Step 1 - Find an image that you want to use as your Cameo
Im going to demonstrate this by using this image: http://spaciode.com/About%20us/LongbowApache.jpg
Once you have your image, save it somewhere on your computer. It DOES NOT matter what FORMAT the image is in (e.g. jpg, png, gif, etc...)
Step 2 - Open up SHP Builder and convert your image file to an SHP
a) Go to File > Import > Image -> SHP
b) Uncheck "View only the first file of the package" (Idk why its necesary, but it works for me!)
c) Browse for the image file that you saved earlier
d) Go to the "Colours" Tab
e) For "Background Color", check "None" (This helps the image stay uncorrupted during the game)
f) For "Colour Conversion Method", check "3D RGB Infurium" (Since the file is so small, you might as well make it this way)
g) Go to the "Frame Size" Tab
h) For "Frame Size", choose "custom", and make the width and height 60 X 48 respectively. This will resize your image to the appropriate cameo size.
i) Click OK
Step 3 - Make the cameo look better.
You can do this by going to Tools > Effects > Smooth (Conservative) > Conservative Smooth. Play around with the other options for possibly better results.
An even better way to achieve higher results is to smooth the stock image before it is resized, and then use it as a cameo. The result is shown below
Step 4 - use the cameo generator.
Press Ctrl + G, or go to Tools > Misc > Cameo Generator
Important thing is to add text, the name of your unit will go here. The rest of the options, you can just play around with.
So there you have it. Your own cameo for your own unit! Heres a preview of what I ended up with:
As a noob, the guide only took me so far, so i could create a picture, with the right atributes, can you also say how to save the pic, for red alert 2 yuris revenge usage, and how to give a unit the picture, maybe you could show how to change the cameo of nighthawk transport into the one you have in your guide. And also show how to make it work in game. Some pictures would be nice, so every1 can understand. QUICK_EDIT
Well, if you have researched more, you should know that the cameo should go directly in the RA2YR directory, in an expandmd mix file, or an ecachemd mix file. To replace a unit's cameo with yours, all you have to do is replace Cameo=(OLD)ICON with Cameo=(NEWFILE) with the .shp part excluded. This is all done in ArtMD.ini.
Seriously? This is a pretty big bump right here. QUICK_EDIT
Joined: 22 Nov 2010 Location: Iszkaszentgyorgy, Hungary
Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 11:42 pm Post subject:
Yea, the ones who doesn't use Ares, do. And yea, there are a lots of them being pure YR modders, or NP modders... or they do use Ares, but just don't want to abandon the old ways. _________________ "If you didn't get angry and mad and frustrated, that means you don't care about the end result, and are doing something wrong." - Greg Kroah-Hartman
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Past C&C projects: Attacque Supérior (2010-2019); Valiant Shades (2019-2021)
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WeiDU mods: Random Graion Tweaks | Graion's Soundsets
Maintainance: Extra Expanded Enhanced Encounters! | BGEESpawn
Contributions: EE Fixpack | Enhanced Edition Trilogy | DSotSC (Trilogy) | UB_IWD | SotSC & a lot more... QUICK_EDIT
.shp cameos have other advantages; for example, things like reverseengineer don't read .pcx cameos as far as I know, or other mechanics.
Anyways, this method of cameos is actually slower than the one I use:
1- Use image search on the interwebz, pick your image
2- Right click - Copy image
3- Paste in Photoshop (or gimp, or whatever)
4- Crop and resize (Actually the photoshop crop has the auto-resize, you can have it to default 60 px X 48 px as I do, and do both things with just a click and drag)
[Use any enchancement on this step, from the image editor]
5- Copy
6- Create (or open an existing) RA2 cameo .shp in shp builder
7- Put the cameo palette on
8- Paste your image
9- Use the Tools > Misc > Cameo Generator
10- Save and you're done! _________________ QUICK_EDIT
When does reverse engineer read cameos? SHP cameos have absolutely no advantages.
Well at the moment they do, but that's more of a bug than anything else. SpyEffect.RevealProduction does not currently work properly with PCX cameos, it just always displays xxicon.shp instead. _________________ QUICK_EDIT
Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Location: Osaka (JP)/Hong Kong/Germany
Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 10:28 pm Post subject:
What he meant was that SHP cameos are NOT subject to this bug, which grants an advantage VS pcx ones. It's propably reasonable to expect that this bug will be fixed in the not-so-distant future tho. QUICK_EDIT
Anyone who wants to make decent cameos is not going to be using SHP Builders cameo generator in any case. PCX's have the massive advantage of not needing to use the limited palette which simply makes them better IMO. You can easily convert a PCX into SHP as well. QUICK_EDIT
Joined: 22 Nov 2010 Location: Iszkaszentgyorgy, Hungary
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 2:20 pm Post subject:
B-b-b-but... I am using SHP Builder's Cameo Generator tool on a blank SHP to have the text on my PCX cameos correctly placed... D: _________________ "If you didn't get angry and mad and frustrated, that means you don't care about the end result, and are doing something wrong." - Greg Kroah-Hartman
=======================
Past C&C projects: Attacque Supérior (2010-2019); Valiant Shades (2019-2021)
=======================
WeiDU mods: Random Graion Tweaks | Graion's Soundsets
Maintainance: Extra Expanded Enhanced Encounters! | BGEESpawn
Contributions: EE Fixpack | Enhanced Edition Trilogy | DSotSC (Trilogy) | UB_IWD | SotSC & a lot more... QUICK_EDIT
Well the vanilla game has acceptable cameos overall and I consider that quality satisfactory. It's only a 60x48 image after all and they don't need rainbows pouring on them (unless it is that MLP mod...) _________________ QUICK_EDIT
Well the vanilla game has acceptable cameos overall and I consider that quality satisfactory. It's only a 60x48 image after all and they don't need rainbows pouring on them (unless it is that MLP mod...)
Cameo Palette on its own doesn't have enough teals (for power glows), lighter red/pinks or purple (if you use purple in Cameos) For example... this touched up Yuri Engineer Cameo.
I know, I have found that when converting most purples become blue, but that doesn't bother me as much as portability...
Also, you could make your own custom cameo palette if you wanted to. The color would still be limited but at least you get to choose (if you like variety it can be like unittem.pal) _________________ QUICK_EDIT
Is that last fgeature even supported? I know with Ares you can do it on animations, buildings, etc., but not on cameos, can ypu? _________________ QUICK_EDIT
Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 5:54 am Post subject:
Question
The tutorial finish with
"Step 4 - use the cameo generator.
Press Ctrl + G, or go to Tools > Misc > Cameo Generator"
But my problem is there what to do after that?
The export option mention SHP but TD or TS formats, not RA2.
When I use any of these formats my icons are broken or black.
Soooo... what I need to do to make that cameos work properly? QUICK_EDIT
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How to Make a Quick Cameo
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