StendhalRefactoringGraphics

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This page is to collect missing or new graphics wanted to be made, also graphics which exist but need improvement.

Creatures, outfits and items

Right now Stendhal has many monsters, outfits and items so we don't invite general submission of new graphics for these however if you want to offer your services for particular items that we may need, please come ask. Alternatively if you wish to improve any existing graphic, that would be very welcome.

General Specifications

Give your image a descriptive name in lowercase letter and use underscore between words. You don't need to repeat information in the image name that's already given by the directory name.

• The license must be GPL, or compatible, such as public domain.
• File format is PNG, 8 bits/color, and must be RGB
• If multi-layered, please submit the XCF source for the file also
• Use only fully opaque, or fully transparent pixels
• The background should be fully transparent

Creatures

Specification

The sprites used for creatures are in the data/sprites/monsters/ directory in the stendhal source.

• The image format for creatures is png. ( If you have used GIMP to create the image, it is interesting that the original XCF file is submitted as well)
• The shape of a creature must have a dark outline of a few pixels (this is to make it stand out from the background)
• A creature should have 12 frames for its walk cycle which are laid from the top to the bottom in the following rows:
  • 3 for when its walk is seen from its back side.
  • 3 for when its walk is seen from its right side.
  • 3 for when its walk is seen from its front side.
  • 3 for when its walk is seen from its left side.
• The size of each frame is:
  • for small-sized creatures (e.g rat): 32 x 32 pixels, so the size of the whole image is 96 x 128 pixels.
  • for human-sized creatures (e.g. skeleton): 48 x 64 pixels, so the size of the whole image is 144 x 256 pixels.
  • for giant-sized creatures (e.g giant rat): 64 x 64 pixels, so the size of the whole image is 192 x 256 pixels.
  • for huge-sized creatures (e.g. red dragon): 96 x 128 pixels, so the size of the whole image is 288 x 512 pixels.
  • for exceptionally huge-sized creatures (e.g balrog): 320 x 440 pixels, so the size of the whole image is 960 x 1760 pixels.

Using sprites not created specifically from scratch

RPGMaker 2000-like sprites (like those at http://charas-project.net) are an interesting graphic resource for stendhal.

Unfortunately, the frame size for their animated human-sized characters is usually 24 x 32 pixels (72 x 128 pixels for the whole image) which is half the size of what is needed, so some rescaling has to be done.

So, if you choose to use them, please scale the image and remove the background using our charas converter program.

If you prefer not to use our converter...

You can use scale2x. Once you have it installed, the command to type is:

scalex -k 2 old.png new.png

If the images have a coloured background like those from Charas, it needs to be made transparent. Use this Visual Guide or do the following in GIMP:

• Open your png
• Convert it to RGB mode with Image -> Mode -> RGB
• Add transparency to the image with Layer->Transparency->Add Alpha Channel
• Select the coloured background (green from Charas) by doing Tools->Selection Tools->Fuzzy Select (or pressing Z), and clicking on the green background. Make sure that the 'threshold' is set to 0 which means it will only select exactly that green colour. Also turn off 'Antialiasing' and 'Feather edges'. These settings should be available on the gimp main window.
• Remove the green background by pressing Ctrl-k (or Edit->Clear). Gimp should show the transparency as gray checker board pattern.
• Repeat the selection and clearing steps for any remaining green areas, if everything was not cleared at once.
• Save your changes

Huge creatures are specially in need of refactoring

Large creatures, like the black dragon do not look good. At the moment they are just many times scaled as described above. They should be redrawn properly. At least the following creatures should be redone:

• balrog kiheru
• black dragon hamtaro
• some others

NPCs

The sprites used for NPCs are in data/sprites/npc/. The specification are the same as creatures, above.

Outfits

Players can have hair, face, body and dress. These are saved separately so outfits can be mixed and matched. We use http://charas-project.net the medium charsets, selecting just one layer to save. As with creatures (above) the original size is too small and the saved png must be converted.

Items

Specification

The sprites used for items are in the data/sprites/items/ directory in the stendhal source.

• Items have a white or black border of 1 pixel unless there is a good reason not to add it
• A non animated item should have a 32x32 pixel sprite
• An animated item (like money) should have a 32N x 32 sprite. E.g. if it has 4 frames in the animation it will be a 128 x 32 sprite. It will automatically appear animated

For example:

• Items go in the folder data/sprites/items/<class>/<subclass>.png

The eagle eyes amongst you will have noticed that some items have a thicker border than specified above. So, it would be good to have redrawn:

• potions
• antidotes
• poisons
• flasks/bottles

and some items derived from the flasks like sun tan cream or any I forgot. It'd be best to keep the original colours and shapes and sizes at least for potions and antidotes since they are crucial items.

Corpses

Specification

The sprites used for corpses are in the data/sprites/corpse directory.

• Images dimensions should be a multiple of 32, the size should depend on the creature like the ones in the source code.
• Corpses don't need to be square, rectangular shapes would work too

We need various sizes and types of corpse. The ones marked with an asterisk exist already but may need improvement or to be brought in line with any new images made. If you think any of these need further splitting (e.g. the same corpse should not be used for necro and gasha, say) then feel free to create more categories.

• humanoid -[hamtaro]
• giant humanoid -[hamtaro]
• animal -[hamtaro]
• small animal (rodents) * -[hamtaro]
• huge animal -[hamtaro]
• huger animal (necrosophia) *
• gashadokuro corpse
• 3x3 dragon corpse -[hamtaro]
• enormous humanoid (balrog) * -[hamtaro]
• 6x6 dragon corpse (black dragon) * -[hamtaro]
• small humanoids (little people, fairies) -[hamtaro]
• 3x2 or 3x3 corpse for black and golden death, dwarf golem, fallen angel etc.
• ent
• golem (?)
• snakes unless small_boneless looks ok for these
• bone dragon corpse
• small winged (bats, birds)
• something suitable for giant spider
• player (should look different from humanoid corpse for usability reasons) -[hamtaro]

Map tiles

See the tileset specifications for the requirements. New graphics should meet these, and it is an ongoing (and important) task to update old images to satisfy them. Improving existing graphics could be the best use of an artists time, unless it's been specifically requested to draw something new.

Other things to consider:

• Add only images that you need for a map you you are making, or someone else is making and has requested the image. Do not add an image just because there is one.
• If an existing image is almost what you need, except needing a few different tiles, add the needed bits to the image as described here. Copying the whole image just makes the client larger and wastes memory.

Building

Entrance

We want to get rid of the doors that are not centered on a tile. A player walking through such a door in the game just does not look right. So any such doors should be repositioned. Note that this requires changing any maps that use the door, so either fix the maps too, or ask someone else to do that part of the job.

There are entrance graphics missing that exactly match to earthen_2.png (the graphics on the right)

Stairs

• stair graphics to the north and south

Wall

• graphics missing for the inner row, the one's that are black and green in int_grey_dark
• corners for int_wall_brick_wood

Window

• windows for brick walls

Ground

Ridge

• more tiles for ice ridges (currently they can't cope with concave angles (see level_0\ados\rock.tmx for example))

Water

• boat graphics
• graphics for a pier

Item

• childrens toys
• decorative ornaments

Armor

• Single weapons, so they e.g. can be put on a table

Furniture

We have a lot of furniture facing 'down' (south) that can be put on a back wall, but very little that can be put on a wall that is running north to south, i.e. facing to the side. We could use for example, shelves, long sofas, cabinets, chests of drawers, large equipment that a blacksmith might use, bathroom furniture such as toilets and basins and baths, all for the side walls.

We have little that 'faces north' also, but for these be very very careful with perspective.

Light

• Candles that can be placed on a wall

Bed

• There are many separate bedsheets that can be used only with a certain bed image. These should be combined with the bed image. See the relevant chapter in the tileset specifications page.

GUI

Splash Screens

We hold a competition to judge user-contributed splash screens. Please see SplashScreens for details.

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