XCC Mixer file conversion

This article describes the most common file conversions that XCC Mixer can be used for.

Before reading, it is recommended to read the setting up XCC Mixer tutorial.

Note: In the following examples, where PCX is used, other graphics formats such as JPEG, PNG, or TGA can generally be used with no difference.

SHP > PCX

• Navigate the left panel to the SHP file you want to convert.
• Navigate the centre panel to the directory you want to place the converted file in.
• Select the correct palette for the SHP file.
  • A) Right click on the SHP file and select "Copy as PCX".
    • Each frame of the SHP will be placed in a separate file - first frame in filename 0000.pcx, the second - filename 0001.pcx, etc.
  • B) Write down the SHP file's frame width/ height, and frame count. This will be necessary to convert it back.
  • Right click on the SHP file and select "Copy as PCX (single)".
    • All frames will be combined into a single PCX file.

PCX > SHP

• Navigate the left panel to the PCX file(s) you want to convert.
• Navigate the centre panel to the destination directory. (Cannot be inside a mix file.)
  • • Select the correct end palette. (PCXs don't use a palette, so you won't see the result immediately. Refer to the Palettes article to see what palette should be used for what files.)
  • A) If your PCX contains each frame in a separate file:
    • Right click the first frame (filename 0000.pcx) and select "Copy as SHP", if you are creating a SHP for TD or RA, or "Copy as SHP(TS)", if you are making a SHP for TS/RA2.
  • B) If your PCX contains all the frames in one file:
    • Right click the PCX file, select "Clipboard > Copy".
    • In the other panel, right click any filename (right clicking in an empty zone occasionally causes a crash), select "Clipboard > Paste as SHP(TS)". Note that there is no way to split it into a TD mode SHP file.
    • It will prompt you for frame width, height, and count. You did write them down when you were asked to, didn't you?
      • If you resized the PCXs, obviously you will need to recalculate the width/height.
• If the conversion failed, refer to the XCC Mixer Errors article.

Copy As

A lot of other conversions are available inside XCC Mixer, they all are as simple as:

• Navigating the left panel to the source file(s).
• Navigating the centre panel to the destination directory. (Cannot be inside a mix file.)
• Right clicking on the source file(s) and selecting "Copy as <desired format>".

Supported conversions include:

• PAL to PAL(JASC)
• PCX to PAL
• PCX to PAL(JASC)
• HVA to CSV
• CSV to HVA
• VXL to PCX ¹
• PCX to VXL
• AUD to WAV (PCM)
• WAV to AUD
• PCX to MAP(TS) Preview ²

¹ ↑ The Mixer will generate a separate PCX for each slice of the voxel (sliced in parallel to the ingame ground surface). Naturally, normals and section data will be lost.

² ↑ This generates a TXT file containing the textual representation of this PCX file. Replacing your map's [Preview] and [PreviewData] sections with this file's contents will display this PCX as a map preview.

Conversion Options

Enable compression

(Applies to PCX > SHP)

If set, the generated SHP files will be compressed. This function should always be enabled except when editing the mouse cursors (mouse.shp/sha). In that case, it must be disabled.

Combine shadows

(Applies to SHP > PCX)

If enabled, the SHP's owner and shadow frames will be merged into one. For a SHP containing 6 frames, this will create a 3 frame PCX, frame 0000 combining 0 and 3, 0001 - 1 and 4, 0002 - 2 and 5.

Split shadows

(Applies to PCX > SHP)

If enabled, the Mixer will add one empty frame for each PCX source frame. Those frames are used for object shadows.