pallet has many close blue shades (if not exact)
the image gets screwed
which to me made no sense since ALL colors were FROM TS pallet
(nothing was edited in photoshop regarding colors)

so I did hard way, saved as PNG, but naturally even if photoshop
says its 8bit image (my arse), it edits and saves as 24bit image
so I opened the 24bit PNG in irfan view and converted it to 8bit/256 color

and since image itself was in beginning in 8bit/256 colors, quality remained same

then again problems, shp-builder won't import the image (crashes)
then I did rclick with xcc mixer -> copy as SHP(TS)
*and even if XCC mixer shows it ok, shp-builder screws pallet = again failure

then I open the 8bit PNG and save as PCX (thought maybe XCC mixer has some issues)
so again inside XCC mixer, rclick -> copy as SHP(TS)
*same result, broken pallet

so what should one do ? -_-
its a nightmare for such easy job

here are 2 pic comparisons:

original 8bit

OS SHP pasted in

AND this is from where I copy/pasted original image (which is shp in its original form)
http://i48.tinypic.com/334jckx.png

so someone please explain why is shp-builder giving me hard time
when all is proper ?

Banshee · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:04 am Post subject:

Copying the image and pasting it as a new SHP is not the best way to import a picture on SHP Builder.

I've copied the contents of the image you posted in this topic and pasted on SHP Builder (tried boh as TS/Auto and TS/Cameo) and both worked with the result seen in your picture.

Then, I've saved the picture somewhere and went to File - Import - Image -> SHP. I've selected TS and Cameos at the first set of options and the Colour Conversion Mode I've choosen as Infurium. The results were much better (because of Infurium, mostly).

When you transfer information from the clipboard to the program, OS SHP Builder is unable to know the number of the palette that a colour of pixel is set. Just the colour itself and it needs to guess which colour is the closest one.

Lin Kuei Ominae · Seth **Joined**: 16 Aug 2006 **Location**: Germany

Exley wrote:

so I opened the 24bit PNG in irfan view and converted it to 8bit/256 color

not necessary. SHP Builder and XCC Mixer support 24bit PNG

Exley wrote:

then I did rclick with xcc mixer -> copy as SHP(TS)
*and even if XCC mixer shows it ok, shp-builder screws pallet = again failure

Of course you have to select the correct palette in XCC Mixer before you convert the PNG.
Also make sure your Mixer has set [View]-> [Palet]->Use for conversion

From my experience you get the best conversion results so far, from the Mixer "Copy as" and the SHP Builder import. The clipboard paste into an open SHP in SHP Builder often gives bad results (Some colors seem to be ignored or used wrong)

However, what youve shown there is already the best result. The cameo palette doesn't has enough blue shades to deliver the same result as the original image.

20i8erMixer.png

Description:

converted with XCC Mixer

Filesize:

7.67 KB

Viewed:

1063 Time(s)

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Exley · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 2:26 pm Post subject:

Banshee wrote:

Then, I've saved the picture somewhere and went to File - Import - Image -> SHP. I've selected TS and Cameos at the first set of options and the Colour Conversion Mode I've choosen as Infurium. The results were much better (because of Infurium, mostly).

believe it or not, all those options in import dialog are locked to me
I cannot change(click on) any radio control, I cannot choose anything from drop down list

all I can do is click on tab's and click browse button on tab1
I'm on win7/sp1 using shp builder v3.36

Lin Kuei Ominae wrote:

However, what youve shown there is already the best result. The cameo palette doesn't has enough blue shades to deliver the same result as the original image.

I'd disagree, Banshee said shp-builder tries to guess nearest colors,
and even (in my opinion) if they don't match the 100% of unittem pallet, the cameo pallet has close shades of blue, look:

Lin Kuei Ominae · Seth **Joined**: 16 Aug 2006 **Location**: Germany

These close colors you've pointed out are from a human eye point of view. Not from an algorithm which checks the exact RGB values.
Especially the dark blue doesn't matches anywhere. There is always the other brighter blue closer, thus the whole line gets the same color.

Same as with those illusion pictures where you think you see 2 different colors while it's actually the same

Yes, A and B have the same color.

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