Staredit Network

I have a problem with Retro Grp. It wont compile my BMP's to Grp. It says" No Ral file" What does that means? Anyway what is "RAL"

This isn't a modding help forum, please post your questions regarding modding in the freelances forum until we have a proper mod forum.

Ok, first of all - you can't add new units to Starcraft, so forget it, RetroGRP only allows you to imput new graphic into Starcraft which than using IceCC you can attach/replace with the original graphics.
Now, after you create your BMPs you'll have to open WinMPQ and extract the graphics you want to replace - for example, of you're going to replace the marine graphics you'll need to extract unit\terran\marine.grp (and some more shad.grps but you can leave that for later).

Create a folder inside you mod folder named 'unit' and inside the folder create either 'terran', 'zerg', 'protoss', 'misc', 'bullet', or whatever else you may need according to the *.grp you're extracting.
Than, open RetroGRP, press 'Load External File' and choose the file you extracted from WinMPQ.
After you've done than press 'Set Output Directory' and set it to the folder you've made before (terran/zerg/etc...).
Than press 'Write Out BMPs' and choose 'All Bitmaps' - RetroGRP will than create all of the BMPs and a *.ral file inside that folder.
Than, open Microsost Paint (here it's important that you use that and not photoshop or other programs) and set it to 256-color BMP, if you don't know how than just use it normally but you'll later need to reproduce (I'll explain in the end).
Anyway, after you've opened paint, copy every frame of the unit and put it in the right place instead of the BMPs RetroGRP made, DON'T CHANGE THEIR NAME, only open them with paint and press Ctrl+V.
Try to do your best to NOT change the sizes of the frames you're changing; if your BMPs are still too big only use the sized 128*128 and 256*256 cuz' otherwise you'll screw it up.

After you've done replacing the BMPs, open again RetroGRP and press 'Compile to GRP', after you press it choose the *.ral file located in that folder - you should only make GRPs one by one to not confuse their *.ral files.
After that, RetroGRP will create a new GRP file named as the last one, leave the GRP there and delete all of the BMPs and the RAL file in that folder - don't worry about future editing since you can always re-extract from your own GRP.

When you're done, compile the mod's *.mpq and voila! Starcraft will now show your pictures instead!
You can have control over how the pictures will show and what animations they'll have in ArsenalIII (or Arsenal Zero) and IceCC (or ICE) but if you're unexperienced with those you're in trouble.

u can technically add new units, u just replace an unused unit and change the properties, and itll work like a new unit...

That requires too much work when you have to change the animations with Iscript editing and... urgh....

If you just changed the unit images, would they still work on Battle.net and stuff? or would that screw it up? I know if its a really messed up mod it drops you from the game. (I once logged on with a mod I found in my Platinum Aspect. How long ago was that?)

Well, as far as I know you CAN change the graphics and play on Battle.net.

I remember reading somewhere that if a mod only changes the graphics it's B.net compatible...

EDIT: I think I read that in Infoceptor's (www.infoceptor.com) SC mods section. When they actually cared about SC content.

Alright, for Battle.Net it'll work like this, as long as the units in gameplay haven't been altered so that someones "MPQ"(ie; memory of Starcraft) isn't different in these terms, which means it is possible to run a MOD that changes a unit that'll never be used and play someone who hasn't got it, as long as you don't have that Unit.

Music goes under same rule, have to be a music/sound file that'll not be used in the game.

Ok thanx guys.. That should be it. Maybe I can continue on my freind Masters campaign RazorBlade. Oh by the way Visit the site. http://Mastersector.tripod.com