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[StagnantSoul]

Okay, so I'm looking to make a 24x24 tile set, but I'm not even sure how to do this. Do I use Paint? I could start with a smaller one if someone advises. Also, can I include tiles for my custom made creatures? I hate seeing them left as letters. Thanks for any help in advance!

[BlackFlyme]

I'm going to be explaining this in a way that assumes you are completely new to the concept of graphics/tilesets in Dwarf Fortress, as I do not know how much you know about it. Tilesets and graphics mean two different things.

Tilesets are images that the game uses to display the majority of non-creature objects, from terrain on the map to tools and numbers/letters. A tileset image is typically saved within data/art in the Dwarf Fortress directory, and the selection of the tileset is made within the init file.

Graphics are images stored within raw/graphics in the Dwarf Fortress directory. They are used to create images for creatures, and can include many different images for a single creature based on things such as their profession, whether they are a child or infant, or if they are an animated corpse. The definitions for these graphics are done in files that are also saved within raw/graphics.

Paint can be used. Anything that puts out an image file should be possible to use, so you should just go with which program you feel most comfortable with. I personally use GIMP, but I've also seen other programs such as paint.net mentioned.

[StagnantSoul]

Graphic pack, yeah, that's what I meant.

[BlackFlyme]

Ah, alright then. I'll use some graphics that I have made as an example.

I have created this small graphics set for some Dark Souls creatures I have created, though this version is slightly altered to remove graphics I have borrowed from elsewhere.



And here are the graphic's raws, with explanations for what each tag or argument does:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

graphics_darksouls  <- This is the usual header that every raw file tends to have.

[OBJECT:GRAPHICS]  <- This tells the game that this file is to denote graphics.

[TILE_PAGE:DS]  <- This is an ID for the graphics image for this file, for reference in other tags.
[FILE:darksouls/darksouls.png]  <- This is where the file name goes. If there are folders in your graphics folder, you list the folder name, then the file name.
[TILE_DIM:18:18]  <- The dimension of each image in the set in pixels. My images are 18 by 18 pixels.
[PAGE_DIM:7:3]  <- The dimensions of the entire image, based on how many individual tiles there are. I have 7 tiles wide, and three tall.


[CREATURE_GRAPHICS:BAT_DEMON]  <- This denotes which creature to use, with the argument being the creature ID.
[DEFAULT:DS:1:0:AS_IS:DEFAULT]  <- These are used to define what tile to use, and when to use it.
[STANDARD:DS:1:0:AS_IS:DEFAULT]

[CREATURE_GRAPHICS:GOLEM_CRYSTAL]
[DEFAULT:DS:2:1:ADD_COLOR:DEFAULT]
[STANDARD:DS:2:1:ADD_COLOR:DEFAULT]

The first argument is for what profession is to be used for the image to display. The second is the graphics image ID, as noted above. The two numbers that follow are the tile's location on the page. The very first tile is in the top left, and is considered to be tile 0:0. As that tile is blank, I would go one over to define the bat-demon's image. It is tile 1:0, as it is 1 to the right of the first column and 0 from the top of the first row.

The next argument is how the image is to be coloured. you can ADD_COLOR based on the creature's colour in their raws, or you can leave the image's colours AS_IS. For example, I want the bat to appear with the same colour scheme it has in the above image, but I want the golem to be given a different colour, instead of being gray. In-game, it will appear different colours depending on the material it is made of, with varying colours.

The final argument is the texture token, which can change the image depending on contexts. For example, DEFAULT would apply to most circumstances, but you can make it so that the graphic is only used when the creature is an ADVENTURER, or an ANIMATED corpse, or even a LAW_ENFORCE type unit or a GHOST.

Additional information on graphics can be found on the wiki here.

[StagnantSoul]

Okay, thanks. This'll take a while. I tried just modifying the look of the kobold spearman in the raws in an old version, and suddenly, all humanoids have a light grey box around them.

[StagnantSoul]

Ehh, decided to go with 18x18 for now... It's a wee bit intimidating to make the second 24x24.

[StagnantSoul]

Is it okay to modify another person's graphic pack? Like, take the models, change a bunch of colours, and replace things? I'd obviously give them credit.

[BlackFlyme]

I'd say that you should ask them first, as a courtesy.

Though I suppose that would depend on whether or not the user is still active on here.

[StagnantSoul]

I was hoping to use Ironhand as my basis. I've already started on the basic dwarf model, replacing the brown beard and baldness with a blonde beard and hair. I'll have multiple beard colours, including red, brown, blonde, and dark grey. Masters will get grey beards, showing age. If I'm allowed to use his graphic pack as a basis, I'll change the armour to be darker, and have them face the opposite way as normal soldiers, as well as basic armour changes. Everyone with professions will look different, a little, and everyone's got blue eyes.

Here's the basic dwarf of mine, next to the normal Ironhand.

[BlackFlyme]

As a heads-up, you cannot have different graphics for different castes.

Unless I've misread, and by masters you mean weapon masters. Weapon masters can indeed be given their own graphics.

[StagnantSoul]

Yeah, that's what I meant. Weapon masters will look kind of grizzled.

[StagnantSoul]

And I got the OK to use Ironhand! With the summer coming up, I'll probably have this done before too long. Maybe I'll even make a 24x24. Or would other sizes, like 20x20, work too? Getting everything to look nice will be the big problem, probably. I've always loved Ironhand, but some of the creatures throw me off. Minotaurs and Rocs, for example.

[StagnantSoul]

Flyne, I'm pretty sure you're phsychic, I was just wondering about caste-level appearances. Which really sucks, as my Sprites and Draconians each have different looks for the castes.

In other news: Can someone test out what I have so far for me? I can't get my test-DF (a 40.13 file) to run the graphics, even when I copy and paste then save onto the normal ironhand paint file.

Here's what I have so far:



I know, a bit odd looking. I couldn't figure out how to give the miner a pick and make it look right, and I'm having problems with the Thresher and other farmers. I'll get them done with soon. I'm not bugging Ironhand's animals, they're perfect.

Also: Would it cause problems if I used a different sized (24x24) file for certain things? Like, made the nobles and weapon masters higher resolution than the rest?

[BlackFlyme]

The caste-graphics is a question that I've seen come up from time to time. The only example of a workaround off the top of my head would be how Meph did the Warlocks for Masterwork DF. Each caste had caps on which skills they could gain experience in, and graphics were based on professions, so each caste would be restricted to certain profession graphics based on that.

Also, so long as the different sized graphics are actually different images altogether, and the graphics raws were written to adapt to that, I don't believe there should be any issues.

[StagnantSoul]

Holy crepe, Meph is a genius. I'll just give the sprites some cloak-y looks, and the Draconians a general dragon-human-hybrid-like but I'll ask Meph how he did that. I'll make the soldiers each have their own looks.

I'm going to go 32x32 for all races' weapon masters and nobles.