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User talk:CLA

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Tutorial for graphics page.

Creating your own

Creating your own Tileset

  • add some info from tileset page
  • deciding on size: dimension stuff (tile size: subdivisions - 16 is divisible by 2/4/8, 18 by 3/6/9, 20 by 5/10, etc; center - uneven sizes have a center tile, even don't; screen resolution - see tile page; popularity - ties in with screen resolution and available creature graphics, some tile sizes are more popular than others)
  • start by editing existing tileset and replacing tiles piece by piece. Decide on "base tileset"
  • basic editing tutorial
    • basic photoshop stuff: masks, layers, alpha channel transparency, some tools (pen, eraser, selection tools) (get someone to add GIMP equivalents)
    • good practices: non-destructive editing, using separate layers, organizing in groups and naming layers, grid (plus subgrid, pixel grid), debug layers, save often.
    • walkthrough of making a new tileset
      • preparation download fresh DF install, put into separate test directory, make world, start fortress, ideally with a typical fortress and all objects visible somehow
      • open base tileset of your choice (square vanilla in this case?), set grid to right size, make visible
      • bmp or png, magenta/alpha transparency
        • use png, and alpha transparency, if you start with bmp, make layer from background, select magenta with wand, press del. save as psd
        • first debug/auxiliary layer : black background; new layer, move to back, [d], alt+del. Give it a nice name and color in layers menu
      • change bed, give dwarf beard:
        • non-destructive editing: select dwarf & bed tile, layer with copy.
        • select base layer again, invert selection, press mask button, lock layer, save as psd
        • select new layer, draw beard on with pen
        • erase bed, draw new bed
      • save as psd again
      • test out your creation
        • make debug layers invisible
        • save for web & devices: png-24, alpha transparency in data/art.
        • open data/init/init.txt, point to your new tileset
        • load up DF, marvel at your artistic genius.
      • Not good enough yet? Kill DF (strg+shift+esc), change in PS, overwrite tileset, start DF again.

advanced stuff/raw changes

  • init & raw changes, link to tileset lists
  • most commonly used tiles with multiple meanings: u-d-stairs/bins/cursor/archery, male/female
  • note on unused tiles
  • compatibility, dependency, conflicts, maintainance across versions (file changes.txt, etc)
  • TODO: best place to add documentation about raw syntax (plants, init, etc)

tricks and magic

  • how df blends colors/background/foreground
  • transparency, partial transparency (including opaque background tiles), engraving, INVERTED, animated tiles

advanced photoshop stuff

actions: automating common steps. for example export: select debug layers, make invisible, save for web and devices


TODO: copypasta.txt includes some old tutorials I wrote, check it.

stuff to change on tileset page once everything's in place

  • clarify graphic set, character set, tileset in first part
  • move/change graphic set stuff to graphic set page, add link?
  • main creature tiles section: add something like "for a list with raw names see {here|link to graphic set#table}"
  • still necessary/useful with graphic set page in place? remove it altogether? Discuss with King Mir
  • others should definitely stay, they can't be changed with graphic sets.

Creature Graphics

this page

  • conflicts, reminder to delete example files or better, overwrite with empty file
  • link to list of creatures by tile, add names grabbed from raws with wiki template;
  • testing (link to utilities#raw explorer)
  • suggestions about grouping

TODO for 'graphic set' page (listed here for drafting)

  • clarify first and last DEFAULT
  • Lists how to automatically grab them from raws?
    • table: List of professions -- {name|RAW_NAME|vanilla symbol/color} superscript for "not available in civ X"?
    • table: List of tokens -- http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Creature_texture_token <-"skeleton and zombie is the same, can't have different undead (axe zombie, sword zombie)[[1]]
    • table: List of creatures -- {name|RAW_NAME|GIANT_RAW_NAME|RAW_MEN_NAME|vanilla symbols/colors}*list of inconsistently named creatures to be aware of
      • inconsistently named creatures in different background color
  • templates
    • .psd templates will they work in gimp?
    • text templates, complete with dimensions so you just have to draw. separated by biome?

TrueType Font

  • bug, commonly missing symbols in existing TTF, fontforge

Colors

  • add short intro
  • be aware of contrasting colors, best to test how every color looks withe every other color

add it all together

  • releasing your own stuff
  • dffd, other file hosts
  • updating to a new version, resolving conflicts: change log, file changes.txt, diff