New body support
 

I think this would be a cool addition, AND backwards compatible. Basically, you allow the body template to have a mask to create further shading.

Ignore the ****ty bevel I used, it's just to portray a point :)
http://i.imgur.com/ewCgb.png

So what happens is Graal will take the mask and apply it over the body image after coloring is applied. Now you can have custom colors AND some additional shading!

http://imgur.com/F3CPB.png

For backwards compatibility, since the additional space will be absent in older bodies it will(or should) do absolutely nothing.

You know I support all your ideas, Dusty.

STEFAN READ AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Support!

Here is a better example for people who don't think the bevel portrays the idea good enough(*COUGH*rufus*COUGH*):

http://i.imgur.com/mKua5.png

edit: ACTUALLY it might even be better to have the mask work from a more neutral gray(like 128,128,128) so we could also have highlights.

I Support this!

I don't really see the point.

New bodies are rarely made by themselves. I don't see people doing twice the work for the effect of being able to change the colors when they'd probably just upload edits with a lot less work being done.

Making multiple copies of bodies simply for having different colors is inefficient and a waste of uploaders times. It also isn't that much effort to create a mask. Shade and color the body the way you'd like as you make it, then make a copy of it, greyscale it, erase the outline and adjust the brightness accordingly. BAM. Instant mask.

Alternatively you can just bucketfull the shades you used on the white onto the other parts of the body and easily create a mask like above. Any methods aren't really that much effort, ESPECIALLY if you use layers in whatever graphical tool you're using.

I'm already wearing one, this is the hottest trend since Skip-It and Pogs

It's not really inefficient in a server filled with tons of images and random things, including bodies and such that never get touched. Just as well, it only takes but a moment of an uploaders time to upload multiple images, and besides, what else do uploaders have to do?

I guess it couldn't hurt as a new feature though, I just don't see more than a few bodies ever using this.

For example, Luda recently made a Saiyan Body and it's limited to a custom palette when with this method he could create a body with the default palette and a mask to create the same effect.
His original body:
http://i.imgur.com/2EHm0.png

So I took his body and create a mask-friendly version in a few minutes:
http://i.imgur.com/YoTW9.png

And when using default colors and the masking creates:
http://i.imgur.com/xWLI3.png

Along with the proposed new color support: http://forums.graalonline.com/forums...hp?t=134259103 that Stefan has said he's trying to implement, this could be powerfully flexible.

Just because there is existing inefficiencies does not mean it's not efficient to make an efficient change.

It also doesn't just "take a moment" of an uploaders time when most of the bodies are just recolors anyways. This could eliminate most uploads from even being needed, thus saving A LOT of time.

I like it. The bodies look a lot better and seem to have more depth. You got my support.

This is sort of how 2d bump mapping works, except in that case you have three color channels at specific angles that tell the light source how to interact with the 2d image to make it appear 3d.

If we could get full bump mapping support it'd open up a lot of options for entire new pseudo-3d servers, not just more detailed bodies.

FYI this is an example of what you can do with 2D sprites and bump mapping.

That's... not really like this lol.