What do you use to draw your graphics?

Newbie & Debugging Questions
#1

Hello

I’m finally trying to do a good looking game but I have some difficulties with the drawing. I would need to make image with transparent part. What editor do you use to do that?

#2

Personally I always use Photoshop. If you aren’t lucky to have it around (through work for example) or unlawful enough to download it I can also recommend GIMP. It isn’t as user friendly but it can do pretty much everything Photoshop can do and it’s for free.

There is a trial of Photoshop available from Adobe’s website if you want to try it out.

#3

I use Art Rage, which although it’s not free is very, very cheap. Also an ancient version of PSP which you can’t actually buy anymore. :’(

#4

I’ve been pretty happy with Inkscape and GIMP. Krita and Karbon will be updated soon when KOffice 2 comes out. The betas crash hard for me. I’m not sure if that’s because of Krita or the open source radeonhd drivers though.

#5

2D graphics: GIMP
main plugins I use:
custom photoshop filter, plugin
normap map filter (assist with 3d models)

3D Graphics: Blender

2D animation: Pencil, from pencil-animation.org

#6

I use the GIMP for 2d and Blender for 3d.

I’ve not used Pencil yet - GKW: what’s that like?

#7

I use inkscape - it’s free and you can easilly export your images as transparent PNG files.

#8

To make an image with a Transparent part in GIMP, its quite easy (once you know how of course!).

  1. Open your image in the gimp.
  2. Right click the image and go to LAYERS then Transparency->ADD ALPHA CHANNEL.
  3. Right click on the image again and go to SELECT and then down to BY COLOR.
  4. Now click on the color in the image you want to be transparent. These colors will now show up outlined.
  5. Right click on the image again and go to EDIT and then down to CLEAR (or Ctrl-X). This should now erase the outlined color you just picked from the image and the “transparent gimp checkerbox” should show through.
  6. Right click on the image and choose SAVE AS and make sure to save as a GIF/PNG file if you want the transparency to work on the web.
#9

I use Paint.net mostly because I’ve gotten used to it.
It kind of sucks. =)

#10

It worked with GIMP thx

#11

Photo impact which was free with my medion graphics tablet which was £30

#12

I use Chaz :slight_smile:

Cas :slight_smile:

#13

Photoshop.

I never do anything in 3D, although I like Cheetah 3D.

#14

Where do I download a copy of that :wink:

#15

I use an artist.

…failing that Photoshop.

#16

Inkscape (inkscape.org) - Fantastic piece of software, probably one of the highest quality Open Source apps I have ever used. Great for prototyping and vector style graphics.

GIMP (gimp.org) - Great capabilities, interface takes a bit of getting used to but is improving with every release.

Wings3D (wings3d.com) - Best 3D interface I have used. Great for low poly modeling. Texturing is a bit of a pain and it lacks some basic modeling capabilities but it is so much more usable than blender.