Black Background of Doom [SOLVED]

[Takilyn]

Hello everyone. I would just like to ask for alittle bit of help on destroying the black backgrounds of death from a few sprite animations.

For example I would like to change the black background on this image:
http://www.spriters-resource.com/pc_comp...heet/27027

Into either one solid color of dark green/dark blue/etc. Or atleast make it transparent. I'm trying to use them in RPG Maker VX, but when I select the black background as the transparent color thing.. Pretty much all but a little of the black is still there.

The programs I have are Photoshop CS4, GIMP, and of course MS Paint.
I've already tried to use the magic wand.. But it seems it wants to either:
A. Delete the whole image. B. Delete part of the image. or C. Leave some of the black there..

All help would be GREATLY appreciated. And also I didn't know where to exactly put this thread. So I hope it's in the right area. Thank you for your time. ^^

[Alpha Six]

With Photoshop, you're supposed to use layer blending effects in order to remove the black, and all the effects should be on their own separate layer.

[Takilyn]

Thank you for the advice Tyvon, but I still don't really understand it...
Just alittle while ago I tried doing a tutorial, that was removing the black.
( http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photosh..._2fwks.htm )

It didn't work very well for the image.. It basically left part of the black forming around one of the animations I chose, and pasted in Photoshop.
I honestly have no clue how to use those.. And I'm just dying to.

If anyone would be so kind as to maybe show me a demonstration of how to remove the black from the image I previously posted, to atleast where I can use them for RPG Maker VX, I would love you forever.


Edit: I just re-did that tutorial, and apprently I must have missed something last time I did it. But I finally got it to go transparent atleast!! Thank you Tyvon. And this topic can be closed now, if it needs to be. ^^

[Alpha Six]

Ohhhh... I didn't read the part where you wanted to use them in RPG Maker.

RPG Maker doesn't have any alpha transparency support? The small amount of black in effects like that is left in for the sake of being used in alpha transparency. You're gonna have a hard time making them look good without alpha transparency.

[Takilyn]

Ohhhh... I didn't read the part where you wanted to use them in RPG Maker.

RPG Maker doesn't have any alpha transparency support? The small amount of black in effects like that is left in for the sake of being used in alpha transparency. You're gonna have a hard time making them look good without alpha transparency.

I see.. Well I'm going to give it my all. xD But I finally got it working to where I can make the image transparent. Thank you very much Tyvon. ^^

[Ekoi]

Only RPG Maker XP and VX support the alpha layer.

In 2000 and 2003, you will need to make the background white, and make the frames transparent when you put them into the animation system. It won't look as neat, but it's the best you'll be able to work with.

[Takilyn]

Okay. Sorry for this late reply, however I would just like to take a few seconds to tell people how I -really- solved my problem for this. Incase someone is wondering, or a newbie needs help they can read this.

1. I opened Photoshop, and the image I wanted to use.
2. And I went to channels, selected the RED channel and made a duplicate.
3. Then went to " Select " and clicked " Load Selection " and loaded the RED Duplicate.(Copy)
4. After that, I went back to " Select " and clicked " Inverse " and pressed " Delete "
5. Once done with that, I went to Layers, double clicked on the image layer, and made it a new layer. [I also deleted all other layers, if there were any. Like Background 0]
6. And last, THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!! I selected the layer with the image, and deselected my image, where you would edit it. And went to " Layer " then went down to " Matting " and here is what I did, to make it work with RPG Maker VX: " Remove Black Matte " and " Remove White Matte "

Of course then I saved it as PNG or whatever, and viola, completely transparent image. No " Black Stuff " around it, or white. ^^
This should work on kinds kind of projects. Like Game Maker/RPG Maker VX/Etc.
Problem is now official solved. If the mods want, lock this thread, put it in some help area, do whatever. If anyone wants to, they can take those steps I used above and throw it in a tutorial, to help some newer people with spriting, I do not mind. ^^ Thank you, and have a nice day!~