Hello all… A bonafied newbie here.
I’m trying to create a “sprite”, or what I believe to be called a sprite. I’m wanting to create my own images (in paint, cause I’m a super newbie and am cheap… though other suggestions are welcome). When I make a “sprite sheet”, or “image sheet” as it were, I get this white box around each object, and I have no idea how to make that bit transparent, or if it’s even possible with Paint.
Thank for your help! It’s good to be a part of the community!
Post a link to your project as a ZIP file and folks can help.
However, before you do that,
Are you using JPG or PNG for your spritesheet (I suggest using PNG)
Are the empty spaces in your sprite sheet transparent? If not, make them so.
If that doesn’t help, zip it up and post the project. Folks will be able to figure it out fastest since this is a semi-complex (probably has multiple parts) question.
Thanks for the ideas. I am using a PNG format, but when I click “save”, it warns me that I will lose all transparency.
Here’s what I did:
- I completed the walk-thru for the Star Explorer game
- I wanted to learn how to insert my own images, so I took the “gameOptions.png”, and opened it in Paint.
- Made some archaic changes, like happy faces on the asteroids, to try and learn how this all works.
- When I clicked save, it told me I would lose all transparency - which proved to be right when I ran the program again… big blocks around the asteroids and ship.
Hope that helps problem solve it. The only change from working to not working was opening and editing in paint.
I am super newb, would have to google how to “zip up” the file. I’m trying to learn programming cause times be real tough in my industry at the moment. Thanks for all your help.
Best regards.
I’m not familiar with ‘Star Explorer’ game. Is that a tutorial here? Do you have a link to it?
Note: I hate to tell you this, but this industry is hyper-competitive and while there is still money to be made, the blockbuster- or even mediocre- hit is the exception not the rule. So, I’d suggest doing this for fun and not as a way to earn $.
Good luck and happy programming.
PS - Is that from Dr. Burton’s book? If so, good on you for getting a book and following a course of learning. That rocks!
Also note while you can get by for a while using paint, you should really use:
Windows Paint just doesn’t have the chops (IMHO) for game design.
One more note… You might also try Paint.Net. I haven’t used it, but I do think that is will support basic PNG editing w/ transparency and be pretty easy to learn. It is also free.
Gimp is the #1 free tool in my opinion, but really impenetrable for new or inexperienced users and I don’t want you to have a bad experience. Game making should be fun.
Cheers,
Ed
Thanks for all that Ed - I’ll try the “easy one” for now. hah!
The guide that i followed for the game is here: docs.coronalabs.com/guide/programming/01/index.html
I know it’s a competitive, but the space is massive. I’m still trying in my industry, but while I wait (just graduated), I may as well give this a go. And I agree, it should be fun, 
It worked!!! getpaint.net, downloaded it, played around and found what I needed. Boom.
roaminggamer, you’re the man - thank you heaps. Now I’ll come to you with all my woes. 
Post a link to your project as a ZIP file and folks can help.
However, before you do that,
Are you using JPG or PNG for your spritesheet (I suggest using PNG)
Are the empty spaces in your sprite sheet transparent? If not, make them so.
If that doesn’t help, zip it up and post the project. Folks will be able to figure it out fastest since this is a semi-complex (probably has multiple parts) question.
Thanks for the ideas. I am using a PNG format, but when I click “save”, it warns me that I will lose all transparency.
Here’s what I did:
- I completed the walk-thru for the Star Explorer game
- I wanted to learn how to insert my own images, so I took the “gameOptions.png”, and opened it in Paint.
- Made some archaic changes, like happy faces on the asteroids, to try and learn how this all works.
- When I clicked save, it told me I would lose all transparency - which proved to be right when I ran the program again… big blocks around the asteroids and ship.
Hope that helps problem solve it. The only change from working to not working was opening and editing in paint.
I am super newb, would have to google how to “zip up” the file. I’m trying to learn programming cause times be real tough in my industry at the moment. Thanks for all your help.
Best regards.
I’m not familiar with ‘Star Explorer’ game. Is that a tutorial here? Do you have a link to it?
Note: I hate to tell you this, but this industry is hyper-competitive and while there is still money to be made, the blockbuster- or even mediocre- hit is the exception not the rule. So, I’d suggest doing this for fun and not as a way to earn $.
Good luck and happy programming.
PS - Is that from Dr. Burton’s book? If so, good on you for getting a book and following a course of learning. That rocks!
Also note while you can get by for a while using paint, you should really use:
Windows Paint just doesn’t have the chops (IMHO) for game design.
One more note… You might also try Paint.Net. I haven’t used it, but I do think that is will support basic PNG editing w/ transparency and be pretty easy to learn. It is also free.
Gimp is the #1 free tool in my opinion, but really impenetrable for new or inexperienced users and I don’t want you to have a bad experience. Game making should be fun.
Cheers,
Ed
Thanks for all that Ed - I’ll try the “easy one” for now. hah!
The guide that i followed for the game is here: docs.coronalabs.com/guide/programming/01/index.html
I know it’s a competitive, but the space is massive. I’m still trying in my industry, but while I wait (just graduated), I may as well give this a go. And I agree, it should be fun,
It worked!!! getpaint.net, downloaded it, played around and found what I needed. Boom.
roaminggamer, you’re the man - thank you heaps. Now I’ll come to you with all my woes.