Installation
Getting started
DAT options
SHP Tool
SHP Maker
Using Photo Shop Proto to make a bitmap using the PG2 palette
Using Adobe Photoshop to make a bitmap using the PG2 palette * Cortesy from Rick Robinson *
 

To install, just copy the executable file wherever you like, no additional files are required to run.

By default no files are loaded, but  last files and folders you used are remembered to  help on reloading.

All options can be accesed through a menu option and most of them also using the toolbar; place mouse upon a button and a short tooltip will pop up with a short explanation.

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Program starts on SHP Tool View but surely you will not see any file nor picture until you select a folder where you keep shp files. This folder will be remembered so next time you will start at the point you worked before.

From here you can switch to any of this views

• Dat Tool View wher you can create or load a DAT file. Once you have one, you'll see a list of all files included and the icons included on selected item. You can modify this DAT file. Last six files opened are saved as recent files, for quick re-loading.
  There is no SAVE, nor SAVE AS option as any action you can use, will update the file on disk, a back up copy will be made anytime you modify a DAT file.
   

• ShpMaker tool, Here you will se a list of Bitmaps in a folder. You can create SHP files starting from those bitmaps

Each folder you can select is stored into windows registry to remember your last enviroment.

Options are available as menus, toolbar or buttons and sometimes they are not allowed depending on context.

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Once you have loaded a DAT file, you should have a list of files on left hand side.
There is always an item selected and its icons are shown. You change selected item by clicking on another item.
For selected item you can see its icons as single icon mode or as collage mode.
To select a different icon, type it number or use  |<   <<   >>   >|   buttons.
You can see single icons at normal size or zoomed x2,x3,x4, x5 or as a collage. You can get it mirrored.

At any time an icon is bigger that picture box, it will be resized to fit into, so check size and position reading the info upon picture box.

Even if viewing as a collage, there is one selected icon whose data is shown.

You can filter the list to show only Unit's files (it really filters all files having 9 icons), only interface files (will filter all files with icons different than 9) or all files (default).

Available options:

• Create DAT file (repack files on a folder)
  Will create a new DAT file (not need to call it panzer2,dat). You will be prompted to include all files in a folder or only SHP files.
   

• Unpack to a folder
  Will extract each  item as a file into the folder you select.
   

• Extract SHP
  Will extract selected item to file into the folder you have loaded the DAT file.
   

• Replace selected item
  Will replace an item  with a same named file (on same or different folder). Replacement do not need to be same size, only same name.
   

• Remove selected item
  This option will remove any item from the DAT file.
   

• Add SHP file
  This option will add a new SHP file. It takes care of sorting so no need of index files, nor repacking to add new SHP files into a DAT file.

This last 3 options will update DAT file on disk, so no need to change name or whatever. A back up copy will be saved each time the tool modifies DAT file on disk, it will be numbered to avoid overwitting any valid data.

Additional options:

• Save as BMP
  Will save as a 8 bits-256 PG2 palette Bitmap.
  It will save whatever you see on screem, tha is a single icon or collage.
   

• Save All icons as BMP
  This option will save each icon as a different Will save as a 8 bits-256 PG2 palette Bitmap.
   

• Load Palette
  This option will prompt for a .PAL file to replace the internal one, so you can check how different palettes will show
  but this not update the files itself
   

• Save Palette
  This option will save internal palette as a PAL file either ASCII or binary.
   

• Report all SHP files to a  text file
   
• Compare differences with another DAT  file to a text file.
   

(*) a PAL file is a 256 array of 4 bytes color entries

I think this options cover anything you could need to tweak your DAT file anyway you can need, but if you found there is something missing, do not hesitate to tell me.

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This option will pop up a new window to work on a SHP files. You can just see all your SHP files and their icons or edit any of them.
On left hand you will se your SHP files and for selected one its icon list and a picture of them.
Here you can:

• Select a folder to browse SHP files
  Last folder you select will be remembered for future use.
   

• Save single icon as BMP.
  Wil save selected icon as 8 bits 256 color bitmap
   

• Save all icons as  BMP files
  Wil save each icon on SHP as a 8 bits 256 color bitmap
   

• Change how to see icons
  There are options to show icons as single or collage and to show mirrored.
   

Icons Options

• Insert BMP
  This will insert a new icon using the picture stored in a BMP file. The new icon will be listed before the icon selected when you hit the option.
   

• Append BMP
  This will append a new icon using the picture stored in a BMP file. The new icon will be listed as the last icon.
   

• Remove Icon
  This will remove the selected icon from the S16 file..
   

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This tool is intended to create new SHP very easy. It can be accessed both from main DAT view or from SHP Tool view.
Each time you click on a bitmap, the image will be shown on the box at the top right side.
There are 3 basic options to create SHP files:

• Express batch mode
  Creates as many SHP files as bitmap files you select. Each SHP will be created with 9 icons all with a cloned image from the bitmap.
  Click on each bitmap you want and press  Make Shp  button to create SHPs. Each SHP will be named same as it bitmap but with a .shp suffix.
   
• Block mode
  It will need a bitmap with 9 icons same sozed arrange eiter on a 3x3 layout (same as it is shown for 9 icons collage) or with a serie of 9 icons arranged horizontal. Click on the bitmap you want and press  Make Shp  button to create the SHP..
   
• Normal mode
  Create a single SHP with as many icons as items on the right hand list.
  You can add items by double clicking bitmaps.
  You can remove items form list by doble clicking that item# on the list.
  You can move item position by using  up/down arrows.
  When you are happy with your icon list, press   Make Shp  button to create SHP file (will prompt for a name)
  You can also add several bitmaps on a click by selecting all of them on list files and them doble -clicking. They will be sorted same as in the list, so you surely will need to rearrange later using up/down arrows.

To make it easier multiselecting  you can filter the bitmap files.

Be aware that you should use 8 bit -256 color bitmaps using the proper PG2 palette (included on package).
You should pay attention to bitmap info showing upon picture box. If anyway you decide to use a bitmap 24 or 32 bits, there is an internal converter that will do its best on replacing true color data into PG2 palette entries, but there are much better tools to change bitmap resolution as PSPor Adobe PhotoShop among others.

There are also a preview switch to turn off image preview and a  Zoom  button  to switch between normal or fitted size.

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