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It isn't finished yet, but it is able to do a good conversion on the graphics. Currently, it only supports 8-bit, paletted bitmap images.

http://shadowflare.samods.org/cgi-bin/down...i?SFGrpConv.zip

Some other information about it is on my site.

BTW, I'm not sure yet whether I'll be the one to actually implement the rest of the features or not. I may just release the source so someone else can add the other features.

-EDIT-

Actually, I think I'll at least implement the features mentioned in my list in a post further down. However, I'll probably leave support for other formats to someone else (besides support for 24-bit bitmaps and RLE compressed bitmaps).

YAY! No more RetroGRP mucking up my sprites! No more fighting with Stardraft SE! Well done! Unfortunately I can't try it right now but I'll sure try if as soon as I can!

Heh, there are actually some cases where GRPs generated by this cannot be opened in RetroGRP, even though they are perfectly valid and work fine in Starcraft.

Oh, and BTW, this converter tries to the best of its ability to create a valid GRP, even if that means cutting off some parts of frames to fit it to the GRP format. AFAIK, it should never create a GRP that is unusable because of being corrupt and crashing Starcraft.

Hmm, one more thing: it currently does not support RLE compressed bitmaps, so you need to save them uncompressed first if you are using files that were from RetroGRP.

Sweet! The new RetroGRP!

its about time someone replaces RetroGRP gj

Even though I hate RetroGRP, I won't switch to this program...yet...


I'm sorry, but it just doesn't sound convenient enough to switch from RetroGRP to use, as it sounds like it would take some adjusting and has the same problems, just caused different ways.

Make it accept arguments in the form of "-some_switch *.grp" and when it detects -some_switch in will not display the window and instead just an open dialog to select the palette and then it will decompile. Then you can add a context menu entry for GRP files to allow you to decompile.

first off, i'm glad to see it new grp utility
However, hmm... i had test it just a moment ago and i had test for serveral
working of realated in GRP and BMP editing and compiling

it's simple and it's not bad but i'm not suggest it to use for creat GRP file
the reason why is some short of funtions and options

here what i feel it's not enough for Creat/Edit GRP file

1. there is no funtion of loading *.pal file which format for image editor
it's mean u guys have to convert from pal or custom images into wpe or ppl file
and if u use custom palette which like changed background colors and some
colors set then u guys have to convert again for ur work

Actualy pal file is mager file format for creat grp
if u use image editor then u guys always load pal file and use that
even thogh could make grp with raw palette formats

i think that's reason is probably Miss SF didn't know about using graphic editor

( i just try load pal file in this new grp converter but that doesn't load
colors correctly , if load pal file for ur image, then colors will mixed up)

2.What is more worth, it isn't not good for complie from multiple bmp
no it just compile simple frame image there is no funtion
which able set multy select BMP files

3. there is no preview feature yet, so if u guys want see how looks compiled grp
then have to load ur grp with RetroGRP or StarDraft-Se or ice and CV5

So if someone ask me is it good for creat and edit grp
my answer is " it isn't not enough and no good, retrogrp
or StarDraft-se would be rather good than this "

but if want just compile grp which include single image,
it's could good choice

i think if it's would not improved a couple of features
then it couldn't make used by people they probably will still use earlier grp tool even though it is new

ShadowFlare this new converter has saved my butt twice now, I made 2 animations with over 100 images each and then retrogrp woulndt convert them right but yours did. It didnt do the colors quite right but since it... it created a valid grp when retrogrp wouldnt thank you!!

What problems exactly?



That is basically one of the planned features for it.



It does save the palette into the bmp files, so you can get it from there. Or are you only referring to converting a custom palette to .wpe or .ppl to use in the game when using the custom image? Well, either way, it only supports .wpe (starcraft) and .ppl (warcraft 2) because that is all I thought was really needed at all, since the bmp files that are outputted do contain the entire palette that was selected. Now if you just mean outputting a .wpe or .ppl palette file from the bmp file when converting to GRP, then I could have it do that.


To use multiple bmp files, they must be numbered and the first one must be number zero. When converting, you open up the first one and then you type in the number of frames you want to use in the box that is for that. A future version will not require typing in the number of frames, though. If I had written documentation yet, it would have mentioned that.


A preview is also one of the planned features for it. It will actually be easy to do as well, since I already wrote a function for displaying the frames a long time ago. Heh, for now, I actually use the converter itself for a preview along with the image preview program in Windows XP.


BTW, this is my current list of planned features/changes I've thought of so far (before I even saw any suggestions here):

8-bit RLE support and maybe 24-bit color support (and possibly other formats)
Support for exporting and importing masks for transparency (like the converter with StarDraft does)
Automatically finding a count of the numbered bitmaps
Opening files in the converter by specifying them as a parameter
MPQ support (both opening from and saving to)
GRP Preview
Tips/help area (like DatEdit)

Besides that, there will also be documentation as well, unlike this initial release.



The colors weren't quite right? In what way? Unless you mean colors that were turned into transparent pixels, then I think your image must not have been made using the colors in the palette that it should have (and by that I mean the correct color index into the palette, not the color itself).

I probably didnt use the right colors.

I need a program that will let me choose the palette I want and paint with that palette.

Do you know of any paint like program like that??

aight~! Basicly ur idea no problem and i know how to get colors from .wpe and .ppl

but u need to attention into image editor

Most user who's using GRP converter, they r most use image editor for their grp
and they always use pal file format becuzz pal format is most wide used palette format
So Although could use with .wpe or .ppl most user need to use pal file
this mean is they want just most favorite fortmat to use for grp utilities
Also other GRP tools support *pal file mostly

So i think ur idea is not efficiency much


oh.. i didn't thought it's does by typing in the number of frames
However that wasn't made understand what is the input box for me

and i think if support selecting multiple bmp files just in the file browse window
that would be more easily

anyway i belive A futer version will support that by easy way and i belive u


that's good news,
BTW While you are at it, if you feel like you gotta make like a GRP animating feature like as CV5
in CV5, there is feature which support animating GRP with scripts
So when write iscript, if could support that in ur GRP converter,
preview animating feature would help

Ok i wll look forward to ur work how will it does

BTW, i have some idea of GRP converer for ur work
So i just had design some of layout and features by VB Studio

just look lightly and if u feel there is something good idea try refer it
Attached file there is GRPediter.exe file which designed just layout

This is a life saver. Now my problem to the stretched images that are displayed on PhotoImpressions is fixed thanks to this.

uhhh... lets just stick to "yay"

AWESOME

I'll test it out on my ruined GRP... Hopefully it should turn out right this time. Thanks.

It hasnt been working for me at all lately, ive been taking images that were from original grps and converting them but when it showed up all it was was very colorful boxes the size of the original images

it isn't completly yet, it's so buggy for image which exported
So u should load palette and change colors of image in ur image editor
one by one for all

in a word, it's so good for nothing currently just wait next version
until that would be work as well

Hmm, I'm not quite sure what you mean. Are you saying you are trying to convert images to GRP that were converted to bitmap by another converter? For example, if you try to use bitmaps from RetroGRP it won't work, since my converter does not support RLE compressed bitmaps yet. Currently it only supports 8-bit uncompressed bitmaps. I will add support for at least reading RLE compressed bitmaps in a later version.

ADDITION:
If your bitmaps are RLE compressed, to use them with this converter you first need to convert them to 8-bit uncompressed bitmaps.

BTW, I uploaded a new version of the converter and grpapi. There are only some small changes, though -- no RLE support yet. I would edit the original post to mention this update, but I can't at the moment.

In regards to your program not working earlier and the topic "wirefram, grpwire, tranwire, cmdicons grps"

I found that it wasnt working because I had saved the bmp as the wrong format/compression, so I converted it with photophiltre. It worked right after that except one thing, all the pictures were shades of blue instead of red, green, orange, and yellow(I was working on wireframes). The wireframes appeared blackish in game.

I tried several times loading a palette when saving the grp but it didnt do anything, the palette seemed to work only when saving the bmps, and even then didnt save all the bmps right, it did all the units correct except organic units IE the zerg.

I have the palettes as .pal files and when I use them the colors come out weird. Is this because of the palette or GRPConv? If it's because of the palettes, could someone figure out a way to post them as .ppl files? I sort of wonder if it is a problem with the converter, since other people seem to have asked about this...Other than that, good job, sicne it's better than RetroGRP.

Currently you need to use the raw binary palette files like that are from Starcraft (wpe) or Warcraft II (ppl). I will add support for the text-based .pal files for the next version.

As far as I know, there isn't really anything particularly wrong with the converter itself. It works just fine if you give it the proper file formats. I just need to make it so it supports more formats for the bitmaps and the palettes (mainly when reading those). I'm considering adding in something to extract the palette data from bitmaps to create a palette file.

Can you Say handy! In photophiltre there is a plugin that allows you to save the palette, though i dont think it saves it correctly you can do it. I uploaded this plugin like a week or two ago its in the other files I think.

o and you can convert the .pal files with Paledit into a .wpe but you will have to do some editing to the palette file its alot of hunting down trial and error.

I wouldn't need anything special to extract the palette from bitmaps, especially just to make a .wpe file out of it. There wouldn't be much to do at all; just read the palette data from the bitmap, swap red and blue for each color in the palette, and save it as a file.

I've taken a look at those JASC palettes and the format seems very simple as well.