Graphic Filtering RMXP tilesets

[archerRin]

Does anyone know what filter is used to create a tileset looking like this? Or if you know any good filters to use to filter pixel art please share it.
I am very experienced with photoshop yet I have tried a lot of methods to no avail.

Ok I tried stroking in layer styles, find edges filter, contour filter, topaz filter and doesnt return a good result. I am gonna try illustrator filters now.

 

[Calibre]

There's plenty of ways you could get to that, but it's impossible to say which way he did it. It looks like to me he used Layer Options - Stroke, perhaps 2 pixel, Maybe Inner or centred. Then he would have to do separate lines for things like the bridge.

Why did this not work for you?

Actually I see why, well they may well have just traced over the lines using a tablet. I think $tevo made the rtp like this once before. I've even done it myself but forgot how.

 

[archerRin]

Yeah its the seperate lines in the middle of the pixel art that boggle me. also the fact that you have to delete a lot of strokes like on the grass tiles. But I guess he did in fact stroke it and then manually drew the lines in the middle. The thing is this is gonna take ages to do the whole RTP.
by the way do you know of any good filters to use to modify RTP tileset nicely?
I'm gonna share one which is nice it's Topaz Vivacity, it creates a simpler cartoony look similar to VX. though experienced GFX people could tell its topazed

 

[Calibre]

I edited my above post btw.

I have tried using filters to give it a fresh spin, but it's all trial and error and knowing what filter is going to do what.

I'm looking for the bloody screenshot i took but cant find it.

 

[archerRin]

I have tried using filters to give it a fresh spin, but it's all trial and error and knowing what filter is going to do what.

Basically none of the default filters in photoshop can do a good job at modifying pixel art in my experience.
i have searched "pixel art photoshop filters" in google with no results either.

You know the filters in PSX or SNES emulators like HQx2 or Salx2 ... I wish I can find those filters that are usable.

 

[Calibre]

I found what I made using photoshop filters. I quite liked it. I was at the point where I couldnt decide what should and shouldnt have black outlines.

 

[archerRin]

That's actually great for a storybook feel, though the black outlines makes it look filtered because it resembles poster edges. Done with default filters?

 

[Calibre]

It would have been a combo of default filters, yeah.

The black outlines were going to make it look cel-shaded cause I was inspired by Tales of Symphonia to try and make it look similar. It would have been more consistent. i sort of have taken it forward for my new style if you can see the similarities.

 

[archerRin]

Well it bears similarities but that's not a filtered RTP ;_;

btw I found scalex2

http://scale2x.sourceforge.net/


edit: ok i found a better filter HQ3x

http://web.archive.org/web/200802082151 ... /hq3x.html

how do you apply this to an image? Im on a mac atm so idk right now.

Better yet if there's a way to use a DLL like HQ3x DLL in RMXP it would be awesome

 

[archerRin]

Ok i searched and this guy is using HQ2x on RM2K3

viewtopic.php?f=78&t=44328

Uhmm.... so how does one achieve that on RMXP

 

[Perihelion]

Why would you apply filters to pixel art? Well, I guess if you want that kind of look and can't draw your own stuff, it makes an interesting change. Still, it makes the pixel artist in me have convulsions. Although that said, this thing of Calibre's looks pretty nice:

Did you use diffuse on anisotropic for that? It looks good. The black outlines are a bit much, though; the sprites look kinda weird if you ask me. The trees look good, though. The edges are crisp but not overwhelming.

 

[Calibre]

It was so long ago but I seem to remember applying the same pre-defined action i made over and over and it gradually changed. The reason for doing it of course is that I couldn't pixel and wanted to give rtp tilesets some fresh life.

Also, I've literally got a new monitor and my old was a 10 year old CRT so at the time i couldnt see the details like i can now. It was fun to look back at it and see what it really looks like.

 

[archerRin]

Well it seems like No one has any idea how to do this. I found a thread on Game maker discussion talking about using HQ filter, but they also mentioned that it was a tough process to implement the DLLs but it is possible. That's all the clues i found lol.

Also @Perihelion, well it's just that when you modify the default RTP somehow you can say that it's not 100% Enterbrain's anymore, lol, and maybe if you make a commercial game they will find it harder to sue you for using their RTP commercially.
I know what you mean by making you noxious as if filtered amateurly, pixel art tend to turn out really horrible.

Also HQ2x++ look quite nice... makes RMXP's RTP look like a early PS2 game if only you can implement it or apply it to art ~.~"

EDIT:

Here are the Topaz Filter samples I was talking about..
Note that if i decide to go with this i'll need to clean the edges of a lot of the tiles up because they are sharpened and cause a stroke around them.
It makes for a nice VX or simplified, more curvy effect as I said.

 

[Calibre]

That's not bad on the whole, it's too sharp though and if you can't tile the squares with out borders... pointless. This was my biggestissue when making a filtered tileset.

And YOU ARE ALLOWED TO USE RTP COMMERCIALLY

 

[Venetia]

Also @Perihelion, well it's just that when you modify the default RTP somehow you can say that it's not 100% Enterbrain's anymore, lol, and maybe if you make a commercial game they will find it harder to sue you for using their RTP commercially.

1.) If something is obviously a derivative work without proper credit you can be held liable in court for copyright infringement. You may have something which is changed but it is still derivative of the original. I mean I can't paint a moustache on Andy Warhol's can of campbell's soup painting and then say it's mine just because it's a little different.

2.) In any case it doesn't matter because you are allowed to use RMXP RTP resources in a commercial game made with RMXP, according to the EULA.

edit 3.) god damn it Calibre you posted before me ;0;

 

[archerRin]

Yeah true. I used a high amount of iterations to give people more of an idea what Topaz can do. With the edges, you can clean it up using the history brush. That's what I'm gonna do when Im happy with it.

Edit. Thanks for clearing that up Ven. It said in RRR forums it wasn't allowed so.

Distributing your RMXP Game For $$$
I know it sounds crazy, but you can in fact distribute your RMXP game for moolah. Now before you all get excited and start drooling all over yourself, remember that this isn't exactly the easiest of all things to accomplish. Your game will have to be created professionally in order for people to even consider purchasing your game. Not to mention you won't be able to use any of Enterbrain's RTP (as it goes against the terms) or any other author's resources without their permission. Creating ALL original resources isn't exactly the easiest of all tasks to accomplish.

Anyways, good luck with your path to becoming a millionaire (or not) and distributing your game!

 

[archerRin]

Higher threshold Topaz testing:

 

[MouraVision]

Thats actually very nice :D, Good job although some tiles are bit plain like the clifs in the left side.

 

[archerRin]

Thanks. l made a less filtered layer to draw back the detail from.

Still not perf of course, but I think i'll be going with this filter

 

[Jason]

That actually looks really nice, although I have to ask what's going on at the right side, the waterfall looks REALLY odd...