First Method: Modifying The Bitmap One Tile at A Time

This method involves using the StrPix3 program. The program is designed to load a WAD file and then make changes from there. We won't deviate from this. Some key features of the program are its ability to load an alternate bitmap file and the ability to save the entire bitmap file. Along with this you can select any of the small sections and export them as new bitmap files. You can also import a bitmap into a single section. If you import an image into a single small section, I suggest that it be of the same dimension in pixels as the existing image that's in that section. If you don't the program will distort what you load.

An overall picture of what we are going to do in this method is to load our "Starter.WAD" into StrPix3. The same bitmap as the "Starter.bmp" file is already part of this wad and it will load with the Starter.WAD file. We'll then be saving out all those images that may need to be altered, as separate smaller bitmap files. We'll then alter the appearance of these images in our image editing programs. Next we'll use StrPix3 to bring the altered bitmap images back into the entire large bitmap file. From there we'll save the large image containing our changes, out as a new WAD file. The final step in this method is to use the altered WAD file in a level to see how we like the new look we've created.

So, let's go ahead and boot up the StrPix3 program. Click on File... and select Open. In the new window maneuver to your...

C:\Program Files\Core Design\trle\Laras Closet\Starter

folder and load in the "Starter.WAD" file. When it loads you'll see several new things on your screen. I'll take a moment and explain some of these things.

First I'll talk about the left half of the StrPix3 window. Along the top is the menu bar. It contains the words "File," "Textures," and "Help." You won't really find very much information in the Help files. Below this is a window that shows part of our large bitmap file. It's the same bitmap as our "Starter.bmp" file. Had we wanted to just modify some of the tiles in the large bitmap, we could have just used our "Starter.bmp" file.

Below the bitmap is a small window that reads "Page#0." Click this text window and you'll see that it contains 4 pages that are used to display all of our bitmap. These pages DO NOT correspond to our 3 pages of bitmaps. Select Page#3. Your window now shows the bottom of the large image file. Notice the large black area. This is the area that gets clipped off when you load the large bitmap file into VicMan's Photo Editor.

Below this is another text area that contains a list of all the textures in the file. Click on the text window and scroll to Texture #232. Select it. Several things just happened at once. The top view of the bitmap automatically went back to Page#0 where this texture exists. You will see a white line around Lara's eye in the top left of this image window. A white line always shows you what the currently selected smaller image is. The small window to the left of the text box now shows you that image. Click on the large blue square in the very upper corner of the image window. A white line now surrounds that image to show that it is the current image. It is also shown below and the text windows tells you that this is Texture#378. Notice that you can not select a random area. You can only select predetermined areas. This is why you can not simply add a texture to the bottom of this file. It wouldn't be selectable.

Below this are two buttons. They are used to "Export" the selected smaller image out as a separate bitmap file or to "Import" an image into the selected area. We'll be using these shortly.Now let's take a look at the right half of the screen. There's a window that contains a "wireframe" image of something that perhaps isn't easily identified. Below this window is a text box that reads "Mesh#0." Now all of our data on meshes will pay off. In your notebook, turn to the "Mesh_Color_Key" section and look at the page there. You'll see that Mesh#0 is Lara's "Legs & Pistols" and that the mesh is light green in color. Flip to the "Lara_Color_Mesh" section and at the bottom of the first page are two meshes colored light green. The right one looks almost exactly like the image in our window. Thus we are looking at one of Lara's upper leg meshes.

In this next part it is extremely important not to click on or inside any of the object that's inside the window. Unless told otherwise, always click outside of the object. Let's take a look at Lara's leg with the textures applied to each of the tiles. Click in the text window that's inside the image window. Select "Textured." You'll now be looking at Lara's leg with its textures applied to it. Carefully use your RIGHT mouse button to click in the window's bottom right corner. Don't release the mouse button. Hold it down and drag the mouse from right to left. When you do, you'll rotate her leg about the vertical axis. It's easy to see that this is her left upper leg. If you move the mouse up and down, you'll rotate her leg about the axis running through the center from left to right. If you depress and hold down the Control key on your keyboard and then RIGHT click and move your mouse up and down, you'll see that you can zoom in and out on your object. This will come in really handy on small objects. Release the Control key and now hold down the Shift key. As you RIGHT click and move your mouse around you'll see that you can also pan your object about in the window. If you should happen to loose track of your object or if you want it as it was originally, just click on the "Center" button.

The Textured view doesn't show the wireframe outlines of the tiles. The wireframe view can sometimes be confusing because you can see through the object to the lines on the backside. If you click on the text window inside the image area and select "Solid" you will not be able to see through the object and you can still somewhat see the wireframe outlines of the tiles.

Now switch so that you are in the "Textured" mode. In the text window below her leg, click and scroll until you can select Mesh#31. Get ready for a bit of a shock. You are looking at the back of Lara's head. RIGHT click and drag the mouse to rotate her head to where you can see her face. I think Lara is ready for some plastic surgery! Needless to say, the author of StrPix3 is currently working on correcting the problems you see here. This problem occurs when the images in the tiles aren't oriented properly. I've helped you around this shortcoming by including some Orientation images that you should currently have in your notebook. More on Orientation in a bit.

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