Hi folks.
What CPC software do you recommend using for the creation of title screens, in-game graphics, sprites and the like?
Im going to code a racer using (& trying out) CPC BASIC 3.
Thanks in advance.
For screens either G-Paint (if you have the proportional mouse) or Adv. OCP art studio.
For our adventure game, I must confess that we did everything in Photoshop :) However, ours are very well suited screens for the program: Mode 1, with square pixels, and no sprites :)
Im going to try using ConvImgCPC - CPCWiki (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/ConvImgCPC) for now. Most CPC art packages seem to lack splines - which my race game idea requires.
It is a nice tool, I used it too for conversion with great results :)
You can try iMPdraw to make your graphics in fullscreen... or Graph'os if you want your graphics would be on Amstrad Plus.
Also there is PixelPerfect to make some "Flip" fullscreen or not screens.
there also Claudia by Eliot, which is rather nice and has used that recognizes images full screen converted from ConvImgCPC (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/ConvImgCPC) ;)
claudia zoom edition © benediction (2015) (http://www.cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=12101)
I find it easier to just do graphics with PC software and convert them with ConvImgCPC
* I've used character definers to draw up a series of shapes, get the Data from that.
* Use the Data to PLOT the image to Screen (one of my own creations).
* Use Easi-Sprite Driver to Grab those Images.
But I don't think any of that will help you mainly because the Grab feature in Easi-Sprite Driver captures an Image from a Text-based position, so while my PLOT program could be adjusted to PLOT the image the next pixel line along, GRAB I don't think will be able to GRAB it, without having a blank spot in front of it (if that makes sense).
Quote from: EgoTrip on 10:14, 28 July 16
I find it easier to just do graphics with PC software and convert them with ConvImgCPC
I also agree with this. I'm using a very old version of Paintshop Pro 8 for pixelart and animation. The animation part of it isn't that great. I do have Promotion, but the interface takes some getting used to and I haven't invested much time in it.
Also - I'm very interested to hear more information on this racing game of yours. Is it top down or is it seeing the car from behind?
Quote from: sigh on 12:32, 28 July 16
I also agree with this. I'm using a very old version of Paintshop Pro 8 for pixelart and animation. The animation part of it isn't that great. I do have Promotion, but the interface takes some getting used to and I haven't invested much time in it.
I use Paint Shop Pro 7.04 (before it went all Photoshop-like). It's good that these 'ancient' tools still work on a modern PC without problem. :)
I use Pro Motion for animations. Found it very easy to get used to mainly because it's heavily based on Deluxe Paint which I had used for years on my Amiga.
Quote from: sigh on 12:32, 28 July 16
Also - I'm very interested to hear more information on this racing game of yours. Is it top down or is it seeing the car from behind?
Its going to be based upon this old hand-held game.
(http://images.eurogamer.net/modojo.com/features/95/ThunderingTurbo.jpg)
You are going to program in CPCBasic, so you are limited. For sure CPCBasic can handle RSX, hence MC code, but I'm not sure if CPCBasic compiled programs can be relocated im memory. Overscan and flip screen uses partly the same memory where you're code will be stored. I would recommend a classical paint app like OCP on CPC and JavaPaint or PerfectPixel for PC2CPC conversion and "regular" pictures. And there is still Grafx2 for creating pictures in CPC style?
I use GIMP. Nothing fancy but quite effective once you configure it to do pixel-art.
For example:
[attach=2]
(that's the main character of Golden Tail)
Quote from: Carnivius on 12:54, 28 July 16
I use Paint Shop Pro 7.04 (before it went all Photoshop-like). It's good that these 'ancient' tools still work on a modern PC without problem. :)
I use Pro Motion for animations. Found it very easy to get used to mainly because it's heavily based on Deluxe Paint which I had used for years on my Amiga.
Deluxe Paint 3 is the reason why I bought my Amiga in the first place. It's been almost 20 years since I last used it, so all that knowledge is gone unfortunately:(
But your right - I'm also glad that these old tools still work on modern PC.
Quote from: rk last on 15:01, 28 July 16
Its going to be based upon this old hand-held game.
(http://images.eurogamer.net/modojo.com/features/95/ThunderingTurbo.jpg)
Lovely! I own the original of this game "Thundering Turbo". I also own Planet Zeon and Sky Attack. The one that I had wanted to own was Jungle Fighter by mum refused to buy it.
Quote from: sigh on 21:29, 28 July 16
Deluxe Paint 3 is the reason why I bought my Amiga in the first place. It's been almost 20 years since I last used it, so all that knowledge is gone unfortunately:(
But your right - I'm also glad that these old tools still work on modern PC.
Lovely! I own the original of this game "Thundering Turbo". I also own Planet Zeon and Sky Attack. The one that I had wanted to own was Jungle Fighter by mum refused to buy it.
I once lived, slept and breathed deluxe paint 3, then 4 :)
I only had Thundering Turbo - a christmas present. I always wanted to own the space tank one :)
Quote from: rk last on 00:01, 28 July 16
Im going to try using ConvImgCPC - CPCWiki (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/ConvImgCPC) for now. Most CPC art packages seem to lack splines - which my race game idea requires.
Ok, Ive experimented with ConvImgCPC and managed to save a image to my desktop. How do I transfer it to a blank disk image so I can then load it into an emulated CPC art package?
Quote from: rk last on 22:49, 28 July 16
Ok, Ive experimented with ConvImgCPC and managed to save a image to my desktop. How do I transfer it to a blank disk image so I can then load it into an emulated CPC art package?
Depending on the emulator you're using in winape you can
Create a new blank disk
Image, format that, select & copy the files to transfer to that disc, open edit disc (in winape), paste or drag selected files to the window.
Thank you.
Tools I use:
Photoshop, Brilliance II, Graphic Converter 9, Web Image Guru, GraphX 2 and Lightwave.
- Photoshop mainly
- Brilliance II, some wonderful tools such as painting % dither, light / shade effect with eg limited palette, and morphing effects (will put together some examples soon)
- Graphic converter 9 ( this solved my issue of importing 24bit images into True Brilliance (Amiga) and exporting Ham6, Ham8 formats.
- GrafX 2, for saving iff files when photoshop seems to buggy.
- 3D program (Lightwave)
- Web Image Guru, has a very handy export option for png alpha files, so for example you can save a png with an indexed palette of eg 1024 colours or you want a web transparency image with limited but controlled transparent elements eg dedicate 5 transparent colours (hope this makes sense)
Just a small update: Ive used ConvImgCPC and placed the images on a dsk image. I`m currently editing them using G-Paint (which is truly an amazing piece of kit and imo rivals many of the other art packages ) OCP couldnt read the disk even though my .scr images were present.
I came across a graphics editor called The Image System (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/The_Image_System) (the old advertisements for it looked cool way back in the day). Am I right in assuming that it didnt do too well on the CPC? I get the impression that it was originally created for the C64 and then ported to the CPC with little enthusiasm.
You can read/edit ConvCpcImg screen into the latest iMPdraw (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/programming/impdraw-v1-0f/msg124513/#msg124513) Cpc version.
Have fun !
Ps: Maybe you need to read the manual (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/programming/impdraw-v1-0f/60/)
Noticed that you must add the latest command written in the first link.
I found nice look graphics program for Windows, Linux and Mac,
to create pictures for C64, C+4, ZX, MSX and CPC.
http://multipaint.kameli.net
Example pictures for C64 & MSX.
(http://multipaint.kameli.net/images/magnify.png)
And there is mention one more similar program,
seems simple but support more platform and overscan.
http://www.kameli.net/marq/?page_id=4557