Help with graphics and images

Triangularity Games

I am very new to gamesalad and video game development in general. I haven't had to many problems with gamesalad itself or the logic/coding. What has really be difficult for me is graphics/images. I don't know/understand how to make images for my game. I know there are many methods, but I want my graphics to look like vector images so there are no pixels. Is this possible? What software should be used to make images? I used gimp for my first game and it turned out okay, but many of the images were distorted and didn't look very good. I don't know what size to make my images in game versus with a graphic editing software. Basically, what I am asking is...What software should I use to make images for my game (preferably free )? and... How should I make these images? (meaning, what size? what file type? etc.) THANKS TO ALL IN ADVANCE!!! ANY ADVICE WOULD BE THE GREATEST HELP!!!

Socks

@stephenriska123 said:
I want my graphics to look like vector images so there are no pixels.

Vector images are displayed using pixels.

@stephenriska123 said:
I don't know what size to make my images in game versus with a graphic editing software.

The size of your images will depend on the target device/platform you are designing your game for.

@stephenriska123 said:
.What software should I use to make images for my game (preferably free )?

Use whatever you like, 3D software, Photoshop, Gimp, Illustrator, Sumo Paint . . . etc etc.

@stephenriska123 said:
How should I make these images? (meaning, what size? what file type? etc.)

The size of the image will depend on your particular game design needs, the preferred file type is PNG.

Lovejoy

@stephenriska123 You can use GIMP like you already are or use Inkscape, both are free. As to the image size, make your images are twice the size you want them to be in game.

Triangularity Games

I am very new to gamesalad and video game development in general. I haven't had to many problems with gamesalad itself or the logic/coding. What has really be difficult for me is graphics/images. I don't know/understand how to make images for my game. I know there are many methods, but I want my graphics to look like vector images so there are no pixels. Is this possible? What software should be used to make images? I used gimp for my first game and it turned out okay, but many of the images were distorted and didn't look very good. I don't know what size to make my images in game versus with a graphic editing software. Basically, what I am asking is...What software should I use to make images for my game (preferably free )? and... How should I make these images? (meaning, what size? what file type? etc.) THANKS TO ALL IN ADVANCE!!! ANY ADVICE WOULD BE THE GREATEST HELP!!!

Triangularity Games

@Socks You have been helping me a lot with this...and I thank you for your time and patience...so...If my actor is 24x24 in gamesalad, I would want to make the graphic 48x48, and then when i attach it to the actor it would look better because it is 2x the size? or would I want to make it bigger to look better?

Triangularity Games

@Lovejoy said:
stephenriska123 You can use GIMP like you already are or use Inkscape, both are free. As to the image size, make your images are twice the size you want them to be in game.

but what if I want the graphic to look very nice and sharp, wouldnt 2x the size not be enough?

Lovejoy

@stephenriska123 said:
but what if I want the graphic to look very nice and sharp, wouldnt 2x the size not be enough?

Thats what i answered.

@Lovejoy said:
As to the image size, make your images are twice the size you want them to be in game.

So twice the size or 2x if starting the project in iPad

daniel.robert.campbell

Glad you're getting the help you need, but you should consider changing the name of your thread. The one you have isn't very informative.

Triangularity Games

@Lovejoy said:
So twice the size or 2x if starting the project in iPad

I want to do ipad, but it doesn't fit on the screen on GS window, so im stuck using iphone 5

Triangularity Games

@daniel.robert.campbell said:
Glad you're getting the help you need, but you should consider changing the name of your thread. The one you have isn't very informative.

yeah i know sorry. Ive been researching this all day. Im very tired

Triangularity Games

@Lovejoy if im doing iphone...should i make it 4x? or is 2x going to retain the same effect?

coreystone

The retina displays are 3x, so I've been making my images approximately 3x. (I should caveat that to say I'm fairly new to GameSalad, but not new to graphics.) Good luck!

Triangularity Games

@coreystone said:
The retina displays are 3x, so I've been making my images approximately 3x. (I should caveat that to say I'm fairly new to GameSalad, but not new to graphics.) Good luck!

But, are you designing for ipad or iphone? because @Lovejoy said:

So twice the size or 2x if starting the project in iPad

coreystone

Oh - I started in iPhone 6. Definitely trust Lovejoy more than me. haha.

Triangularity Games

@coreystone said:
Oh - I started in iPhone 6. Definitely trust Lovejoy more than me. haha.

It is recommended by most people that I have talked to to start with iPad resolution (create a universal build), and to make the graphics 2x, but 3x sounds right for iphone 6...my problem is that I cant fit the ipad portrait into gamesalad...meaning I have to scroll just to go from top to bottom

Socks

@stephenriska123 said:
Socks You have been helping me a lot with this...and I thank you for your time and patience...so...If my actor is 24x24 in gamesalad, I would want to make the graphic 48x48, and then when i attach it to the actor it would look better because it is 2x the size? or would I want to make it bigger to look better?

Making an image asset bigger than the optimal size will more often than not make an image look worse, it might only be a subtle loss in quality (usually a slight blurring of the image as the pixels are interpolated as they are scaled down to the correct size).

Socks

...

Socks

@stephenriska123 said:
I want to do ipad, but it doesn't fit on the screen on GS window, so im stuck using iphone 5

GameSalad's iPad project is 1024 x 768 pixels, unless you have very (very!) old laptop with a low resolution monitor you should easily be able to fit an iPad project on screen ?

Socks

@stephenriska123 said:
Lovejoy if im doing iphone...should i make it 4x? or is 2x going to retain the same effect?

x2

Socks

@coreystone said:
The retina displays are 3x . . .

Of all the Retina devices (iPad mini 2, 3, iPad 3, 4, Air 1, Air 2, iPhone 4, 4s, 5, 5c, 5s, 6, 6 plus) only the 6 plus uses 3x image assets the rest use 2x.

Socks

@coreystone said:
Oh - I started in iPhone 6. Definitely trust Lovejoy more than me. haha.

IPhone 6 = 2x assets.

Socks

@stephenriska123 said:
...my problem is that I cant fit the ipad portrait into gamesalad...meaning I have to scroll just to go from top to bottom

What resolution do you have your monitor set to ?

Triangularity Games

@Socks said:
GameSalad's iPad project is 1024 x 768 pixels, unless you have very (very!) old laptop with a low resolution monitor you should easily be able to fit an iPad project on screen ?

I think landscape does but not portrait (im on a 1080p monitor)

Lovejoy

@stephenriska123 said:
I think landscape does but not portrait (im on a 1080p monitor)

I use a early 13in 2014 Macbook Air for GS and yes i have to scroll while working on iPad portrait projects, its just something you need to get use to when working on smaller screens.

Triangularity Games

@Lovejoy said:
I use a early 13in 2014 Macbook Air for GS and yes i have to scroll while working on iPad portrait projects, its just something you need to get use to when working on smaller screens.

there's no way around it? You cant zoom out or change the screen ratio or something?

tmann

incredible as it may seem for 2015 you can't zoom the scene editor

Socks

@stephenriska123 said:
I think landscape does but not portrait (im on a 1080p monitor)

Ah ! I see what you mean now.

@Lovejoy said:
I use a early 13in 2014 Macbook Air for GS and yes i have to scroll while working on iPad portrait projects, its just something you need to get use to when working on smaller screens.

If you really wanted to work on a full screen portrait iPad project could change your scene size to 384 x 512 pixels and your camera size to 384 x 512 pixels and work 'zoomed out' so you could see the whole project (with your art assets now being 4x at their new 50% size).

Triangularity Games

@Socks said:
You really wanted to work on a full screen portrait iPad project could change your scene size to 384 x 512 pixels and your camera size to 384 x 512 pixels and work 'zoomed out' so you could see the whole project (with your art assets now being 4x at their new 50% size).

but, wouldn't that be less efficient, or is that just ipad/2 (making graphics 4x)?

Triangularity Games

@Socks what if I work at iphone 5? should i make the graphics 4x so when I stretch it doesn't distort so much?

Socks

@stephenriska123 said:
but, wouldn't that be less efficient

Less efficient that what ?

@stephenriska123 said:
. . . or is that just ipad/2 (making graphics 4x)?

I'm not sure what this means, iPad 2 is non-Retina so graphics (on a half size project) would be 2x rather than 4x.

Socks

@stephenriska123 said:
Socks what if I work at iphone 5? should i make the graphics 4x so when I stretch it doesn't distort so much?

You keep asking the same question, over and over again, should you make the graphics 4x !? the answer doesn't change from thread to thread and post to post !

The image assets for an iPhone 5 project should be twice the resolution (2x) of the actor's size.

I'm not sure how you are using the word 'distort' in this context it could mean many things.