How to do an image for H2:ironfist/H3:SW?

(If someone add stuff in this post, please keep it short and clear!)


Before starting to draw anything, it would be better to load in your painting program the H2Palette  (looklikes that:)
List of programs that can load the H2Palette: mtPaint 3.40, Photoshop, ...

You can also use any programm if you use only the "color picker tool" to choose a color.
File must be saved in: 8-bit indexed bmp


color cycling is done with colors in the range of 214-217 (red), 218-221 (yellow), 238-241 (blue).
(like the waves in the phoenix; it's 218 or 219 or 220 or 221 coloured in only 1 frame; the game engine make it cycling itself)
shadow is made with color ....(?)


If you make Artefact:
Consider 3 images:
1/ adventure-map: little size (XX*YY) pixels, transparent background.
2/ Inventory: normal size (XX*YY)


If you make Map location:
...

If you make Magic Spell:
...


If you make Creatures:
Each frame must be saved as separated image.
Prefer the size of XXX*YYY pixels, with the center of the "feets" at X,Y position.

1) Arbitrary standing animations (for example, Ghost's or Genie's floating) or simply 1 frame for a static creature;
2) Moving;
3) Attack Up;
4) Attack Straight;
5) Attack Down;
6) Shoot Up;
7) Shoot Straight;
Shoot Down;
9) Getting Hit (wounded);
10) Death;

Exemple of the Ghost:

Related topics :
More detailed explanations in the Modding questions's topic.


"After I made images, what do I do?"
You can make the sound if it's a creature, or so... but it's not related to this topic anymore, we explains here only about the images. So, it's time for you to go to another topic:
Adding Artwork to the game data files.
Adding new creatures to be displayed ingame.


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With this first post, I try to make all the "how to do an image for H2/H3 projects" way for people who starts; avoiding the part that they must download tools, extracts, look inside, etc. is a need.
I'm sure we would get more participation if people can make "ready to use" images just by reading a topic, without downloading programs & so.

And, I think must make a topic telling clearly "how to make an image", because it's the first step for entering the modding world. (and even, right now it's still not clear in my mind)

Plus, There is a lot of things I don't know... (I still didn't tried all the tools for unpacking.. shame on me...)


memo; *(need to replace XX and YY by values)*

I must note that H3SW has less strict rules for creature design because Heroes 3 doesn't require the same 256-color palette for all assets like Heroes 2 does.
I admire your endeavour to work on the tutorial, and I guess I can provide comprehensive info later.

Yep.. But then if we do it in H2Palette it works on both..

I downloaded mtpaint, and the H2Palette, but when I goto load the palette file it says that it is an invalid file. The file itself is a bitmap / .bmp. Ever ran into this problem?

That shouldn't appear. Here is the correct file, probably it can help. Just rename it to bmp.


Photoshop can also support custom palette.

You can also load H2 palette from any of H2 assets, if you have unpacked H2 resources.

Orzie wrote:

That shouldn't appear. Here is the correct file, probably it can help. Just rename it to bmp.


Photoshop can also support custom palette.

You can also load H2 palette from any of H2 assets, if you have unpacked H2 resources.

OK, that worked. Much appreciated Orzie!

Orzie wrote:

You can also load H2 palette from any of H2 assets, if you have unpacked H2 resources.

by the way, if we just use "color picker tool" in this palette, we can then use any program we like. Do I am right? (or the palette MUST be loaded by the program?..)

You can use the color picker of any program you like. However, the resulting file must be saved as 8-bit indexed bmp. Heroes 2 doesn't understand any other kind of graphics, all its files are 8 bit bmp with the same palette. Heroes 3 is a more flexible game.

Just check the file's palette after saving. For Photoshop, the panel appears when you click Image>Mode>Indexed, the palette must be set as Custom and a palette file must be chosen from your computer. This way you ensure that your 8 bit file definitely has the required palette. If you used wrong colors (but I'm sure you won't because you use color picker and an original H2 image), they will be automatically adjusted to the ones that are the closest in the palette.

...how to apply a palette to an already finished image? It turns out such nonsense...

GodRage wrote:

Orzie wrote:

You can also load H2 palette from any of H2 assets, if you have unpacked H2 resources.

by the way, if we just use "color picker tool" in this palette, we can then use any program we like. Do I am right? (or the palette MUST be loaded by the program?..)

IIRC, the palette is not just a list of colors, but also a certain order.