Help with sprites

[A_Crazy_Town_OFFICIAL]

Hi there!
I know how to work with RPG Maker 2003 but really, really dont know how to make the sprites work.
I spend 2 hours trying to make these 2 sprites work but they just wont.
Can someone please, but please make these transparent and work in RM2k3.

 

[Demetrius]

Hello! You need to do this:

• In your editor, save your image in the 8-bit palettised / indexed mode with a palette of 256 colours. This is done differently in different editors. (I'll explain how to do it in Gimp below. There's also article about using IfranView for this.)
  
• Import your image through Tools → Resource Manager, choose CharSet (Characters) folder, click Import, and click on the transparent colour. (Alternatively, make sure your transparent colour is the first colour in the palette.)

Explanation

RPG Maker 2003 was created 16 years ago. Back then, computers were slower, and video card memory was a very valuable and limited resource. So, RPG Maker 2003 was optimised for a single format, palettised 8-bit images. This meant creating graphics was harder, but games ran faster.

Nowadays, almost any computer can run a game made in RPG Maker 2003. But back then, performance was a big deal.

RPG Maker 2003 uses indexed images. This means that image has a palette (colourmap) assigned to it. This means that commands like ‘Tint screen’ don’t have to re-calculate the colour for each pixel of the screen: they can just re-calculate all the colours in the palettes, and this speeds up everything.

Also, while nowadays transparency in images is taken for granted, back then many editors didn't support transparency in images, so the creators of RPG Maker 2003 made a non-standard way for encoding transparency.

Step-by-step instructions: how to set palettised 8-bit image mode in GIMP

GIMP is the editor I use, so I'll explain how to convert graphics in it. Your editor will might or might not have similar settings. (If it doesn't, you can always try GIMP, it's free. Alternatively, you might like IfranView, there’s an article about it on this forum.) I'm describing GIMP 2.10, other versions might have slight differences.

GIMP has a way to make image indexed (Image → Mode → Indexed) in the menu, but it will decide the palette size itself, depending on the number of colours in the image. Your image has only 16 colours, so RPG Maker will not accept such a small palette.

[NOTE. In GIMP-lingo, palette in the image is called ‘colourmap’. If you want to see the palette GIMP generated for your image, you should use the Windows → Dockable Dialogs → Colourmap, NOT Palettes. I will continue to use the word palette for this.]

But there is a simple trick to get GIMP to create a larger palette. Just create a new layer with gradient, and then GIMP will create a larger palette. Do this:

• Select menu item Layer → New layer (or press Ctrl+Shift+N). A New layer dialog will be opened. Press OK to create a new layer. A new layer would be automatically selected (but you can press Ctrl+L to switch to the Layers dialogs and verify this.)
  
• Press G key to switch to the Gradient tool. (Note: it's a plain G, not Shift-G.)
  
• Drag a line over the image to paint a gradient. Press Enter to accept it. It doesn't matter what gradient will be generated, it's just a quick-and-dirty way to add more colours to the image.
• Convert the image to indexed mode using Image → Mode → Indexed... menu item. Use ‘Generate optimum palette’, and set maximum number of colours to 256. Press Convert to convert your image to the indexed mode.
  
• Now, delete the gradient using Layer → Delete layer menu item. You should see your image again, but now it’s indexed with a large palette.
• Use File → Export as... to save your image as PNG image. When saving, use default values (notably, ‘automatic pixelformat’ should be used; do not select other formats, 8bpc means 8 bits per channel and not per pixel, so this will result in wrong format!).

Great! This image can already be used in RPG Maker 2003, but you’d need to set transparency. For this:

• Open RPG Maker 2003, choose the Tools → Resource Manager... menu item.
  
• Choose the CharSet (Characters) folder,
• Click on the Import button
• Select your image (with indexed colours). If you get an error saying something something like ‘Unsupported PNG image!’, this means the image was not saved in the correct format (see above). If everything is OK, a window with image preview should be opened.
• On the image preview window, click on the transparent area to mark your colour as transparent. (You might want to use Zoom In for better positioning.) After this, transparent pixels will start flashing. Press OK to accept the import.
• Great! Now you can use the image in your game.

(Alternatively, you can set transparency in GIMP. See EasyRPG wiki for details. But I think Resource Manager is simpler.)

Sorry if it feels overwhelming! It certainly is. But after you will have done this several times, it will be easier.

Good luck with your game!

 

[A_Crazy_Town_OFFICIAL]

Oh my god! Thank you so much!!!
I have been frustrating so much over these sprites! Ahh thanks so much!
Once again thanks so much!
It's 12PM in my country so i will try that tommorow!
Bye!
EDIT: Actually i dont care if i forget this since i will copy your text and paste it in notepad and keep it on my hdd forever!

 

[A_Crazy_Town_OFFICIAL]

For some reason it wont work?
I tried it 2 times but it gives me PNG not supported! Make sure you use a color pallete of 256 colors.

 

[Demetrius]

For some reason it wont work?
I tried it 2 times but it gives me PNG not supported! Make sure you use a color pallete of 256 colors.

This error happens when the image is indexed, but has too few colours (usually, RPG Maker 2003 accepts indexed images with >128 colours). Did you do the hack with the gradient? Did you do all the steps in the order I've described?

Here's a re-cap with images, in case something is not clear.

1. Open the image in GIMP

2. Create a new layer for a gradient (use Layer > New Layer in the menu)

3. Press G key to select the gradient key (or select it in the toolbox)

4. Draw a line over the image to create a gradient (colours don't matter as long as there is a nice gradation: in my example, there will be a lot of shades of red to make the palette larger)

5. Press Enter to actually create a gradient (it will be over image, but don't worry, it's on its own layer)

6. Choose Image > Mode > Indexed... to switch to indexed mode

7. In the image that will be opened, make sure 'Generate optimum palette' is selected and 256 colours (or any number larger than 128, really) is selected, then press Convert:

8. Use Layer > Delete Layer menu item to delete the gradient layer

9. Use File > Export As... to save your indexed image somewhere (you might want to keep the original image for further editing)

10. Name your file with PNG exension (something.png) and press Export

11. On the next window, make sure 'Automatic pixel format' is chosen, and press Export.

12. Voilà! Now, import the file into RPG Maker 2003

I hope that helps! If you have further problems, don't hesitate to ask.

 

[A_Crazy_Town_OFFICIAL]

It could be because of my version.
Mine is 2.10.8, can you tell me yours to see if it works with your version?

 

[Demetrius]

I think I've made a mistake about the Indexed Colours settings in my first explanation. I've suggested using the defaults, but the default is 128, and you need 256. Make sure you have 256 in this window:

(I've edited my original steps to fix this mistake.)

Another possible pitfall: maybe your gradient is just too small? If you have a small line, like, 5px, then Gimp will create a gradient with 5 colours. 5 colours is not enough to fill the palette up to 256 colours. Make sure you draw a large line for your gradient.

Also, don't use gradients from the same colours (like white-to-white), or very similar colours: this will also create too few shades of the colour, and it will not be enough to fill the palette.

It could be because of my version.
Mine is 2.10.8, can you tell me yours to see if it works with your version?

Mine is also 2.10.8:

Just in case, I'm attaching the resulting image to my post. I created it using the steps above, and I can import it into RPG Maker 2003.

 

[A_Crazy_Town_OFFICIAL]

Hmmm, the image you attached doesn't work either?
I saved it by clicking on test.png then save image as
Is that the correct way?
Something smells fishy here...
Even the Actor4(the images that came with RM2k3), Actor3 dont seem to open in resource manager?
EDIT:I also noticed that i can't check the "Save color values from transparent pixels" thing when saving the image

 

[Demetrius]

Hmmm, the image you attached doesn't work either?
I saved it by clicking on test.png then save image as
Is that the correct way?

Make sure you're saving the full-sized image, not the thumbnail. I.e. first open test.png in a new tab (or in this tab), and then save it.

Something smells fishy here...
Even the Actor4(the images that came with RM2k3), Actor3 dont seem to open in resource manager?

If by 'open' you mean you can't Import them using the Import button, then this is very strange. It's probably a bug.

If you 'Open' you mean nothing happens when you double-click them, then this is OK. It's the expected behaviour. (But you can use the images shown in the Resource Manager in the Database and in Events.)

___________

To make sure we're on the same page, I'll make screenshots of how resources are imported. Just in case there is some misunderstanding:

1. In RPG Maker 2003, open your project, and then use Tools > Resource Manager menu item


2. In the Resource Manager, click on the CharSet (Characters) folder


3. Press on the Import... button:


4. Find your graphics you want to import (either test.png or Actor3.png) and press Open:


5. A preview window will be opened. In it, click on the transparent colour. It will start flashing


6. Press OK to finish the import:


7. Press Close to close the resource manager:


8. Test that you can use your image:


If you follow all these steps exactly but can't import Actor3, then it's definitely a bug. You should write to Cherry or someone for technical support.

 

[A_Crazy_Town_OFFICIAL]

Oh my god i'm so sorry!
I was importing the images to the Battleback section *facepalm*
Now the images work...
Oh! I'm so so sorry for wasting your time!

 

[Demetrius]

No problem, good luck with your game!

I like your sprite by the way

 

[A_Crazy_Town_OFFICIAL]

Thanks! If you want you can be my game's bug tester or beta-tester.

 

[mlogan]

This thread is being closed, due to being solved. If for some reason you would like this thread re-opened, please report this post and leave a message why. Thank you.

 

[mlogan]

I'm reopening this as @Kamillo seems to have some additional information to add.

 

[Kamillo]

I not prefer to use a gimp for reduce a colour pallete, because gimp has a glitch - if you picture has less than 16 colours - gimp always save this in 4 bit pallete (max 16 colours) and RM2k3 not read this because RM2k3 work only with 8 bit images. Better you use a infran view, this is even easier to do in this, than gimp: Image->Decrease Color Depth...->256 Colors (8 BPP), unselect: Use Floyd-Steinberg dithering.

 

[narcodis]

Paint.NET also has support for 8-bit (indexed) PNG files. If you do "Save as..." on an image, and choose PNG as the format, it'll give you options for dithering, etc, including selecting the bit depth. Just choose 8 bit, and your image should be good to go.