How to make flags and graves the proper way

In this guide, I'll show you how I make flags and graves that don't lose color when converting.

Introduction

It annoyed me that MS Paint has a fixed 256-color bmp colormap, which makes most of the sprites look weird. I'll show you how I make them just so they won't lose color at all.

End Result

Software needed

Any Image Editing Software, I'll use GIMP[www.gimp.org]
mtPaint[mtpaint.sourceforge.net]
An image you want to turn into a flag and/or grave, I'll use this big size Bungee
http://worms2d.info/File:Bungeeicon.png

Step 1

Open the image you want in the image editor (duuh)

Step 2

Prepare the image for the conversion, here are some sizes that you need to use:
- Flag: 20x17 (there's a 1px black border around the flag, you can't do anything about this)
- Grave: 24x32

Step 3

We need to make a palette for them to work.
In GIMP, go to Image -> Mode -> Indexed
and pick Generate optimum palette and choose 256 colors. Click Convert.

Step 4 (Graves only)

Make sure that the pixels that you won't be using will be transparent in-game. WA uses pure black (RGB 0,0,0) in the 0th spot in the colormap. Most of the time picking the color with a Color Picker (or CTRL+Left Click with a Pencil) will get you the color GIMP picked, change that if it isn't pure black and on the 0th spot.
To change the color palette, go to Windows -> Dockable Dialogs -> Colormap
To rearrange the color palette, right-click any color in the pallette and there's Rearrange Colormap, click that.

Oh, and this applies to graves only, flags are safe from this.

Step 5

I hope your fingers are ready, because we need to populate the entire color palette in order for it to work!
again, in GIMP, go to Windows -> Dockable Dialogs -> Colormap

in the bottom right of the window there's a plus. you need to click it many times until that button goes gray.



















Once you did that, export it as a png image. The name doesn't matter, but keep it short.

Step 6

Open mtpaint and open the flag and/or grave. One by one, of course.
Don't worry, you don't need to use most of the interface. It does look scary for me as well.

Step 7

Go to File -> Save As...
and the magical part, change the file format to BMP and hit OK

Step 8

Go to Steam, right click WA -> Properties -> Local Files -> Browse Local Files

Then, go to the following directory:
Flag: User/Flags
Grave: User/Graves

put the BMP flag/grave inside the needed folder and should be done

End Result

[I STAPLE TAPEWORMS ON MY]

my colors are still all wrong after doing this for flags

[[ C h a r l e s ]]

MS Paint has a fixed colormap, idk about paint dot net. Maybe something to do with how the colormap is getting indexed?

[Ykao]

Wow, that is so weird. Why does this one specific program makes it work but other dont? I assume bmps from paint.net don't work because colormap is always autogenerated(?). But why is native gimp bmps do not work either? Also great guide thanks.

[[ C h a r l e s ]]

@Ludavoy, soundbanks and fanfares need to be given to eachother and installed in the same directory, with the same name

[Ludavoy]

Wow thx 4 this contribution! can u tell me more about "explicitly shared" i don't undertood at all ...

[[ C h a r l e s ]]

@Ludavoy, yes, flags and graves work online and unlike soundbanks and fanfares, they don't need to be explicitly shared

[Ludavoy]

it works for online?

[klit0r]

no, my b, seems like i had confused my files then. I've remade it properly now and it's working.

[[ C h a r l e s ]]

@wahtever, did you fill the entire color pallete of the image?

[klit0r]

great guide, but while graves work just fine, i m having troubles with my flags. it is possible i should've tried to make one more than a few times.
it looks normal in the team editor, but not in the game.

https://imgur.com/a/BPIJK15