How-to Set Transparencies and Color Depth

[fowlplay4]

Alright I know there's another guide like this but it uses Animagic and that just seems too overkill to me for a simple process.

There's also a way to do it with gif2mng.exe but I don't find that nearly as user-friendly as Irfanview nor do I like the lack of control.

This process applies to all images, not just heads. To keep things simple I use a head image in my tutorial.

Alternate Programs:

Adobe Fireworks Users can read cbk's post for a small how-to.
Paint.NET Users can read Soala's post for a small how-to.

Requirements:
1. Download and Install Irfanview (1.5 MB)
http://www.irfanview.ca/main_download_engl.htm
2. An image you want to trans and use on Graal.

Preparing the Image:
3. Set the background to a unique color that differs from your image.



MS Paint automatically sets the bit-depth to 24-bit and removes any transparency.

Fixing the Color Depth:
Note: If your image is a GIF, it's already 8 Bit or Lower! Also the Graal Client does support 24-bit PNG images but the GraalEditor does not. If decreasing the color depth messed up your tilesets colors I would recommend just making a 8-bit version for off-line use.

4. Open the image with/in Irfanview
5. Set the bit-depth to 256 Colors / 8 Bit.



6. To verify that the colors were decreased, you should see 8 BPP on the information pane.



Setting the Transparency:
7. Click the 'Floopy Disk' Icon or go File / Save As
8. Set the Save As Type to PNG if it's not already.
9. Make sure the Show options dialog is checked. This will make the PNG/PNM/ICO save options dialog appear.
10. Make sure the Save Transparent Color is checked. If it's not you won't be able to save the transparency.



11. Now click the color you want to make transparent. In my example it's the pink background.



12. The image is now transparent. You can verify it's transparency by viewing it Windows Image Previewer or even re-opening the file in Irfanview.



Congratulations
You can now use the image in the Graal Editor/Shop and online!

If you're having issues with body sprites I would recommend reading this guide: [Tutorial] How to create and save bodies

Savvy Users: In the Graal folder you'll find gif2mng if you've installed the developer tools. Through command you can fix body image by using: gif2mng -b yourbodyimage.png

[Crono]

thx

[Unkownsoldier]

You sooooo made that harder than it had to be.

[fowlplay4]

Originally Posted by Unkownsoldier

You sooooo made that harder than it had to be.

Care to shed some light on your 'easy' process?

[nullify]

Haters gonna hate.

[cbk1994]

For anyone who wants to set transparency using Adobe Fireworks:

Under "Optimize" (on the right side of the screen if you're using the default workspace), select PNG 8 and then "Alpha Transparency" (use PNG 24 if it's a 24-bit PNG with no transparency, or PNG 32 if it's a 24-bit PNG with semi-transparency or transparency):



Then just File > Export.

If you're looking for something more Photoshop-esque, File > Image Preview is what you're looking for.

[Unkownsoldier]

Originally Posted by fowlplay4

Care to shed some light on your 'easy' process?

-put it into paint
-save as bmp (256)
-put the bmp in giffy "hit trans"
-put the img.gif into "gif2mng"
-trans .png there you go.

[Fulg0reSama]

Originally Posted by Unkownsoldier

-put it into paint
-save as bmp (256)
-put the bmp in giffy "hit trans"
-put the img.gif into "gif2mng"
-trans .png there you go.

great, but what's the point of that if irfanview will fix the color options, adjust the colors depth, and trans it all at once without the use of multiple programs?

If anything you made it slightly shorter but even more tedious.

[fowlplay4]

Originally Posted by Unkownsoldier

-put it into paint
-save as bmp (256)
-put the bmp in giffy "hit trans"
-put the img.gif into "gif2mng"
-trans .png there you go.

So you have to put it through 2 (excluding paint) different programs and end up with 3 different images before you get the finished product. Your 'easy' method sounds pretty ridiculous to me.

Where my guide has you do everything (sans drawing pixel art) in Irfanview without changing the file type, and requires no additional files.

I've also seen the method paint uses to convert images to 8-bit destroy color palettes in past.

[Devil_Lord2]

Originally Posted by Unkownsoldier

You sooooo made that harder than it had to be.

Yes, but either way he did it.
There aren't many tutorials for Graal players out there.
If there are I can't find them.. At least rarely any good ones for programming...



Also, I believe Paint could set transparencies.. it took me forever to figure out how, but I believe I have... kinda just have to keep searching for the ways to do it lol.. anyway the search probably isn't worth it.. I heard gimp and paint.net are also good. In the past I use to use free trials of Paint Shop Pro 7.

[Unkownsoldier]

Originally Posted by fowlplay4

So you have to put it through 2 (excluding paint) different programs and end up with 3 different images before you get the finished product. Your 'easy' method sounds pretty ridiculous to me.

Where my guide has you do everything (sans drawing pixel art) in Irfanview without changing the file type, and requires no additional files.

I've also seen the method paint uses to convert images to 8-bit destroy color palettes in past.

It doesn't really matter, I can get a .png transparent image in less than 30 seconds. How long does it take to get yours transparent? It doesn't really matter how its done, its annoying that you have to do anyway. So the quicker you get it done, the less annoying it is, regardless of how its done.

*if you use paint to make it is a guarantee that the color palette wont be destroyed. Or you don't even need to use paint, save it as 256 bmp in any program for all I care.

[Crono]

Originally Posted by Unkownsoldier

It doesn't really matter, I can get a .png transparent image in less than 30 seconds. How long does it take to get yours transparent? It doesn't really matter how its done, its annoying that you have to do anyway. So the quicker you get it done, the less annoying it is, regardless of how its done.

*if you use paint to make it is a guarantee that the color palette wont be destroyed. Or you don't even need to use paint, save it as 256 bmp in any program for all I care.

Are you retarded? No seriously, are you retarded? Open the file with irfan, apply 1 option, and save. It takes no time or effort at all.

[fowlplay4]

Originally Posted by Unkownsoldier

It doesn't really matter, I can get a .png transparent image in less than 30 seconds. How long does it take to get yours transparent? It doesn't really matter how its done, its annoying that you have to do anyway. So the quicker you get it done, the less annoying it is, regardless of how its done.

*if you use paint to make it is a guarantee that the color palette wont be destroyed. Or you don't even need to use paint, save it as 256 bmp in any program for all I care.

Around 5 seconds, my tutorial is just thorough and explains the process completely for new users and gives them steps to help them verify they're doing it properly.

It also addresses the most typical scenario: A new player makes an edit of a head, and needs to convert it to Graal's format.

This is literally all that's done: (The check off steps only need to be done once, and then they save)

- Open image in Irfanview
- Image/decrease color depth to 256 colors
- Save as PNG, check off 'Show Options Dialog'
- Check off 'Save Transparent Color'
- Click Save, choose Transparent Color

Done.

[Soala]

Nice tutorial

You can also use paint.NET to set transparencies:

1) Open your image
2) Select the background with the magic wand
3) Press Delete key
4) "Save as", paint.NET will automaticly ask you to choose the color depth

[Shards-Of-Fate]

Animagic GIF has a Transparency / Eyedropper tool.

I just copy and paste out of paint, set the transparent color I like, save it--click and drag to gif2mng.exe and it does all the work for me.

The thread wasn't seeing who could do it faster, but to explain it to those who don't know how.