The Dink Network

I'm trying to add new graphics but I'm doing something wrong, not sure what.
Something works because in WDE the sequence numbers are open (ie selectable) but the sprites aren't there, it's just blue like the background. I've checked the file path and everything which is all fine. They're seq. numbers from 901-919, I thought that might be too high but I tried at a lower number and no difference.

The strange thing is that almost identical graphics do work.

INI lines (blue works):
load_sequence graphics\drflies\blue\dr1- 891 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\blue\dr2- 892 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\blue\dr3- 893 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\blue\dr4- 894 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\blue\dr6- 896 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\blue\dr7- 897 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\blue\dr8- 898 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\blue\dr9- 899 BLACK

load_sequence graphics\drflies\red\dr1- 901 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\red\dr2- 902 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\red\dr3- 903 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\red\dr4- 904 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\red\dr6- 906 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\red\dr7- 907 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\red\dr8- 908 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\red\dr9- 909 BLACK

load_sequence graphics\drflies\yellow\dr1- 911 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\yellow\dr2- 912 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\yellow\dr3- 913 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\yellow\dr4- 914 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\yellow\dr6- 916 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\yellow\dr7- 917 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\yellow\dr8- 918 BLACK
load_sequence graphics\drflies\yellow\dr9- 919 BLACK

Dragonflies by Reiner Prokein, if I'm not mistaken? =) I used these graphics in a dmod of my own with no problems, although I changed the background and lowered colour depth to use less space. You haven't forgotten to rename all the graphics to fit Dink's format, right? Any typos? If not, it might be a problem with the palette or even the file format.

You are not mistaken

The blue ones I nicked from Prelude and the others direct from Reiner but the only difference I can see is in the bit depth, blue is 8 and red/yellow is 32.
How do I change this? And is that the problem?

They're all bmps, right names, nothing to do with palette.

If bit depth is the only difference, then I would try to reduce that using a decent photo/graphic editor. Not sure if Paint or Paintbrush can do it. I have my doubts. I would also work with copies of the originals, in case it doesn't solve the problem.

If push comes to shove, you could send me one of them to edit, and I can send it back afterwards. I have a few good programs that can handle that. At least then you would know if that would solve the problem.

Another option would be to edit the colors of the blue ones to achieve the other two colors while maintaining bit depth from the blue. Sounds like a lot of manual adjusting though.

I have the GIMP and Irfanview but can't work out how to change the bit depth in either. Is there another name for it?

Edit: I just tried changing one to the Dink palette and it showed up in WDE but only as a few random dots.

In Paint Shop Pro, it is listed as Color Depth, and has quantities of colors with the bit number (8-bit is 256 colors, 24-bit is 32k or 64k colors.) Try looking for color depth.

In Irfanview, it's under the image menu (Decrease Colour Depth). You can also convert a bunch of files at once (File -> Batch Conversion), no need to do every graphic indivually.

I usually decrease the bit depth of all graphics according to how many colours they use, or how good the result looks. There's no reason a graphic that uses less than 16 colours should have a 256 colour palette, the difference in file size can be huge.

Ah I see. Changed them to 8bit or less and they work, thanks! I have other graphics at 24bit and they work ok, so it must be anything above that.

But it changes black to a slightly different shade, so now I have to change all the backgrounds again
Not much of a problem though.

Glad you got them working.

I've run into the issue with black while designing graphics for ads in magazines. Quite frustrating to learn there is 'black' which is very dark gray, and then there is 'rich black' which is the real black. I feel your pain.