[Graphics] >Dante< Tutorial: How to change correctly the Intro hero in FR/LG

[>Dante<]

How to change correctly the Intro hero in FR/LG

by>Dante<

Italian/English translation by Sean Visinoni
English text fixed by BZuma

Most of you, know the tutorial by the famous Zel which teaches how to change the intro hero by recoloring the sprite in black and white.

Though I esteem Zel, I always had the impression that it was wrong.

As a matter of fact I manage to discover an easier way that may also be useful for many other things.

First of all I'd like to thank HackMew for theaching me this method ^^.

Requests:

-VisualBoy Advance;

-FR/LG Rom;

-Photoshop (I use CS2 version);

-UnlzGBA;

-Free Space Finder (FSF);


First Part: Research

First of all, you have to open the ROM with Unlz.GBA, and go to go to 341 (more or less) using 256 color and Black/White mode.




As you can see, it's easy to observe that this is the male character, while the others PGs (Female, Professor, Rival) are in the following go to.

Now that you have found the sprite you must save it, and I suggest you to save it in format .PNG.

Now, play your rom until the moment when the game asks you to chose which Character you want to be, male or female...

Then click on Tools --> Palette Viewer...

as in the image:



The palette we need are in the left pannel (Background), so you'll have to save that palettes by clicking on "SAVE BG" and save the palette in .ACT:



Second Part: Photoshop and Sprite

Now we can finally use Photoshop.

I know that not all of you have it, but it's very useful to modify images.


Open the sprite we saved before with Photoshop:

Image --> Mode --> Colours table

as in the image:



It will appear the colour table that obviously will be toned-down from black to white



Now you have to go to "Load" and you open the palette in .ACT format that we saved before...



et voillà!



The hero has now the right palettes. Before you start editing the sprite, I suggest you to change the background, because it's black and may create some confusion... so put a bright colour...

To do this you just have to go back to the colour table and edit the first colour.



I decided to use kyledove's sprite, but you can chose your favourite!



Third Part: Insert

after you have modify the sprite you must insert it. So, now you must use Free Space Finder (FSF) by HackMew.

With this you can search for any free offset that exists.


Let's go back to UNLZ, insert the sprite and then Write to Rom




Now you will have to select the things you want to use... in this case they are:

-export image

-Auto abort if new data is bigger


Remember that YOU DON'T HAVE TO SELECT "EXPORT PALETTE" or your rom may crash...
If you selected the things I told you to select, it should appear this window:



In this case the image is bigger than the previous one and there's no enough space...

So UNLZ asks you if you want to reduce the image... click on Cancel, but remember the code I've selected (76C)*.


*Remember that this is just an example and your is sure different.

This number is in hexadecimal (HEX), but we have to bring it to decimal (DEC)...

To change it, you just need the windows calculator, using the scientific mode.






Now we turn in HEX:



As you can see, 76C is Hex and Dec it's 1900.

Now you have to copy this number, open Free Space Finder (FSF) and you search for your rom.



In the section "bytes needed" there’s 64 by default, replace it with your new number, and click on search.



We finally found our free offset, the one that UNLZ need to insert the image.

Now you go back to UNLZ and do again Write to Rom:



But this time you'll have a new offset. So now select:

-export image

-Auto abort if new data is bigger

and

-automaticly fix pointers

and paste the offset that we found with FSF in the box image offset



and click OK

Now you'll see a message which will say to you that your image has been saved with a new offset.

Now you just have to try your Rom hoping that all has went as it should...

If you find an error try reading again the tutorial and check out if you missed anything.

If the problem persists don't resist and ask ^^

You can change the Sprite's palettes whit the HackMew tool's...APE

APE offset:
Boy intro ------>0046161C
Rival Intro ---->004623B0
Prof intro ----->004623B4
Girl Intro ------>00460EF0

Palette found by >Dante<
END

[hot_kage]

amazingly helpful! this is a great tutorial

[Chimchar 9]

This is a grand tut, i hope to use this sometime.
good work.

[Circus]

When saving the Palette as .ACT how do you open it in Photoshop. I've tried it in both CS2 and CS3.

[>Dante<]

Originally Posted by Circus

When saving the Palette as .ACT how do you open it in Photoshop. I've tried it in both CS2 and CS3.

I've made some screen...
if you would to open the pal ACT in hotoshop you must do:
Image --> Method --> Colours table
it's the second part of the tutorail...

[Vrai]

Oh, wow. ^^

No wonder I was doing something wrong with UNLZ.gba. *headsmack*

Thanks, >Dante<.

[Cheesymitten]

a very easy tutorial to understand thanks

[hot_kage]

Originally Posted by >Dante<;

I've made some screen...
if you would to open the pal ACT in photoshop you must do:
Image --> Method --> Colours table
it's the second part of the tutorial...

cool but did you sprite the brendan yourself?

[Vrai]

Originally Posted by hot_kage

cool but did you sprite the brendan yourself?

Originally Posted by >Dante<

I decided to use kiledove's sprite, but you can chose your favourite!

Your question answers itself. Please read through the thread before asking a question.

[>Dante<]

Originally Posted by Vrai

Oh, wow.

No wonder I was doing something wrong with UNLZ.gba. *headsmack*

Thanks, >Dante<.

Originally Posted by cheesymitten

a very easy tutorial to understand thanks

no problem

Originally Posted by hot_kage

cool but did you sprite the brendan yourself?

Originally Posted by Vrai

Your question answers itself. Please read through the thread before asking a question.

No problem..
there are some good sprite made by Kyledove...
that are an example..

[Sean Visinoni]

well yes, it's very easy and usefull

[>Dante<]

Originally Posted by Sean Visinoni

well yes, it's very easy and usefull

hey Sean!!
thx to have translate this tutorial in English!

[Chimchar 9]

Hey Dante !
Do we need to use photoshop or could we use another programme ?

[>Dante<]

Originally Posted by Lucario 9

Hey Dante !
Do we need to use photoshop or could we use another programme ?

I have used photoshop but you can use any other program that allows you to import your palette

[Andryandrew]

Originally Posted by Sean Visinoni

well yes, it's very easy and usefull

Wonderful translation, I think.. (but you speak English better than me)...

[Hyunbin]

thank you for the tutorial
it was pretty easy to follow

Originally Posted by >Dante<

^^

question... are the overworld sprites supposed to be usable?
because they use more than 15 colors <_<

[>Dante<]

Originally Posted by Hyunbin

thank you for the tutorial
it was pretty easy to follow



question... are the overworld sprites supposed to be usable?
because they use more than 15 colors <_<

Thx
For the overworld, you can use it..they are from kyledove and, if you know it, you remember as he use a lot of nuer of color "
you must recolor the overwolrd if you would to use it

[0m3GA ARS3NAL]

WOW!!! Unbelieveable Tutorial, I have to thank HackMew as well for even telling you this.... hehe, This is amazing! *Bookmark*

[>Dante<]

I see few questions on the tutorial...
that means as I have explained well him...
or what it doesn't interest XD
but in conclusion..
thanks to all for your comments

[Liquid Shadow]

Thank you.. So much. I spent like a day trying to figure out the palette similarities like in Zel's tutorial and I still didn't get it right... This helped me SO MUCH.

[Pokepal17]

Yeah thanks I'll use this But what freeware is there that can import palette files and edit images? (I know Photoshop is licensed and I don't have it)

[0m3GA ARS3NAL]

Originally Posted by Pokepal17

Yeah thanks I'll use this But what freeware is there that can import palette files and edit images? (I know Photoshop is licensed and I don't have it)

Try GIMP, that image editor seems to work for me for minor edits when I dont feel like opening my copy of Photoshop up... and I think it has Pallet insertion methods...

[Pokepal17]

Originally Posted by 0m3GA ARS3NAL

Try GIMP, that image editor seems to work for me for minor edits when I dont feel like opening my copy of Photoshop up... and I think it has Pallet insertion methods...

Thanks I'll try it
I also wanna ask, when editing the sprite, does that backgound colour actually need to be a different colour?

[0m3GA ARS3NAL]

Originally Posted by Pokepal17

Thanks I'll try it
I also wanna ask, when editing the sprite, does that backgound colour actually need to be a different colour?

I can answer this.... no, it is just recommended so you can see your sprite's outline against a brighter background.

[>Dante<]

Originally Posted by 0m3GA ARS3NAL

I can answer this.... no, it is just recommended so you can see your sprite's outline against a brighter background.

Exactly.
It is not obligatory change it...
it is only a suggestion that I have wanted to give confusion to avoid you in the change of your sprite