PaintShop Pro has been my preferred graphics program since about version 3 when Jasc used to own them. Now it's called Corel's Paint Shop Pro and I think it's up to about version 13 (I'm using version 12 I believe) and it's a good alternative to Photoshop if you don't need some of the more advanced features of PhotoShop and at about 1/6th the price.
When I picked up the version 12, I got it from a circuit city close out sale and paid like $12.00 for it, regularly priced I think it's between 60 and 100
Paint.net is one of the best!
Layers,easy to learn and a fancy interface!
Handy tools make it perfect for minecraft editing!
I have photoshop but paint.net is the best!
here are some questions i have been having for a while.
If something doesnt tile, what is a good way to fix it?
How do you apply shading/detail so that the block is not too much of an eyesore, but not too simple looking?
How do you choose a good color pallette?
A good way see them tile (or so you can make them tile) is to make a grid of the texture. I do 32x32 textures, so make a grid 64 x128, or something. Stack side to side and top to bottom to see what isn't tile right.
Pick one of the the textures and make it blend with the ones around it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"This may hurt a little, but it's something you'll get used to...."
Sorry that the new tiPs haven't been posted yet. I will post them in a bit once I get back to my computer. I wrote this on my phone, so it has some mistakes. Anyone else have tips?
There is only two types as of now (totally transparent, or not at all). Like glass, you either have a frame, and some glass "stains", or nothing. But all texture blocks are this way. If you put a blue background to the flowers, it will show in game. But everything is a block, so you can make a pumpkin into a stained glass frame that can light up. (might look funny growing under a tree or on a hill...but....)
Isn't Ice and water translucent?
Ice and water both support Alpha Transparency which means they can be partially opaque/ partially transparent.
Translucency deals with the way light passes and how it's diffused and all that.
So do we each contribute to each section? I can type something out for Photoshop.
Another thing I'd like to point out when trying to make things blend and tile smoothly is subtlety and balance. By that I mean not have a section of the texture give a look that overlaps and catches attention from another part of that same texture. Even something that looks a little different can offset the way things tile.
I made this as an example.
This is a 32x32 grass texture which is made to tile. Although some may not notice it by first glance, but towards the center there is a dark spot that blends with the texture.
It may look nice standing by itself, but as you put more and more of them together, it becomes more noticeable and will throw of the way things tile, even if the textures tile together.
Now there's 2 preferred ways one can go about fixing this issue.
1.try to blend it out to look more like the area around it or-
2. Add more of them to balance the tile.
Would anyone be interested in learning how to use Photoshop's Smart layers?
Smart layers allow you to take your smooth stone tile layer and convert it to a smart layer. Now you can duplicate it and place the duplicate under your ores. When you later decide to alter your smooth stone texture you double-click it and it opens as a new file in PS. You change the color or add noise and save it. AUTO-MAGICALLY all the other tiles that contain the duplicated smooth stone smart layer update to match your new smooth stone texture!
This is very useful for all repeated textures such as chests, mob fur/skin etc. Saving you countless edits and repetition. And it allows you to avoid inconsistencies that would certainly occur.
Interesting Thread, I've kind of lurked around on these forums for a while trying out different texture packs and the like. I'd very much like to test my hand at making my own texture pack. I actually started looking into doing so just before the holidays, reading as much info about the topic as I can before I get started. I'm personally familiar with Gimp and Photoshop and have created animated gifs and other graphics for websites before, nothing special really just me learning how to do stuff mostly.
So here are some questions that might be worth answering. (maybe has been else were but I may have missed it.)
There are various texture packs that come in various sizes ie. 16x16, 32x32, 64x64, and 128x128. Which one is best and why? What is supported by Minecraft. Why do some texture packs need that HD mod? What should someone new focus on? For example I tend to think the 16x16 is a little too restrictive and would like to work in 32 or 64x.
Do you suggest/need a template to get started? copperdomebodha posted a really nice thread with info about a texture Template, do you guys suggest using this? Thread is here viewtopic.php?f=1021&t=60625
Simple do's and don'ts that might break stuff? I tinkered around with changing the moon and sun a while back before texture packs were supported and broke the game for example, I think because of the 16x16 deal vs a 32x32 res. Would be nice.
Maybe some tips on making texture packs more bright or more dark. I've noticed in some texture packs the game is so dark at night I can't see anything while others seem to be very visible no mater time of day. Transparency under water is like that too depending on the pack.
Also isn't texure spelled texture in the subject? :smile.gif:
I dont' know just some general questions I've had.
Sleekcraft! Check it out!
me neither. Just another example of why this thread is very useful, and needs more tips.
When I picked up the version 12, I got it from a circuit city close out sale and paid like $12.00 for it, regularly priced I think it's between 60 and 100
Layers,easy to learn and a fancy interface!
Handy tools make it perfect for minecraft editing!
I have photoshop but paint.net is the best!
If something doesnt tile, what is a good way to fix it?
How do you apply shading/detail so that the block is not too much of an eyesore, but not too simple looking?
How do you choose a good color pallette?
Just a few, i bet someone out there has some more
Pick one of the the textures and make it blend with the ones around it.
"This may hurt a little, but it's something you'll get used to...."
Ice and water both support Alpha Transparency which means they can be partially opaque/ partially transparent.
Translucency deals with the way light passes and how it's diffused and all that.
So do we each contribute to each section? I can type something out for Photoshop.
MS Paint can not save a file so that it supports transparency (ie. you will always have a background "layer")
Thanks to everyone who has helped so far, and banners will be made soon!
I made this as an example.
This is a 32x32 grass texture which is made to tile. Although some may not notice it by first glance, but towards the center there is a dark spot that blends with the texture.
It may look nice standing by itself, but as you put more and more of them together, it becomes more noticeable and will throw of the way things tile, even if the textures tile together.
Now there's 2 preferred ways one can go about fixing this issue.
1.try to blend it out to look more like the area around it or-
2. Add more of them to balance the tile.
In random facts:
(Including BBCode)
The OP is 1640 words and 9804 charactors
Keep up all the tips!
BTW, Has anyone found this thread useful and used it to help make a texure pack?
@Mordus
That sounds like a good idea, adding that section now
Smart layers allow you to take your smooth stone tile layer and convert it to a smart layer. Now you can duplicate it and place the duplicate under your ores. When you later decide to alter your smooth stone texture you double-click it and it opens as a new file in PS. You change the color or add noise and save it. AUTO-MAGICALLY all the other tiles that contain the duplicated smooth stone smart layer update to match your new smooth stone texture!
This is very useful for all repeated textures such as chests, mob fur/skin etc. Saving you countless edits and repetition. And it allows you to avoid inconsistencies that would certainly occur.
GIMP
Paint.net (Ignore the assorted "Download Now" ads)
Pixen (One of the ones I use)
So here are some questions that might be worth answering. (maybe has been else were but I may have missed it.)
There are various texture packs that come in various sizes ie. 16x16, 32x32, 64x64, and 128x128. Which one is best and why? What is supported by Minecraft. Why do some texture packs need that HD mod? What should someone new focus on? For example I tend to think the 16x16 is a little too restrictive and would like to work in 32 or 64x.
Do you suggest/need a template to get started? copperdomebodha posted a really nice thread with info about a texture Template, do you guys suggest using this? Thread is here viewtopic.php?f=1021&t=60625
Simple do's and don'ts that might break stuff? I tinkered around with changing the moon and sun a while back before texture packs were supported and broke the game for example, I think because of the 16x16 deal vs a 32x32 res. Would be nice.
Maybe some tips on making texture packs more bright or more dark. I've noticed in some texture packs the game is so dark at night I can't see anything while others seem to be very visible no mater time of day. Transparency under water is like that too depending on the pack.
Also isn't texure spelled texture in the subject? :smile.gif:
I dont' know just some general questions I've had.
-Robert