skinning roadblock in serif photoplus-need help

[acepilot2]

I am increasing the quality of my pony skin using serif photoplus.  The "silver" parts of the plane were looking rather grainy and low res, so using cloning tools I restored them (had the default skin in one window, my custom skin in the other).

However, when I use the export optimizer and select 8-bit it reduces the quality, just making it low-res and grainy again.  The only way to make it have more quality is to make it 24-bit; however then it won't work in the game.  I know there must be a way to get it to work in its original quality because I used cloning tools to copy some parts of the default skin to my skin.  How do I do it?

(note-saving original reduces the quality also.)

[Dux]

Ace, I have no idea about what Serif is capable of, but...

When you convert it from 24-bit to 8-bit, look to see if there are any settings or options that allow an "Adaptive" palette conversion. "Adaptive" will look at the colors you actually have in the file, and pick the closest matches. Otherwise, you may be forcing the file to use either a default palette, a System palette, or a Web palette... any of these are no good for what you need. The wording may be different in your program, but should mean the same thing.

Also, if you have an option for "Diffusion Dithering" during the process, use it.

Also also... never reduce the bit-depth of your original master file; always save a copy and change THAT to 8-bit.

Good luck.

[acepilot2]

still not working. Guess I won't be able to skin anymore unless it is low quality

there is an option for error difussion, it just makes it even lower quality tho.  no adaptive coloring.

Every time I open or save the skin it just keeps getting lower and lower quality.

[acepilot2]

just downloaded a new program, GIMP.

this should work now:aok

[Dennis]

Ace.  I use GIMP to skin for IL2:FB.  It's a nice program ... basically a simple and FREE version of PaintShopPro.  

But I'm not sure that alone is going to solve your lost-quality problem.

First, you need to do what Dux says, and work with a COPY of your skin when saving it for use in-game.  You can't get back quality you've already reduced out, so yeah, each time you open and save at a reduced color depth it's going to get lower & lower in quality.

If you've done that to your original skin, you'll just have to start over, pard.  No way around it.
Here's what I do:  As I work and make changes on my layered template in GIMP, I right-click and hit FILE/SAVE.  It will save in its native format, or in the original format of the layered template. (.psd, for example).  Then ... I right-click and hit FILE/SAVE AS...  Then I save it with a different extension ... .bmp is easiest.  Now I immediately close the file, and I have a .bmp copy of my skin plus the original template.  It's this .bmp copy i'm going to reduce depth on.

Now here come da magic.
You need this program:

http://www.downloadcounter.com/cgi-bin/download.pl?username=James_Jones&account=727

This is a sweet little utility that will convert your 24 bit file to an 8 bit file with almost no loss of color quality.  Try it.  You'll never go back.  It's easy to use:  drop your 24-bit skin in the same folder with the batch file, one click on the batch file and voila!  

Splash1

[acepilot2]

dennis-thanks. That program pretty much solved the problem I save my skins in 24 bit and then convert them.

[quig]

You can do it with PhotoPlus.

1st save your skin as 24 bit using Serif

Open it again in Serif, do your editing

When you are ready to save it again, click 'Export Optimizer' under 'File'

Click 8 bit, then under dithering, click 'None'

Export it to bmp

Something about the dithering (if you leave it on 'Error Diffusion') corrupts the image in AH2. AH1 didn't have this problem.

I think it has something to do with the resolution...still checking.