Transparency help

[redblueyellow]

When I tried to open some of the files from Wild Frontier (iPhone), the preview of the images appeared how they are in-game (normal), but when I opened them in paint to compile them into a sprite sheet the colors in the images blended and stretched outside of the image (not normal).

My only guess is that it is a transparency issue. I unfortunately don't have photoshop, but if there is another program that could substitute for it (or photoshop isn't needed at all), then that would be great. The problem has been happening with a few other iPhone games too.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Cobalt Blue]

paint.net
graphics gale

both free.

[RétroX]

Microsoft Paint doesn't support alpha transparency (multiple levels of transparency) or even threshold transparency (full transparency or none).

In other words, whenever that you open an image with transparency in Paint, it'll show up with the transparency replaced with the image's set background colour (usually black, however, in some cases, white or light grey). If you save the image, it'll save with this new colour instead of the transparency.

Fuchikoma mentioned a few free programs that support transparency. Another is GIMP, which is also free, and is better for general image editing (imo), but several times worse for pixel editing.

If you want to pixel with transparency, I seriously recommend GraphicsGale or Paint.NET, and if you want to just edit images and apply filters and stuff, use GIMP, Photoshop, or another program.

[redblueyellow]

Yeah, I'm just trying to get the transparent sprites possible for putting into sheets. I downloaded Paint.NET and GIMP, copied and pasted into MS Paint from both programs, and the sprites turned out a lot better than previously. (before / after)

Would it be better to make sheets with the sprites or just include them in a zip straight from the files? Thanks for the help.

[RétroX]

Sheets are preferred. I don't even think that the site accepts ZIPs.

When making the sheet, be sure to keep the transparency there if you have some partially transparent pixels; otherwise, you'll lose quality in the convert. If it's just a single colour, though, you can just add a shade of white or some other colour that isn't used anywhere else on the sheet.

[redblueyellow]

Okay, I'll try that. Thanks.