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Re: [Adonthell-devel] Questions about graphics


From: cirrus
Subject: Re: [Adonthell-devel] Questions about graphics
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 20:42:34 +0000

Hmm.. yeah the gfx doc, I really should get back to that soon! :P
Trouble is (as always) I'm very busy with Uni work, a few websties I
need to make and stuff. (Tip: If you want free time in your life don't
get a girlfriend! :P)

it likes the technical questions have been answered but here's a few
points on the artistic bits...

Sasha Kushnirenko wrote:
> 
> 
> 1. Portraits.
> 
> This is a 60x60 image with magenta denoting "transparent" color
>  - Any particular reason for PNM?
>  - Is 60x60 a limit?
>  - GIMP tricks: I scan images and tweak them a bit in GIMP.  There is an
>    annoyance: I'm getting white pixels on the very border of the image where
>    it meets magenta.  Any filter I should use to smooth transition to
>    "transparent"?

Ah! The infamous pink-noise!
Trouble is GIMP (and other gfx apps) will smooth (or anti-alias) edges
of what you draw. Apart from being really careful with your selection
when cutting out things here a few tricks that can help:

Draw your object on a transparent layer. When you're done convert the
image from RGB mode to indexed colour. This only allows one level of
transparency (just like Adonthell's engine) so the smoothed edges on the
outside will disappear. This limits you to 256 colours but for 99.9% of
all mapgfx that should be plenty. Then you can convert back to RGB,
place a magenta layer behind your image, flatten the layers and save it!
(Be sure to do that AFTER converting back to RGB, coz the magenta's
ff00ff value may get altered when switching to indexed colour.

Another tip I use is this:
If your design has fairly clear outlines, you can make a duplicate layer
of it and use the Image / Colours / Threshhold command. This lets you
make anything lighter than a given value white and everything else
black. So, with a bit of tinkering you get a black and white outline of
your design (without anti-aliasing). You can then use that as a basis to
make your selection for cutting out the background of the 'real' image
on the original layer.
Bit akward to describe, but if you try it I think you'll understand!

Both of these tricks can be done in any half-decent gfx app of course!


>  - Any GIMP advices towards reworking of scanned images are greatly
>    appreciated.  (links, personal experience etc)
> 

See above :)
and:

Experiment a lot with making patterns that tile seamlessly. This is
useful when making floors, walls, forests etc.. 
One trick is to make your pattern a little wider than what you want for
the finished thing. Split the image down the middle and move the left
half to the right and the right half to the left but let it slightly
overlap the other half in the middle and crop off the blank space that
has been created by the overlapping (So now the left and right edges of
the image will tile perfectly coz they used to be together!). Then using
a soft edged eraser or some blurring or whatever, smooth over the the
middle of the image to remove any seam you may have created (the
overlapping gives you a bit of playroom here). Flatten and save et
voila!
If the image needs to tile vertically too just repeat those steps turned
by 90 degrees! :)


        -James

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