Transparency with 8-bit color

[Michio]

Hi

I imported a tileset with just 3 tiles (see attached image)

Engine: RPG Maker VX Ace
Art program: graphicsgale (set to 8-bit color)
Transparency: white
Translucency: red
(I'm still not sure why a transparent/translucent color has to be selected)

ISSUE
While the blue tile shows up fine in the tile select window, when painted on the map it shows up as the transparent tile (i.e split into 4 blue boxes) and acts as transparent in-game also. Is this because I'm using 8-bit color? I'm really confused

 

[Andar]

no, this has nothing to do with 8-bit, it is because the color replacement method is a bad workaround for formats that don't support true transparency, and as such needs more RAM, needs to mathematically transform the picture and a few other sideeffect.

Your best option would be to use true transparency, which means an PNG-image with working alpha-channel.
You'll need an image program for that, for example GIMP or Photoshop or paint.net - almost anything but MS Paint, because MS Paint always destroys the alphachannel.

then set background to transparent and set whatever opacity you want for other layers in your picture (you can even have differen t translucent levels on the same color this way) and save the result as PNG.

After that Ace will handle transparency automatically, you won't even get that window for color selection anymore.

 

[Llareian]

Also, did you import this as the B tilesheet? The top-left tile of the B tilesheet should always be a transparent tile and, I believe, will always be treated as a transparent tile. (I'm 99% certain this is consistent from VXAce to MV.)

 

[Michio]

Thank you both!

You'll need an image program for that, for example GIMP or Photoshop or paint.net - almost anything but MS Paint, because MS Paint always destroys the alphachannel.

I'm using graphicsgale, which shouldn't be any inferior to GIMP. But clearly something is wrong so I'll try experimenting with other programs.
EDIT: I just learned graphicsgale has a "make alpha channel" option, so maybe it's not there by default

Also, did you import this as the B tilesheet? The top-left tile of the B tilesheet should always be a transparent tile and, I believe, will always be treated as a transparent tile. (I'm 99% certain this is consistent from VXAce to MV.)

I've got it in A2, since I'm making an interior floor (and I have my custom tileset set to "interior" in the database too)

 

[Kes]

A2 tiles need to be formatted correctly, as they are autotiles. It's difficult to be certain from just looking at the image you've posted, but they don't look right. I suggest you open up an A2 default tile in your image program and see how it works.

 

[Michio]

Kes - that was the root of the problem. The game thought they were autotiles.
Thank you so much ><