BootScreen Editing [FR/LG]

[esperance]

BootScreen Editing for FR/LG

Preface

Alright, the bootscreen is the first screen you see that appears when you start a game. Editing this is becoming somewhat scarce knowledge (imo), and I'd like to share my knowledge.
*Note: This tutorial is only for people that know a little about image editing in the first place. If you don't know what indexing an image is, or tilemap editing, or how to edit palettes, then this isn't for you.

Tools

Okay, you need these tools to do this.

1. unLZ.GBA
2. NTME
3. APE
4. FSF
5. GIMP or Paint (or another graphics editing program)
6. Irfanview
7. Sphere (not necessarily)

Step 1

Okay, step 1. The first step is to create your bootscreen.
After you've made your bootscreen, you want to index it with Irfanview. (Also, export the palette for later!)

For my example, I will use this:

Step 2

Next step. Now that you have your image, you want to remove all repeated 8x8 tiles that appear in the image. To do this, I recommend using Sphere, however, you can do it by hand. Once done, don't forget to make sure your image is indexed!
Need help? Clicky.

At this point, I am here:

Step 3

The next step is to take the tileset created in the last step, open it in NTME, and create a tilemap. Make sure that the size is the preset size "FR/LG TS" (32x20 tiles). For this tilemap, all the tiles need to be in the palette 0.

This is what my tilemap looks like:

Step 4

Okey, open unLZ.GBA. The first part is to insert the tileset. In unLZ, go to image 207 (FR) or 209 (LG). Now, it won't look like the tileset for the bootscreen, but it is. Insert the image, and repoint the image data if need be. (But, don't import the palette!).

At this point:

Step 5

Okay, now in unLZ.GBA goto to 208 or 210. This is the tilemap for the bootscreen. Import your tilemap, and repoint as necessary.

Import the tilemap:

In the ROM thus far:

Time for a palette change! (But it's working so far! :))

Step 6

Finally, the palette editing (if necessary). Open your ROM in APE. Next, go to 00402260 (FR) or 0040209C (LG). Once you loaded the palette, edit away! If you did, import your palette from earlier. However, it (probably) throws an error. To get the palette to load, just keep trying to load the palette until the program actually loads it but crashes. When the message comes up about the crash, quickly press "Print Screen" and save the loaded colors. Paste this image in Paint or GIMP, and manually input the values.

The error:

Don't forget to print screen!

Finished product:

Yay! :)

 

[sturmen]

Pardon my newbness, but could you please elaborate on Step 2? What exactly do I do in Sphere? And "indexing" is the same as decreasing color depth, right?

 

[esperance]

Pardon my newbness, but could you please elaborate on Step 2? What exactly do I do in Sphere? And "indexing" is the same as decreasing color depth, right?

Indexing is the process of taking the image and making it 16 colors, so yes.

In sphere, this is what you should do:

1. Open Sphere Editor
2. Go to "File>Import>Image to Map"
3. On image to map, select remove tiles, and make sure the tiles are 8 x 8
4. Re-open the newly created map file.
5. Copy the tileset, and index the tiles.
6. Open the tiles in NTME.
7. Make the tilemap.

Hope that helps.

 

[xephos]

After I try and insert it NTME it gives me some funky error got any ideas? Also what is a good size for the image?

 

[esperance]

After I try and insert it NTME it gives me some funky error got any ideas? Also what is a good size for the image?

What do you mean? (For the NTME part)

Also, for the image, the size probably be less than 240x160, and MUST have at most 256 tiles.

 

[Reygok]

Where can I find Sphere? Since it's a name with many different meanings, I can't find it through googling...

Edit: Okay I found it now, but it seems it has been updated several times, and now your explanation to remove all 8x8 tiles does not fit anymore... I can't find a way to do it now :(

 

[Robert Conley]

What version of sphere did you use for this? Also, is this the right sphere program?: https://spheredev.org/smforums/index.php?topic=3798.0

 

[iPika]

Mine didn't even come up. It came up blank.

 

[Haru~]

There's a way to use Irfanview's .pal exports.
Just temporarily increase the color depth of your image to 256 colors and export.

Then in APE, load the palette to be replaced and then open the .pal file. (On the changed palette)
You should be able to import the palette much easier.

Well, that's what I do when I'm working with APE.

 

[Baodan Dalmie]

Or to get rid of the error you can make the pal a .act file in a graphics editor like graphics gale (WAY EASIER!!!).

 

[deba]

BootScreen Editing for FR/LG

Preface

Alright, the bootscreen is the first screen you see that appears when you start a game. Editing this is becoming somewhat scarce knowledge (imo), and I'd like to share my...

Bro, please reupload the images. They are no longer available.

 

[esperance]

Bro, please reupload the images. They are no longer available.

This tutorial is actually really outdated so I'll do you one better and rewrite it later today.

EDIT: Sorry, my hacking computer died on me so I won't be able to get images anytime soon. However, I will be able to update the text.