Texturing is hard. What tools should I be using?

Grizzlyadamz · January 11, 2015, 05:28:30 AM

How do I get lines looking like this?

I've been stealing chunks & then going pixel-by-pixel in paint, and there MUST be a better way.

Shinzy · January 11, 2015, 05:39:32 AM

You'll need some vectorbased program (like inkscape)
takes a bit practise before you get used to it and for me atleast, sucks most of the fun out of it

but that's just cause I find it too 'technical' or how'd you say it

mrofa · January 11, 2015, 05:53:08 AM

Get a gimp

Grizzlyadamz · January 11, 2015, 06:09:41 AM

Any tips for either to spare me learning it the long way?

Already use Gimp to apply transparency, but the UI somehow got borked about 4 months ago & I've avoided using it since.

Oh hey, and how do the vanilla textures have the lighter blur around the lines, but don't have bright spots around the edges?

Shinzy · January 11, 2015, 07:39:28 AM

well for gimp which would be the easier one (imo) to learn
make yourself a template out of the body types that you can get from the official assets
they're already the right size and everything so you can just draw on them

just put them on different layers (change the opacity so that you can see where your own lines go =P) pick the sharpest looking brush you can find so the lines look close enough to the one you want, they won't be quite as sharp as if you'd do them on vector program but
you'll get close enough, so!

anyhow! templates of any kind are the grapest and speeds you up like a ton
you can set up yourself somekinda colot palette thing too where you can pick colours with the colour picker tool and all that!
just do each step on different layer so you don't mess up the thing

like so! and then ofcourse like repeat 15 more times (with vectors you could just sort of stretch the lines on the right curves for each body type so it could be lot more faster.. but again I find those much harder and less fun to use)

Grizzlyadamz · January 11, 2015, 07:55:45 AM

Oh! That's an interesting gif.

How'd ya do each layer, just freehand paint in the lighter shades, then mess with layer orders?

Can you take a shortcut by copy/pasting for the other 15 body shapes, or does that not work out?

Shinzy · January 11, 2015, 08:30:32 AM

Quote from: Grizzlyadamz on January 11, 2015, 07:55:45 AM
Oh! That's an interesting gif.

How'd ya do each layer, just freehand paint in the lighter shades, then mess with layer orders?

Can you take a shortcut by copy/pasting for the other 15 body shapes, or does that not work out?

aye open all the body type pngs then copy paste them in the first one as different layers
just make sure to align them manually by comparing the two files, when you copy paste it centers the image and the original ones are not in the center so. But after you've done this once you have the perfect template file for the rest of the time you're making apparel so it's worht it =P

I like to make the outlines for each sprite first and the colour all of them in a row

and yes I painted the colours on their own layer behind the outline layer so obviously if I color over the lines it won't show =P and I normally only have two layers per cloth too

colour layer

Grizzlyadamz · January 11, 2015, 09:25:51 AM

Sweet, many thanks!

I've figured out how to change brush colors & un-kill the UI as well, plus I think I know how vanilla armors have the softer outlines without getting bright spots- opacity.

heh, this is a lot more fun when you don't worry about 100% symmetry. And it actually goes pretty fast.

Igabod · January 12, 2015, 11:27:39 PM

Shinzy, I wonder if you wouldn't mind sharing your template file (possibly best on the art modding resources thread) since you already did that part. That way the rest of us wouldn't have to re-invent the wheel as they say. I've been considering giving it a go at making some apparel.

[edited to add a link]

Shinzy · January 13, 2015, 06:55:12 AM

Quote from: Igabod on January 12, 2015, 11:27:39 PM
Shinzy, I wonder if you wouldn't mind sharing your template file (possibly best on the art modding resources thread) since you already did that part. That way the rest of us wouldn't have to re-invent the wheel as they say. I've been considering giving it a go at making some apparel.

[edited to add a link]

when I get home possibly yeah =P and if I remember

Edit: I remembered! they be there

unifex · January 15, 2015, 05:47:51 PM

I've done all my images in Inkscape (some Gimp) if you need any SVG's to use:

https://github.com/calmhorizons/innerworlds/tree/master/iw-base/src/main/dist/Textures

Both of those tools, Inkscape moreso, are pretty horrible from a UI perspective I think, but you do end up getting used to them. To the point Gimp is (imo) as good as Photoshop once you've battered the UI into submission (maybe not with the range of plugins etc). The iw-base directory level contains a few other smaller mods with textures in those too. None too good, but if you need Inkscape examples they might help.