Graphics Utilities

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Revision as of 04:22, 11 August 2009 by NeoTA (talk | contribs) (→External Graphics Editors: Grafx2 is oriented toward pixel-art)
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External Graphics Editors

  • GIMP This has long been the best paint program for Linux, but it is also one of the best free graphics programs a Windows user can find. Since version 2.3.8 , several features(notably clipboard brushes/patterns, and the ability to select next/prev color in palette via keyboard) have been added that greatly improve its usability for pixeling.
  • mtPaint A pixel-oriented paint-program, with features like improved palette management, pattern drawing, and changing drawing colors during drawing. Available for both Windows and Linux.
  • Pixia English Port of a nice Japanese Paint Program. Somewhat unusual interface, but not hard to get used to
  • Ultimate Paint A paint program with lots of features. The old version is freeware, but the new version is shareware
  • Paint AKA Paintbrush, MS Paint. The built-in graphics program that comes with windows
  • Paint.NET A windows-based graphics program that aims to be the spiritual successor to Paint without the limitations
  • Photoshop A windows and Mac based image manipulation program which is considered an industry standard in regards to graphics. It's primary downfall is its immense price tag. However, other than that, Photoshop can do anything you might possibly imagine.
  • Pro Motion deserves a mention because it is the definitive pixeling tool (the industry standard for GBA/mobile phone graphics work, etc.). Even if you can't afford to buy it(minimum $30), using the demo version will give you an excellent grasp of what tools are useful for pixeling, and a benchmark to measure other programs' capabilities against.
  • Mihov Image Resizer A very simple image format converter, great for turning your BMP format screenshots into GIF or JPG files suitable for posting on the internet
  • GraphicsGale A Freeware/Shareware pixel art editor for Windows (Available in English and Japanese)
  • Grafx2 An excellent open-source paint program for Windows, Linux, Mac and Amiga. Designed for pixel art.
  • MyPaint A *strictly* paint program -- it just paints, not edits. brilliant for concept art, and almost as good for placeholder sprites (providing you consider the usual "don't use too many colors" etc restrictions when drawing.). Can be used for pixelling, even (set brush opacity = 1 and hardness = 1). the zoom is not pixelly though.
  • AllegroSpriteEditor A sprite editor originally intended for the allegro game library, but useful for any pixel art.

OHR Graphics Tools

  • ohrgfx extract and save graphics from an RPG file
  • CHGPAL change an RPG files palette and update all graphics
  • PalEdit for editing palettes and for fitting images to palettes
  • 2mas create a palette from a 16x16 BMP/PCX image
  • TileTool convert backgrounds and tilesets to/from BMP,PCX,TGA
  • OHR Palette the default OHRRPGCE palette in several formats
  • Flikky's Font Tools convert OHF font to PNG and back again

Commentary

NeoTA says:

For pixeling (which is how you will probably want to make sprites and tiles), I rank the paint programs in the following order (best first):

  • Pro Motion
  • Grafx2
  • GIMP
  • MTPaint -- ranked under GIMP because it's less polished so can be unexpected in it's behaviours.
  • Paint Shop Pro -- ranked for comparison purposes
  • Photoshop -- ranked for comparison purposes.
  • Paint
  • Pixia -- not really suited to pixel art at all; I never convinced it to behave appropriately.
  • Ultimate Paint -- ranked low because I have no idea of its features.
  • Paint.NET -- ranked low because I have no idea of its features.

For CG (generally used for cutscenes and backgrounds):

  • GIMP
  • Pixia -- or vice versa. I get the impression that one can do a lot with pixia, but I haven't the same sense of control using pixia.
  • Photoshop -- ranked for comparison. Could also swap places with GIMP or Pixia, but seems less intuitive and so possibly less efficient to use until you've used it for a long time.
  • Paint Shop Pro -- ranked for comparison. Less capacity than Photoshop, more usable.
  • Paint.NET -- apparently this is competent at CGish things.. As I mentioned, I haven't used it.
  • Ultimate Paint -- it seems to have CG capabilities. I don't know what they are.

For just general painting (bg, concept.. maybe tile), MyPaint is in a class of it's own.

MTPaint, ProMotion, and Grafx2 were excluded, as they do not work with 24bit pictures. Paint was excluded, as it has no CG capabilities.


See the Paint programs' individual pages for details of their general strong/weak suits. (which I will do later -- tomorrow, perhaps, and then remove this message)

See Also

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