I normally beg steal and borrow other designs kindly offered off this site. But I can't find a lava lamp button anywhere. What is the best software to use and where can I download it.

I am using a Pronto RU890 (TS1000)

Thank you all

You could use microsoft paint and you dont need to download it as you will find it in your accessories folder. Either that or splash out on a copy of photoshop or paint shop pro.

Ok thank you Sandman, Now I have created my LavaLamp it wont load into my ccf. It says cannot load bitmap: not 1,4 or 8 bits per pixel

How do I sort this?

Thank you

If you're using Paint, you need to "save as" and then choose 256 color .bmp from the dropdown list.

Jim L

Try Zpaint. Open the buttons you create in MS Paint and adjust as needed. It's freeware and you can download it at
www.steffengerlach.de

thank you guys I think I have it sorted now
x10 lavalamps here I come

Thanks for the zpaint link. It is a great little program....

Harris

I have made some buttons with this program which is really nice to have for some variety. Is there a way to keep the colors from losing so much in the transfer to Windows Paint? Is that the result of 256 colors?

Be forewarned, I am not a wiz on computers so assume nothing. In fact, if anyone would like to volunteer a step by step on how to transfer images from Z to Wind Paint, and then to files, that would be great. I think what I am doing is not the best way.

Thanks,
Rick

I am thnking of Dale Crawfords colors on black badkground that seem to be more vibrant than what I can get with this method.

Likely the issue is that you're not converting to the *right* 256 colors.

This message was edited by Daniel Tonks on 03/08/04 01:25.

Are you teasing me or giving me a hint?

Actually I was mainly testing the forum after a change. :-)

Take a look at [Link: remotecentral.com], particularly the section on color conversion and dithering. I'm not sure how you're doing it now, but your results will vary depending on how you convert.

you can convert it to any 256 colors... but i believe that Paint converts it to its generic set.

I use a program called Irfanview - chech it out at http://www.irfanview.com. I use it to crop gifs and jpgs, to resize them, to create darker versions, and all in their native format. Then i do a batch image convert, coverting any or all of the images into the 256 color bmp format. But I select the special dithering option (I'm at uni so I can't currently check what it is called) and it then creates a stunning bmp using a table of closest matching 256 colors.

Thanks to both of you for those useful leads. irfan is a good tool. Are there any other relatively easy to use 'makers' like Zpaint that you know of?

David Shaw (Archer) uses Liatro Button Maker religiously. This program will save images that can be brought into any paint program for editing. Plus, it ships with a default library.

In fact, I believe that Archer has posted a document on either this forum or the NG forum illustrating the use of Liatro as well as PSP8 to create buttons.

Lyndel

Lyndel, do you have a link?