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Heroes Community > Heroes 3.5 - WoG and Beyond > Thread: How to convert Heroes IV units tutorial
Thread: How to convert Heroes IV units tutorial This thread is 2 pages long: 1 2 · NEXT»
toby
toby


Hired Hero
Working on my dream mod.
posted August 23, 2010 01:35 AM
Edited by toby at 10:54, 02 Sep 2010.

How to convert Heroes IV units tutorial

Hi guys, since there is no info about this on the forum, I'll try to show you step by step (from newbie, to newbie) how to convert Heroes IV units and not only (this method works for all graphic resources you want).

This is my first tutorial, so please don't be rude. I know it's very amateur, but I hope that a more experienced user will improve the ideea.

If you got any hints how to make it easier or how to improve the quality of converting, I'm listening.

You'll have to know that it's a repetitive, and time consuming job, and requires nerves of steel.

Let's start:


1. Download [url=http://www.wogforever.narod.ru/Files/Dounloads/Programs/A_K_Zyzop_resexplorer.40.0.zip]Resource Editor[/url]

2. Open "heroes4.h4r" from your "Heroes IV\Data" folder


Let's say we want to convert the Devil.

3. Go to "actor_sequence/archdevil/combat" and you will see all the devil battlefield animations.


(If you want to convert the adventure map model, go to "archdevil\walk" directly).

In every animation folder you'll see "sw, w, nw, n, ne, e, se, s" files, those are the perspective of the unit like "south west, north east" etc. You figured it out.


You will need * "melee" - "ne" (attack up)
                       - "e"  (attack straight)
                       - "se" (attack down)
             * "die/se" (death animation)
             * "fidget/se" (mouse over animation)
             * "stand/se" (standing animation)
             * "prewalk/se" (start moving animation)
             * "walk/e" for walking animation (the Devil has no walking animation because it's teleporting on the battlefield)
             * "postwalk/se" (stop moving animation)
             * "flinch/se" (getting hit animation)

Now you will have to manually save almost 80 pictures (it can't be done another way unfortunately, or at least I didn't found one yet)
If you try to extract a whole animation folder, you will get an unknown .df2 file, which I didn't found anything on the net.

4. In Resource Editor, click "Ctrl+Q" to open "Quick View"


5. Download and install [url=http://www.gadwin.com/download/ps_setup.exe]Gadwin PrintScreen[/url] (freeware) to easily capture your needed pictures with the "printscreen" button. (it needs to be properly configured).

Configure Gadwin PrintScreen to capture from "current window" (so that you won't have to cut the picture later in another editing software), and to resize captured images to 450x400.

Now save all your needed animations in a new folder (There are 6-12 pictures per view)
The name doesn't matter, but try to give a short and unique name, something like "DevMov1", "DevMov2" for walking pictures. (this can be configured in Gadwin).
 
THAT WAS THE EASY PART !

NOW COMES THE HARD PART !

You'll have to manually edit all those pictures you extracted, one by one.

6. Download [url=http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gimp-win/gimp-2.6.10-i686-setup-1.exe]GIMP[/url] (freeware)

7. Open GIMP and configure it to make the new documents at 450x400 pixels, with cyan background from the start (Red 0, Green 255, Blue 255) so it will ease your work.

8. Open the first picture, make a selection around the Devil, and click "Ctrl+X" to cut.

9. Paste it in a new document, and will be already centered.

11. Save it, and do the same for the rest. ~79 remaining

When you finish, you should have something like this: (in my example it's a Vampire)


Now let's create the .def for the game.

12. Download [url=http://sites.google.com/site/sergroj/wog/H3DefTool.rar?attredirects=0]Def Tool[/url]

13. Open "Def Tool", click on "Frames" tab, go to your work folder you saved the pictures, and double click to add them to the corresponding action.


14. Once you added all the frames, go to "Shadow" tab, and then "Generate"


15. Go to "Reposition" tab, and see if it's correctly framed into the grid.


16. Go to "General" tab, choose a save path for the .def, click "Make Def" button, and wait a few seconds.

Now your converted unit is ready to use.

17. Download [url=http://wogarchive.ru/download.php?id=10]DEFka[/url] to add it to the game. Don't worry, the program will backup your replaced file.
Select your Heroes III instalation path, your .def, and the unit you want to replace from the list.




Many thanks for those who made these great programs, JonJ, Salamandra for the tips.
You got an easier method ? Please share it with us.
That's all till now..

____________
[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33579] Heroes HD Remake Mod[/url]

[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33597] Heroes IV unit conversion tutorial[/url]

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Salamandre
Salamandre


Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
posted August 23, 2010 02:31 AM
Edited by Salamandre at 02:32, 23 Aug 2010.

There is a program : Gadwin printscreen (freeware too) which will save in one key press the user opened window or anything you ask.

Means that you only need to scroll animation and press key to store all pics, without renaming and such. You can parameter it to save a fixed size too. A must to have before going on such crazy thing.

Btw, the HoMM4 perspective is totally different from HoMM3, have no idea how can be mixed.

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toby
toby


Hired Hero
Working on my dream mod.
posted August 23, 2010 02:41 AM

Thank you for the hint, I'll try it, and put it on the tutorial. Certainly will ease some of the work.

I know the castles are definetly incompatible with Homm3 perspective, but mines or other objects fits okay.
____________
[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33579] Heroes HD Remake Mod[/url]

[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33597] Heroes IV unit conversion tutorial[/url]

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ddpro
ddpro


Known Hero
HC Adventurer From China
posted August 26, 2010 06:32 AM

Great tutorial though a little bit too complicated. I will try.
____________
A jewel is just a pebble that found a way to shine.

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toby
toby


Hired Hero
Working on my dream mod.
posted August 26, 2010 03:09 PM

Thank you. I know it's hard work, but it's worth it
____________
[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33579] Heroes HD Remake Mod[/url]

[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33597] Heroes IV unit conversion tutorial[/url]

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Salamandre
Salamandre


Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
posted September 02, 2010 11:01 AM

Quote:

NOW COMES THE HARD PART !

You'll have to manually edit all those pictures you extracted, one by one.

7. Open GIMP and configure it to make the new documents at 450x400 pixels, with cyan background from the start (Red 0, Green 255, Blue 255) so it will ease your work.

8. Open the first picture, make a selection around the Devil, and click "Ctrl+X" to cut.

9. Paste it in a new document, and will be already centered.

11. Save it, and do the same for the rest. ~79 remaining


Just use a Photoshop batch script which will make all steps for you while you watch TV.

____________
Era II mods and utilities

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toby
toby


Hired Hero
Working on my dream mod.
posted September 02, 2010 03:19 PM

Good ideea man, I managed to do the script, but it's possible to export it, so that others can directly import & use it ?
____________
[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33579] Heroes HD Remake Mod[/url]

[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33597] Heroes IV unit conversion tutorial[/url]

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Salamandre
Salamandre


Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
posted September 02, 2010 03:23 PM

Sizes of creatures may differ, or backgrounds. In general anyone going to extract creatures knows about PS scripts. Manually 79 frames is crazy.
____________
Era II mods and utilities

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toby
toby


Hired Hero
Working on my dream mod.
posted September 02, 2010 03:29 PM

I know, but I wanted to export some "ready made" scripts, with different sizes, for every need, but I couldn't found a way to export them.
____________
[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33579] Heroes HD Remake Mod[/url]

[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33597] Heroes IV unit conversion tutorial[/url]

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Salamandre
Salamandre


Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
posted September 02, 2010 03:33 PM

Scripts have .jsx extension. Do a search and you will find them.
____________
Era II mods and utilities

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toby
toby


Hired Hero
Working on my dream mod.
posted September 02, 2010 03:34 PM

I made my custom script named "toby convert" and i searched through my photoshop folder, but nothing.. I found only the default ones.
____________
[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33579] Heroes HD Remake Mod[/url]

[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33597] Heroes IV unit conversion tutorial[/url]

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Salamandre
Salamandre


Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
posted September 02, 2010 03:36 PM

Start-->Search-->.jsx.
____________
Era II mods and utilities

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toby
toby


Hired Hero
Working on my dream mod.
posted September 02, 2010 03:40 PM

I did that, I'm not that dumb. I have my script in photoshop, but I can't seem to find it anywhere on the computer.
____________
[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33579] Heroes HD Remake Mod[/url]

[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33597] Heroes IV unit conversion tutorial[/url]

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Salamandre
Salamandre


Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
posted September 02, 2010 03:42 PM

Then it was not saved maybe? Try for .js extension, another possibility. Many things go in "My documents" folders, not always in the PS folder.
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Era II mods and utilities

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toby
toby


Hired Hero
Working on my dream mod.
posted September 02, 2010 04:01 PM

Again no luck, are we both talkin about "File/Automate/Batch/Actions ?"
____________
[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33579] Heroes HD Remake Mod[/url]

[url=http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?TID=33597] Heroes IV unit conversion tutorial[/url]

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antipaladin
antipaladin


Promising
Legendary Hero
of Ooohs and Aaahs
posted August 05, 2013 04:46 PM

rebump this for any done defs of h4 mob?
____________
types in obscure english

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gnollking
gnollking


Supreme Hero
posted August 05, 2013 06:00 PM
Edited by gnollking at 18:01, 05 Aug 2013.

I got Halfling, Dwarf, Golem, Mage, Genie, Naga, Titan (basically, Tower) & Troglodyte from an old abandoned project of mine. Right here. Should contain some portraits as well, but no map defs.
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Macron1
Macron1


Supreme Hero
posted August 13, 2013 04:55 PM

gnollking said:
I got Halfling, Dwarf, Golem, Mage, Genie, Naga, Titan (basically, Tower) & Troglodyte from an old abandoned project of mine. Right here. Should contain some portraits as well, but no map defs.


It's bad it abandoned.

Also I saw DEFs of Mermaid, Leprechaun, Bone Dragon, Phoenix.

But actually I really searching for Mechanical Dragon from Academy and pirate (mostly first unit).
Do someone has them?

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SolidCyrus
SolidCyrus


Hired Hero
aka Cyrus Annihilator
posted January 17, 2014 12:40 AM

"rebump this for" anyone knows a better extraction tool?

It's been more than 3 years and nobody (with proper skills) got interested in a better software? I would like to rip the sprites and make them available for everyone (like I did with Heroes 1 to 3).

GrayFace, y u don't like Heroes4?
____________

[url=http://cyrusannihilator.blogspot.com/]Cyrus Annihilator[/url]

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elaf
elaf


Adventuring Hero
viajeinterminable.com
posted January 18, 2014 04:35 AM

i maked the mummy def from H4, for my bastion project!

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