Author Topic: image editors / graphics programs  (Read 99520 times)

Offline moriarty

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #60 on: April 29, 2015, 03:22:50 pm »
pushed graphicsgale off the edge into the bad list;)

Offline CanadianBeaver

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #61 on: August 21, 2016, 06:09:34 pm »
I have given my try to grafX2 but as some people say, I have a harsh time dealing with the interface (but I don't disregard the program, I've seen some videos on youtube doing amazing stuff).

The GIMP with GrafX2 work well. You can draw in the GIMP, use zero index (lime green color for example) for background and export to the .gif. That is enough. If you want a transparent .gif, you can fix your exported .gif with GrafX2 - it is simple.

Offline hellrazor

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #62 on: August 22, 2016, 09:41:26 am »
GIMP and gif is a bad choice.

Use PNG its much better.

Also use Falkoos Sprite Tool to apply the proper palettes for a unified format :)
You can find those here

Offline The Reaver of Darkness

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #63 on: July 16, 2017, 04:16:11 am »
mtpaint should go in a "Okay" list, I think. It gets the job done, but it lacks tools and has a few problems. It's very easy to use and does color palettes very well, however it does not have any options for shifting your colors along the palette even though it has several for shifting and rearranging your palette. It has some options for animations but they don't seem to work in a way that is compatible with any games. You can make sprite-sheets in mtpaint and those work well. If you select something, it selects the transparency as well, and the transparency will overwrite things underneath. I guess mtpaint works with only one layer and it doesn't give an option to let things show through the transparency. This creates additional problems when you try to carefully use the polygon selection tool to trace around the image, because the polygon selection tool grabs extra pixels along the right side of the piece. But it doesn't do it in a very consistent way. It is extremely difficult to figure out how to draw your selection such that you get exactly the pixels you want, all of them, and no others.

Overall, mtpaint is tedious for anything but the simplest work.



Have any of you used Evilpixie or Grafx2? Could you tell me how they measure up as far as working with images and sprites in openxcom? I want something that is easy to use but also offers several tools in case I want to get down and dirty and make complex graphics.

Offline hellrazor

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #64 on: July 16, 2017, 06:42:01 am »
Have any of you used Evilpixie or Grafx2? Could you tell me how they measure up as far as working with images and sprites in openxcom? I want something that is easy to use but also offers several tools in case I want to get down and dirty and make complex graphics.

I use grafx2 mostly for recolors and when i fix sprites.
I find it waymore easier to use then GIMP, especially if i have todo something quick.

Offline Bloax

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #65 on: August 12, 2017, 02:24:26 am »
Personally I have a very peculiar approach.

oh and watch out it has DANGEROUS tiddies in the last two minutes or so
just in case someone has an allergic reaction to that for some reason

Not really a thorough explanation of workflow so much as a showcasing of what "doing shit" entices and what "exporting results" looks like.
« Last Edit: August 12, 2017, 02:37:51 am by Bloax »

Offline mrcalzon02

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #66 on: August 25, 2017, 05:55:52 am »
hate to necro a reallly long dead post, but do any of these tools still work? Gimp is mutilating my images.
*update* IcoFx portable seams to be the only DL link that still works and it *seams* to be working. Testing now.
*update* no all of the no. gimp was better....blah.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2017, 06:35:00 am by mrcalzon02 »

Offline Roxis231

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #67 on: August 25, 2017, 01:46:54 pm »
Personaly I use a combination of MSPaint (The one from Win98) and Paint Shop Pro 7 (Had this for years)

Offline ivandogovich

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #68 on: August 25, 2017, 07:16:48 pm »
Photoshop is pretty solid once you get down setting the palettes correctly.  Many of the established modders use this tool.

A different option to consider for battlescape objects (unit sprites, terrain, BigObs, HandObs and FloorObs) is mcdedit by volutar. https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php/MCDEdit

In the pckedit mode, you have the option to work on 32x40 px for sprites/handobs/floorobs/terrain, and an ability to change the view to 32X48 px for working on Bigobs.  I like this tool for its simplicity and the fact that it auto palettizes images in the Battlescape palette.

Offline The Reaver of Darkness

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #69 on: December 11, 2017, 10:12:10 am »
MCDEdit has good image editing tools for openxcom. I wish there was a full image editor made with that interface and set of tools that I could use for any size image.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #70 on: December 11, 2017, 02:20:48 pm »
MCDEdit has good image editing tools for openxcom. I wish there was a full image editor made with that interface and set of tools that I could use for any size image.

I imagine it wouldn't be too farfetched to assume it might be worth a shot to contact Volutar about this.

Offline The Martian

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #71 on: January 16, 2018, 12:13:38 pm »
Since I didn't notice anyone else mentioning it, may I suggest Krita.

It's free, runs on Linux and has a variety of features.

I've been using Krita in combination with Falko's Palette converter.

Offline tkzv

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #72 on: January 17, 2018, 07:17:22 am »
Since I didn't notice anyone else mentioning it, may I suggest Krita.

It's free, runs on Linux and has a variety of features.

I've been using Krita in combination with Falko's Palette converter.
It can't save indexed images. It can't be used for swapping colours in existing images. If you create your graphics from scratch, then maybe. If you work with other people's images, brace for colour artefacts the converter creates.

Offline The Martian

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #73 on: January 17, 2018, 09:29:28 am »
What I've been doing is using the colour selector tool to pick the current brush colour from pixels harvested from existing images that are already in the correct palette for X-Com.

Then using Falko's Palette Converter to make the background transparent.

I do admit it is far from a perfect method.


It can't be used for swapping colours in existing images.

You can use it to swap colours in existing images via this method:
- Select the "Similar Colour Selection Tool".
- In the Tool options set "Fuzziness" to 0, this way only the exact colour you select will be selected.
- Fill the selected area with the desired colour.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2018, 09:32:16 am by The Martian »

Offline RSSwizard

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Re: image editors / graphics programs
« Reply #74 on: January 17, 2018, 06:58:21 pm »
I have uploaded a certain graphics program that I use which, despite being sorta bloated, does serve the purposes quite well for doing pixel art for openxcom. It is an older program so your mileage may vary when it comes to installing it and such, if you have a newer version then the only reason you'd want to get this is for backup purposes. In any case the hosting site will only keep the link available for 30 days. Replace the equals with a dot and add an http for a usable link.
ge=tt/9fRLZ9o2

In exchange I was hoping for some advice about how to do modern map editing in openxcom to set up an editing suite.
Edit:  I found the elusive MapView II program, havent tried it out but figure I should drop the link here just in case others are looking:
https://github.com/kevL/OpenXCOM.Tools/tree/master/Distribution
« Last Edit: January 17, 2018, 08:58:04 pm by RSSwizard »