Particle Battle effects

[Mascarpone]

First of all, greetings and hello as this will be my first post on these boards.

So I've been toying with particle effects lately (good simple fun) and I would like to pull two things from ya'll if I could: Opinions and possibly some assistance.

Point 1:

Spoiler

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/2815/fire1kt3.png[/IMG]

Ta-da it's a fire ball. Not the most inspired idea but it gets the idea across.

Spoiler

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s264/Mascarpone_Toast/FlareBolt.png[/IMG]

It's a smaller Fireball because for a weak spell i wanted something well ... weaker. This one was actually able to be saved with alpha's but I'm still having troubles with the script. See my last post for more details on that little headache.

Spoiler

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s264/Mascarpone_Toast/AerialBolt.png[/IMG]

A tiny li'l wind bullet. enjoy. Also managed so save with alpha for this one.

Spoiler

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/7645/ice1jm7.png[/IMG]

Wimpy Ice.

Spoiler

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/7374/heal3uv2.png[/IMG]

Healing.

Spoiler

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s264/Mascarpone_Toast/ResplandentSun.png[/img]

This ones significantly more flashy as (in my opinion) Higher level magics should be. It's meant to be Holy.

But photocucket seems to have resized it as well. Apparently it hates long images. Still I suppose you can get the idea behind it


Yeah just simple things that aren't too phenomenal but but they look nice anyways.
The only real issue is they don't lend themselves well to multiple purposes. they really just have their 1 function 1 animation.

Thoughts comments etc are always welcome

Now we come to the important part:

I have a problem. Does anyone know of a program that can create something similar to Adobe Photoshop's contact Sheets, but still keep alpha channels intact? My particles are outputted in numbered stills, and i can out put them w/ alphas but to place them all in a sheet piece by piece, especially with animations upwards of 100 frames, would be downright painful. Adobe's automated contact sheets are very nice, but i can't save the alphas with them, thus I am forced to use RMXP's Added blend effect, which makes things difficult to see on certain backgrounds. It's grinding my gears a bit.

Anyone who could help me in that regard, it would be greatly appreciated.

Anywho, I'll put some more of them up later. If you like them you are welcome to use them, Just give credit where credit is due of course.:2thumb:

 

[Jason]

I think they look awesome !
Unfortunately though, they won't fit in with my game, because it's Cell Shaded/Cartoon, which reminds me, I'll have to change my sig, nice work though, These look cool and realistic. Keep up your awesome work !

 

[Necrile]

I love this. Please make a magic-casting, "light", and "dark" version of this, and I can use your style in my upcoming game: Dio di Dii. Please consider fufilling this request, as your style is really cool.

 

[Mascarpone]

eh heh "Style" is not the word i would use for it.

I can probably whip something out Quickly I think, but I'm not sure I understand what you mean by Light and dark -versions- .. Do you mean Light / Dark elemental spells..? Light/Dark casting Arrays..? .. Evil Fireballs .. or.. I'm just not catching your meaning.

 

[Necrile]

Light/ Dark elemental spells :P. Also, having a 3d casting animation would be GREAT. Also, if I like what I see, I will contact you with a payed job as a animator for my game :P

Edit: I'm gonna add this: these are the best animations I have EVER seen in RMXP. If I do accept you to the Dio di Dii team, you will probebly be payed highly for each private animation.

 

[Mascarpone]

Well lets give this a shot:

Yuh know, screw image shack, it's not taking my larger images and it keeps resizing some of them too. Bugger. This one's the only one it didn't butcher -_-

Spoiler

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/2774/prismaticshinezy4.png[/IMG]

It's kinda holy or light-ish if you will.

There are dark ones but I cannot get them to work well apparently. If anyone can recommend a more reliable image host I'd be most greatful

 

[Prexus]

I actually really like these. Normally I am not a fan of particle effects, but they look quite nice. But you really need to find a way to export them with the alpha channels because that would just make them amazing.

What software do you use to make them?

 

[Mascarpone]

Oh deary dear that's a trade secret Prexus

And as afore mentioned If anyone knows a program that can automate a contact sheet with alphas I'll jump on it in a heart beat. I've used similar effects in adobe premier with the alpha channels and they do look rather nice. It's just remarkably unpleasant to do them by hand, and frankly i do not have time for that.

 

[arev]

Hey Mascarpone, great animations. Here's a script you want: http://www.rmxp.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10441&highlight=COntact+sheet
Also, I'll ask what Prexus already asked - what's the programm used for them? :>

p.s. Make more :D

 

[Prexus]

Wow, that is an awesome Photoshop script. I'll definitely find some use for that. Unfortunately Mascarpone won't share the program he is using

 

[Diegoale2000]

ParticleIllusion 3, it's a great program, and i don't see the big deal about hiding it :S

 

[Kyoru]

Cool. I'll prbably use this for my project. Maybe ^_^.

 

[Mascarpone]

ParticleIllusion 3, it's a great program, and i don't see the big deal about hiding it :S

Because I wanted to feel special :#

But yes that's the program. It's Handy.

arevulopapo: Thank you very much for that spcript it should come very much in handy. Much apriciated Edit: Actualy I'm running into errors when I try to formulate sheets with the Alphas.

"Error 8800: General Photoshop errors
-COuld not transform because the initial bounding rectangle is empty
Line: 102
-> docRef.artLayers.Translate(movX,movY);"

I imagine it's somthing to do with the empty space around the objects, but I'm illiterate in Java so i cannot solve the problem myself.

 

[arev]

I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with this error. I've used this script many times for sprites with alpha channel (and some empty space) and it was always working. Maybe the color depth is wrong, or there's something else wrong with your output files.

 

[Necrile]

Hmm...if only I had a casting animation, and a light/fire animation, I would hire you, Mascarpone...

 

[Mascarpone]

eh heh, please necrile don't try to coerce me with the promise of payment. I have very little faith in random strangers from message boards, particularly when it comes to payed commissions.

arevulopapo: Are you using a different Photoshop perhaps..? I'm running in CS2.

 

[Necrile]

Well, just ask Yeyinde, he helped me with a script and I payed for his rmxp membership. Why would I lie about paying you? Oh well..either way I'd love to have that casting animation :P

 

[Kraft]

A good photo host would be http://www.photobucket.com
It requires a membership (takes like 5 minutes) and then you have unlimited (basically) image space, and it all stays in your account. So you dont have to re-upload anything ever. Just find it in your photoalbum, and they all stay there.

Kraft

 

[Mascarpone]

They delete your things after a while though .. do they not?

 

[Emmy]

No, they don't. You get to keep it there as long as you wish.

The animations are amazing, especially the last one.