Make a .PAL file to be used by the game
Submitted by ArgCmdr

Ah ha. I bet someone tried to get new PALs in RA2 and failed sometime. Loading screens, a new iso* file for terrain, or a different unit* palette or even cameo. Well, this will tell you how to create a PAL file that will be readable by the game.

First off, do not confuse the JASC Pal format, with the one used by the game. (JASC) .PAL is plain ASCII text that uses a line definition structure for each color in the palette. The format the game uses is compressed in the following structure:

Palette : array [0..255] of record
red,green,blue:byte;
end;

Beyond that technical chat, heres how to create these files.

First, you need XCC Mixer (You can get the lastest version at http://xccu.sf.net )

Then, you need a PCX file, in 8-bit. The colors in the file, will be used as base for the new palette. To make the file, open XCC Mixer, then the second browsing panel. Place both loctions where the file is, and where you want it.

Now, right click on the PCX file, and select Copy as PAL. (not PAL Jasc). There you have it.

PAL files go inside expandmd##.mix files. XCC Mod Creator doesnt have support for them (as Olaf said somewhere else, he didnt expect people would tweak palettes). So, in order not to have them loose in the game directory, place them in the INI division. That way, theyll be dumped into the Expandmd##.mix files the program generates.

> Back to Tutorials