good program for spriting

[dark team]

I was using GraphicsGale for a while and thought that I should change software. So anyone that sprites a lot do you know a good program for spriting?

[Zenor]

MSPaint is all you'll ever need.

[Kain]

What he said. There are a couple of features it doesn't have I'd like it to have, but it's got everything you really need to sprite fairly fast and effectively.

[dark team]

Well then I think I'll stay with GraphicsGale. Thanks anyway.

[Spike]

MSPaint is the best by far.

[Kain]

Eh, I've heard fine things about Graphics Gale. Not enough to buy or "buy" it, but if it works for you, great. Bottom line is the only thing you really need for sprites is (a) a pencil tool, ( a selection tool, © a color-choosing tool. MSPaint doesn't have the best color-handling stuff, but everything else, it's plenty suitable. No heavy-duty program is going to make you a better spriter, but I guess it helps to see animations in-motions without having to format and copy them all into Game Maker or something.

Edit: also, I guess you need a zoom tool.

[Godmaster]

MSPaint is all you'll ever need.

I don't think so, and really this sounds "nerdy"...

however, you can sprite in whatever software. I usually use paint to make simple sprites, because that's so basic; photoshop to apply textures, to modify textures (even the 16 bit ones) and to apply renderings (like posterizing, facet, thresold and others that give a pixel aspect) and also Flash, to render, as less-rendered gif, animations to make them look like pixelized art.

I just say this: if you really know to use a tool, you can do anything

[Kain]

Applying textures and making and rendering vector images isn't technically "spriting," not that anyone here's anal about all game art being pixel art. Plus Photoshop and Flash are costly and bloated as hell for what I do. I, personally, don't think MSPaint is the best program around for spriting, but it has all you really need and it comes with the operating system and the only decent free paint program I even know of, The GIMP, seems similarly bloated and I never got it to not automatically anti-alias everything I did.

I've always wanted 3 things out of MSPaint that it doesn't have: non-90 degree rotation (preferably by something like rotsprite to preserve the palette), animation organization to see changes in animation semi-realtime, and a better way to build and control palettes (I've never really found a need for multiple layers when spriting). And all those things are minor inconveniences.

[LarkSS]

For some reason I always prefered TGF's image editor over MSPaint and once MMF2 came and based their editor off of that, it's all I ever use now. I know that mmf2 isn't technically an image editor since it's for programming, but meh. =P

I remember there was this image editor TRD said was good, but I don't remember the name of it at the moment. Ask him about it?

[TRD]

Oh god, I hate MMF2's image editor, the color mask feature is gone, you can't create a new frame, and just some other annoying stuff. It has some nice features but I'd prefer MMF 1.5's over MMF2's.

I remember there was this image editor TRD said was good

I think it was MMF 1.5's art program (image editor), I use it for almost all my artistic stuff. (I only use MMF2's image editor for minor stuff.)

Anyways, yeah, MSpaint has all the basic tools you need for spriting, it even has that fancy recoloring tool for easy recoloring. Graphicsgale is good, but I only use it for a quick palette change and to save GIFs, since MSPaint heavily rapes images saved to GIF format.

[Mark the Echidna]

Well, indeed MSPaint is probably your best option, specially once you know it's tricks (Such as the "secret" 10x zoom, and the color replacing eraser). But it's somewhat lacking in some aspects:

1. Photoshop-like keyboard shortcuts - We're talking about a hand on the mouse and other at the keyboard... It just tremendously adds to your productivity.
   
2. Right click, or Alt + click color picker. It's a pain to pick colors.
   
3. Being able to edit the color you've picked from the palette (I know you can do so trough the Colors > Edit Colors menu, but it's less productive manipulating menus)
   
4. Unlimited undo. In fact, MS Paint's undo is known to be buggy...

[Zenor]

Oh god, I hate MMF2's image editor, the color mask feature is gone, you can't create a new frame, and just some other annoying stuff. It has some nice features but I'd prefer MMF 1.5's over MMF2's.

do you know how to clone a frame and then edit over that one?

MMF2 has all mmf1.5 image editing features, you just don't know how to use them.

[dark team]

No matter I already made what I needed. Thanks anyway.

[Damizean]

Try Paint.net, it's a good step in between of MSPaint and Photoshop :3

[Kain]

# Unlimited undo. In fact, MS Paint's undo is known to be buggy...

Oh yea, I have a mouse with a sensitive mouse wheel. You know what happens when your mouse wheel moves while using the paint tool? Bad, that's what happens.

[GSF]

Just like Dami said, Paint.NET is an excellent option.

Here's the link:

http://www.getpaint.net/

[dark team]

Thanks Damizean rep up.

[TRD]

do you know how to clone a frame and then edit over that one?

But that's stupid, why take away the option to create a brand new frame?

MMF2 has all mmf1.5 image editing features, you just don't know how to use them.

That's bull, find the color mask option then, since you think you know everything. While you're at it, find the invert selection and the select all feature. Oh, and I might like to add that MMF2's rotation tool only rotates the entire frame instead of parts you've selected, prove me wrong on that too.

[Ayling]

But that's stupid, why take away the option to create a brand new frame?

That's bull, find the color mask option then, since you think you know everything. While you're at it, find the invert selection and the select all feature. Oh, and I might like to add that MMF2's rotation tool only rotates the entire frame instead of parts you've selected, prove me wrong on that too.

Know it wasn't directen to me, but:

1) Click in the area of the frames and press the "New" button on the top-left.

2) You mean put a semitransparent color on? Copy the object you want, delete it. Select the color you want, and paint it in a frame. Paste the copied image, and change "Opacity".

3) Invert the sprite and screenshot it?

4) Agree.

[Damizean]

I also prefer the MMF1.5 editor just for one thing: The numpad buttons don't for quickly change the hotspot position in MMF2 anymore. That makes difficult to insert whole new sprites

[Zenor]

That's bull, find the color mask option then, since you think you know everything.

...Color mask what?

While you're at it, find the invert selection and the select all feature.

That opition isn't necessary. you can do it using events.

Also, alt+A to select all.

Oh, and I might like to add that MMF2's rotation tool only rotates the entire frame instead of parts you've selected, prove me wrong on that too.

MMF1.5 don't have a "rotate selected area" thing

EDIT: damn, new page.

[TRD]

*Hi-fives Dami*

Aylingling:

1) Click in the area of the frames and press the "New" button on the top-left.

Didn't work, it just clears the frame, I want to create a NEW frame, MMF 1.5 had that option. I could just click new frame, and boom.

2) You mean put a semitransparent color on? Copy the object you want, delete it. Select the color you want, and paint it in a frame. Paste the copied image, and change "Opacity".

No:

This is the color mask option, that's only available in MMF 1.5

Basically, you select the colors you want to keep, press ok, then it will select the colors you didn't choose, that way, you can delete those colors, copy them, etc without hand selecting them yourself.

3) Invert the sprite and screenshot it?

What? Invert selection means to reverse the selected area of the selection box, why should I have to do work-arounds for such a simple process?

Zenor:

...Color mask what?

See: My reply to Aylingling's second statement.

That opition isn't necessary. you can do it using events.

Also, alt+A to select all.

To me it is, which is why I find it so annoying, I use the invert selection tool quite a bit.

MMF1.5 don't have a "rotate selected area" thing

No, you're not getting what I'm saying, say if I have an object, and I want to rotate only part of it, MMF 1.5 let's you select an area with the selection tool, then you can go to the rotation option in the object's drop box and rotate only that part of the object. MMF2 only rotates the entire frame, regardless of the fact that you've selected only part of it.

I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about, stop trying to prove me wrong.

[Kain]

Paint.net looks pretty awesome. But is there any way to get multiple views of a single image at the same time? Namely, is there anyway way to see an image with zoom of 800% or so and a normal 100% view at the same time like the "Show Thumbnail" option in MSPaint? I hate to fixate on a single feature, but I really do use that a whole lot.

[Ayling]

Inversion- Thought you meant color. You can flip selected areas horizontally/vertically in MMF2. there's boxes on the sides with arrows. They do selected area, too.

[TRD]

Wrong again, that's called flipping, ayling. The invert selection option reverses the selection box, in other words, it will select the pixels OUTSIDE the selection box instead of inside.

Anyways, I know all of MMF's image editor tools, and MMF2 is lacking some from MMF 1.5, which is why I dislike it.