[Graphics] [TUT] Simple Guide to Replacing Pokemon Sprites (FR/LG/R/S)

[yugimon121]

thank you!
finally got it right! woohoo!

[porkiewpyne]

I have followed every step mentioned but unLZ still gives me the "Error: Image not Indexed" message. Using Paint and Irfanview as well. Can someone help me out? Tried the steps in another tutorial as well but still unsuccessful. I really do not know what went wrong since i followed the tutorial step by step. Sigh...

EDIT:

SOLUTION: Make sure you are not using Paint for Windows 7. For some reason, it just refuses to open the indexed pic as an indexed pic (and I think it changes it back to being un-indexed). Use Paint which came with Windows XP. One (noteworthy) thing though, I can't seem to save it under a different name but it's no problem actually. Not too sure about the one for Vista. Hope this helps as it worked for me.

[Beebeeson]

this was the first time ever i have tried to change sprites in a rom and i followed your tutorial to the letter, everything seems to be working, except i too get the scrambled sprites when i open the rom with unLZ. i tested the rom after adding the first sprite and it popped up and looked fine when prof oak asks you to choose a pokemon. does this mean the scrambling in unLZ doesn't actually affect the rom?

[Grassmen]

I've got Windows 7 paint, so I'm also getting the indexing issue. But I've found a way around it.

Index your image as you would usually, switching the colours around so that you get the right transparent colour. Load in paint. You don't need to swap the colours around like you usually would, just save under a different file name and open this in Photoshop/Irfanview. Now index the image again, swapping the colours back around so that the transparent colour is the right one. What you should get is everything looking the way you want, and all transparent

So no need for older paint programmes! :D

[shadowdorothy]

I have attempted to follow your tutorial but it doesn't seem to work for me.

When I attempt to insert the image into the rom I keep getting an index error. I have tried everything you said to do multiple times with no success.

Is there another way besides using infarveiw or CS photoshop to index sprites?

[tpmrpg]

Originally Posted by shadowdorothy

I have attempted to follow your tutorial but it doesn't seem to work for me.

When I attempt to insert the image into the rom I keep getting an index error. I have tried everything you said to do multiple times with no success.

Is there another way besides using infarveiw or CS photoshop to index sprites?

There is one.... The G.I.M.P it's free and just liek photoshop.

[Zapdogre]

Awesome tutorial! Really helped me, thanks very much!

[shadowdorothy]

Originally Posted by tpmrpg

There is one.... The G.I.M.P :) it's free and just liek photoshop.

Yeah, but will it work? If i attempt to put an image into a rom will it work?

[Banjora Marxvile]

Originally Posted by shadowdorothy

Yeah, but will it work? If i attempt to put an image into a rom will it work?

If you know how to index it yes. Though Irfanview is simpler for it IMO, but you said not Irfanview (intrigued as to why though...)

[PokemonEditor]

For some reason after following this very helpful tutorial. When I get looking at my finished pokemon in the game its colors are inversed, help please? As in the flame of my Rapidash is it's body color & vis-versa.

[Yuber]

I have trouble while using this tutorial.
The first sprite i inserted it went well. But the next two i tried they didn`t even look like the sprite that i wanted to insert, but like a colour swapped of the original sprite.
I hope i made myself clear, here`s what happens to me:


EDIT: i realized that i didn´t ticked the "automatically set pointers" i will try that. Sorry for the inconvinience.

[PEDRO12]

unlz gba isn't really the recommnded program for pokemon sprite editting, its mostly used for trainers sprites (there's no difference, but its kinda unreasonable to use unlz gba when you could use rom hacker XP or advanced pokemon sprite editor !!

[Tatsumase]

No matter what I do with the colors keep coming out glitched, while only one sprite stays the same.
And now it seems it's also getting rid of the backsprites.

What am I doing wrong?

[Meinfoo]

Thanks so much for this tutorial, It really helped me out! Everything was very straight forward with screenshots too! Great work!

[Zeffy]

Originally Posted by PEDRO12

unlz gba isn't really the recommnded program for pokemon sprite editting, its mostly used for trainers sprites (there's no difference, but its kinda unreasonable to use unlz gba when you could use rom hacker XP or advanced pokemon sprite editor !!

I don't like both of the programs you mentioned, tbh. I find it easier to use unLZ because whenever I use APSE, the colors always gets screwed up. Its sucks imo.

[PEDRO12]

well i didn't say apse, but even there, the prob you mentioned is solvable, that's why they made the synchorize palettes button. It never fails me (As long as the 16 color palette rule is take into consideration when the sprites are drawn.)

[Pokepal17]

You should note down in the tutorial that crashing occurs if the offset the sprites is inserted at doesn't end with 0, 4, 8, or C. This also applies to tilemaps and music, I think.

[Hackmon]

Every time I try to change the sprite it comes up with "image is not indexed" and when I check it on irfanview I have only used 16 colours why does this happen?

I use paint, irfanview and free space finder.

[Banjora Marxvile]

Originally Posted by Hackmon

Every time I try to change the sprite it comes up with "image is not indexed" and when I check it on irfanview I have only used 16 colours why does this happen?

I use paint, irfanview and free space finder.

Did you use the Decrease Colour Depth option to make it only use 16 colours, like you are meant to? If you did, did you open it with Paint afterwards, as that sometimes unindexes the sprite.

[Fortunado]

I'm trying to insert my image, and I'd done everything up to the point, but it keeps saying "Error: Image Not Indexed"

[Banjora Marxvile]

Originally Posted by Fortunado

I'm trying to insert my image, and I'd done everything up to the point, but it keeps saying "Error: Image Not Indexed"

Did you get Irfanview and Decrease Color Depth to 16?

[Fortunado]

Originally Posted by Banjora Marxvile

Did you get Irfanview and Decrease Color Depth to 16?

Yes. It's not accepted it as indexed, but now it won't write it to the ROM. Seriously, ever time I look at the sprite in the ROM, it's a discoloured version of the old sprite.

[Banjora Marxvile]

Originally Posted by Fortunado

Yes. It's not accepted it as indexed, but now it won't write it to the ROM. Seriously, ever time I look at the sprite in the ROM, it's a discoloured version of the old sprite.

Did you repoint the image to free space, because unlz shows the old image still as it is still at that location. The ROM should read the new location of your image in game, did you test the in game sprite?

[Fortunado]

Originally Posted by Banjora Marxvile

Did you repoint the image to free space, because unlz shows the old image still as it is still at that location. The ROM should read the new location of your image in game, did you test the in game sprite?

Well, the difficult part about testing it in-game is that instead of doing a Pokémon Sprite Switch, I'm doing a trainer switch. Same principles apply, just a bit more work.

[Banjora Marxvile]

Originally Posted by Fortunado

Well, the difficult part about testing it in-game is that instead of doing a Pokémon Sprite Switch, I'm doing a trainer switch. Same principles apply, just a bit more work.

UNLZ isn't helpful in checking if you inserted a trainer into free space, as it doesn't show these new images. One way is to perhaps go to the offset you used for the sprite using a very similar tool called NLZ (NOT UNLZ), and see if the sprite is there correctly, or script (or copy a script of) a trainer event that uses that sprite to the start map and see if it works.