Hacking M3 Sakura Skinning Problem

[DesuChan]

Okay, I've looked everywhere and I can't find a solution.

I've been trying to make a skin using the program that came in the 'Sakura Tools' package, and I've created my own images, but whenever I try to use the MakeSkin.exe packaging thingy, I get an error message with just ??????????? in the dialog box, and even then it says it's been made- yet the .skn file is NOT in the folder.


What have I done wrong, and how can I fix it?

 

[gangsterboi]

I has this problem and could not fix it so i re downloaded the English sakura tools and since then its worked fine.

 

[DesuChan]

I has this problem and could not fix it so i re downloaded the English sakura tools and since then its worked fine.

I'm actually using the English tools. They're the ones not working. Download link, in case I have the wrong one, please?

 

[gangsterboi]

Here's the English ones: English Tool Pack

I they don't work, download the original Japanese firmware from m3sakura.jp it contains the Japanese tool pack.

 

[DesuChan]

Here's the English ones: English Tool Pack

I they don't work, download the original Japanese firmware from m3sakura.jp it contains the Japanese tool pack.

Tried that too. Same thing happened.

I even tried making every single image from scratch as well. Same problem.

 

[Toni Plutonij]

When you're saving your BMPs (if you're using PhotoShop), you have to save it under the second option, not Windows but OS2..
Try that.....And be sure you got the dimensions right, because that converter is very sensitive about everything..

 

[strata8]

I've had this problem before as well (in Fireworks, by the way). This is what you have to do:

1. Open your .BMP in paint
2. Click 'Select All" and then press 'Copy'.
3. Start a new paint file.
4. Press 'Paste' and save it under the same name (overwrite if needed)

 

[DesuChan]

@ Toni: Wow, that's what did it! Thanks!

 

[Toni Plutonij]

No prob.....I had the same problem with the first BMP.. i tried to convert, but I'm really good with PhotoShop, so I figured it in notime..
If you'll have any more questions, feel free to post!!

 

[DesuChan]

Ack! It's doing it again! I managed to make a beta version of one (Found here) and it complied properly, and yet when I use the SAME images with a few colour modifications, it gives me the error message I was getting in the first place! I even went back and re-saved them all as BMP OS2 and checked the file sizes of every single image... again, please help?

 

[strata8]

Did you try my tip? It tales a while, but it's worth it

 

[DesuChan]

Did you try my tip? It tales a while, but it's worth it

Yep, tried that too...

 

[gangsterboi]

Maybe its the brightness and contrast?

 

[Toni Plutonij]

No, it shouldn't make him a problem with any color/brightness/saturation set-up, because....PhotoShop will automatically adopt them with the OS2 save setting..

Be sure that the folder with skin filer is placed in the same folder as SkinCompiler Program, and folder MUST be named "default"......
Also, be sure to check have you saved all .PNG files as NGs, and all .BMP files as .BMP (I accidently saved one NG as .BMP and it gave me a lot of trouble until I figured what's wrong)....

If only one file is wrong, the program won't work! So it's probably a problem with one picture, but you'll have to figure it out!!

 

[DesuChan]

Yeah, this time around it turned out to be that. Fixed now! My first full theme should be finished within a couple of hours. Thanks, everyone!

 

[mercenary96]

Try the paint method but only a bit different. Open your NEW image in photoshop (or whatever you use) and open your OLD (not edited original one) with paint. Now copy the new content into the old one and close paint and save. This way the original bmp file is used and the skinmaker should be able to use it.

 

[EeeKay]

You don't need to use paint in addition to Photoshop when you create skins. The trick is knowing if the BMP Sakura is using is Indexed or RGB. It's actually easy to tell when you open BMP in Photoshop; indexed BMP files will say Index in the layers palette, and RGB BMP files will have Background in the layer palette.

To switch RGB to Indexed, follow these simple instructions:
1. Click on Image > Mode > Indexed Color
2. Set the Palette to Local (Selective), Colors to 256, Forced to Black and White, and make sure Transparency is unchecked. Don't mess with anything in the Options section. Click OK

Now the file in Indexed, and you can just use Save As to save it as a BMP. Select Windows under Format, and 8bit under Depth. Most of the BMPs that the Skin Maker uses are RGB, but I do know that the a few of the BMP files located in the System folder (mini_load.bmp in particular) use the Indexed color setting.

Other tips I can offer:
When saving out PNG files, use File > Save For Web instead of File > Save As. When doing this, use the PNG-24 option under Settings, in the upper right corner. Not only does this provide consistency, but it will always save to the same folder, unlike the Save As option. And when saving BMP files, I use File > Save As, select BMP from the drop down menu, set the Format for Windows and the Depth for 24bit.

You can download my first skin Here. Based on Ghost in the Shell.

 

[gangsterboi]

It is also easy to find this out if your using GIMP because it displays it the to bar at the top of the window (it either says "indexed" or "RBG").