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prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 09-29-2003 14:09

Hi, i'm not quite sure if this is the right place to ask, but could anyone recommend an isometric drawing program or is there a way to do it in photoshop,

I want to create graphics similar to habbo hotel, or the lemonade tycoon game, kind of an isometric pixelated style and was wondering if there was a program to make this easy-ish.

Example Pic
Thats the kind of thing I'd like to achieve.

Thanks in advance

Hugh
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: Dublin, Ireland
Insane since: Jul 2000

posted posted 09-29-2003 14:13

Never heard of any.

Emperor
Maniac (V) Mad Scientist with Finglongers

From: Cell 53, East Wing
Insane since: Jul 2001

posted posted 09-29-2003 14:36

I'd probably recommend speaking to Cal:
http://www.iamcal.com/

Although Sulake created Habbo Hotel:
http://www.sulake.com/

He has produced a Perl version of their Java socket server:
http://software.iamcal.com/puse/

and (more directly relevant) is one of the people working on:
http://www.citycreator.com/

However there isn't much of a secret and a number of inmates have produced isometric graphics (e.g. silence and mahjqa) without the aid of any isometric drawing software.

___________________
Emps

FAQs: Emperor

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 09-29-2003 15:33

Thanks Emperor,

I've sent a couple of e-mails to Cal and Sulake, asking about software and that style of graphics and am waiting for a reply.

axleclarkeuk
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: Swansea, Wales, UK
Insane since: Aug 2001

posted posted 09-29-2003 15:42

Prawn, when you get a reply, could you keep us informed please, i would be interested in hearing what they have to say.

Many thanks

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 09-29-2003 15:48

No problem axle, will do.

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 09-29-2003 16:12

If anyone's interested I found some tutorials at http://www.pixelfreak.com/

They use MS Paint apparently, unless they need transparency effects etc.
http://www.pixelfreak.com/v3/b2/ah.html
a nice little animated clip.

[This message has been edited by prawnstar69 (edited 09-29-2003).]

DL-44
Maniac (V) Inmate

From: under the bed
Insane since: Feb 2000

posted posted 09-29-2003 18:20

All you need to do is make yourself an appropriate grid for reference, zoom in, and use your pencil tool.

Whether you use PS, PSP, pr MsPaint...

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 09-29-2003 18:48

true DL-44, i'm at home now so i'm going to try and find/make one, use it as a seperate layer in PS so I can delete it when done and voila.

here goes...

Skaarjj
Maniac (V) Mad Scientist

From: :morF
Insane since: May 2000

posted posted 09-29-2003 19:04

It's fairly east ot do in PS...just draw a diamond grid the way they show in the tutorial and then use the squash transformation tool to reduce it by 50%

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 09-29-2003 19:51

I've just had a go at one in Photoshop, I found a grid but it wasn't the cleanest, I think I'll make one myself (thanks for the tip Skaarjj) and followed it, I don't like the line tool in Photoshop though, it doesn't seem too..."clean". I'll have a little play with it though.

I made this house following a tut....



I know it's not the best, but it's a start

Emperor
Maniac (V) Mad Scientist with Finglongers

From: Cell 53, East Wing
Insane since: Jul 2001

posted posted 09-29-2003 20:59

prawnstar69: You might also find this sueful:

:FAQ: How do I go about making sprites?

___________________
Emps

FAQs: Emperor

DL-44
Maniac (V) Inmate

From: under the bed
Insane since: Feb 2000

posted posted 09-29-2003 21:00

The angles on your roof are a bit off, throwing off the rest of the image.

Even though the roof requires lines that don't follow the grid, they should still equate to the line of the grid (ie the corners, if connected by a straight line, should be paralell to the grid line..).

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 09-29-2003 21:32

Thanks for the FAQ emperor i'm looking through it now.

And thanks DL-44, I knew it didn't look 'quite' right and what you said makes total sense and is the reason it looks off. The grid wasn't very small, so it was difficult to line up, I've made a better grid now and will try that out.

I still haven't heard from Cal or Sulake.

Skaarjj
Maniac (V) Mad Scientist

From: :morF
Insane since: May 2000

posted posted 09-30-2003 05:51

I would suggest instead of using the line tool of using the pen tool, just zoom right in and use the pencil with a one pixel brush...and turn the grid on, much easier to tell what you're doing when you do it that way.

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 09-30-2003 13:19

Thanks again Skaarjj, is there a way of having an actual iso grid in photoshop rather than a square type one, having it snap to an isometric grid would be so much easier.

MindBender
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: a pocket dimention...
Insane since: Sep 2002

posted posted 09-30-2003 14:23

With vector based programs you can usually have completely arbitrary guide systems. I know with Illutrator you can create a guides out of anything and they will snap. I believe Freehand even has some perspective grids and such built in, never really use Freehand though, so I can't say for sure.


It's only after we've lost everything...
That we're free to do anything...

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 09-30-2003 16:43

Thanks MindBender, I'll investigate Illustrator and Freehand

DL-44
Maniac (V) Inmate

From: under the bed
Insane since: Feb 2000

posted posted 09-30-2003 17:58

Yeah, but you can't really do "pixel" art in a vector program....

MindBender
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: a pocket dimention...
Insane since: Sep 2002

posted posted 09-30-2003 23:47

Well..

1. Not all vector programs are exclusively vector oriented. Some mix raster and vector.

2. The question was about isometric art, not pixel art.


It's only after we've lost everything...
That we're free to do anything...

silence
Maniac (V) Inmate

From: soon to be "the land down under"
Insane since: Jan 2001

posted posted 09-30-2003 23:51

One of the best sites I've found is The Pixel Zone. There's a lot of great information there.

As far as my own images, I usually start by making the grid itself on its own layer. Just draw a single square, then copy, paste, move it accordingly, merge, and do it again until the grid fills the document.



Now, just follow the guidelines set up by the grid. The hard stuff is when you come across lines that don't follow the grid exactly. Here's an example I made:



Notice that the roof lines don't conform exactly to the grid. In this case you'll just have to keep trying different combinations of pixels to form a clean line. For example, 4 across, 1 up, 5 across 1 up, etc.

Also, when constructing walls and squares that conform to the grid, I usually just make a few squares of varying sizes (1x1 square, 2x2 square, 2x4, etc.) and copy these and arrange them. The house walls are made of a single 3x2 panel. I made one, then copied it and flipped it horizontally.

If you need help, here are the psd files for the above images (right-click, save as).
House
Grid

In the house psd, I left the layers with my roof guidelines. The first roof guideline is in blue but the lines weren't clean enough. I drew over that in red and the lines came out much cleaner.

Here's a sig I made using the same technique. This was basically just freehand drawing using the grid for perspective reference:

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 10-01-2003 10:33

Thanks silence, that's loads of help.

MindBender
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: a pocket dimention...
Insane since: Sep 2002

posted posted 10-01-2003 10:56
quote:
As far as my own images, I usually start by making the grid itself on its own layer. Just draw a single square, then copy, paste, move it accordingly, merge, and do it again until the grid fills the document.



That sounds... painful. Why not just build a square grid larger than your intended document by using a pattern, then turn it on it's side and make it a layer in your intended document?

Maybe make one out of vectors, then you could smoothly scale it to any size you wanted for working on different projects.


It's only after we've lost everything...
That we're free to do anything...

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 10-01-2003 13:30

I've just had a go at making an iso. pixel picture of an atari console in the legendary MS Paint and it was a lot easier than trying with grids and such in photoshop. I just zoomed in and made sure the lines were 1 pixel up for every 2 across and it was pretty easy. I'll post what I've done so far tonight as I'm at work right now and can't upload it.

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 10-01-2003 18:46



That's what I've done so far in MS Paint, i know the console looks not much like an atari, but I didn't intend it to, to start off with anyway. I did start on doing some other things, but my boss remotly controlled my PC and scribbled on it *grumbles*.

Skaarjj
Maniac (V) Mad Scientist

From: :morF
Insane since: May 2000

posted posted 10-01-2003 19:05

oooh...I used to have one fo those...the Atari 2600...I remember long hours spent playing 'Pitfall' and 'Double Dragon'

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 10-01-2003 19:53



Now I need to do a wood effect on the TV...

mas
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: the space between us
Insane since: Sep 2002

posted posted 10-01-2003 20:38

an isometric drawing program: don't laugh at me....but thats what i always wanted to code, sell and get rich with

silence
Maniac (V) Inmate

From: soon to be "the land down under"
Insane since: Jan 2001

posted posted 10-02-2003 06:00

Mindbender:

quote:
That sounds... painful. Why not just build a square grid larger than your intended document by using a pattern, then turn it on it's side and make it a layer in your intended document?

Maybe make one out of vectors, then you could smoothly scale it to any size you wanted for working on different projects.



Yeah, mindbender, I thought about using a pattern about 5 seconds after I made the grid. Unfortunately, scaling is a problem unless you can get it to scale without aliasing. Also, scaling it destroys the 2 across 1 up pattern.

prawnstar, nice work so far. The only things bugging me are the cables. Try to highlight them less harshly and smooth them out a bit.

Skaarjj
Maniac (V) Mad Scientist

From: :morF
Insane since: May 2000

posted posted 10-02-2003 06:54

I created a 1000 x 1000 pixel grid that I use as a base reference grid (I say base, but I actually reduce it's opacity to 35% and put it on top of everything else), all I did was create a new image, 18 pixels x 8 pixels, and doo the 2 across, 1 down technique from corner to corner, then I made certain parts of it transparent and defined it as a pattern...now I can create grids any size I want...

MindBender
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: a pocket dimention...
Insane since: Sep 2002

posted posted 10-02-2003 06:56

Then do one of two things.

1. use vectors so it doesn't cause any issues in scaling (they're infinitely scaleable ya know )

2. change your interpolation method from "bicubic" to "nearest neighbor". It's in your preferences. That will cause the anti-aliasing to shut down and it will scale only whole pixels.... basically.


It's only after we've lost everything...
That we're free to do anything...

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 10-02-2003 08:31

I know the cables are pretty crappy, I have an idea on how to make them better, thanks.

DL-44
Maniac (V) Inmate

From: under the bed
Insane since: Feb 2000

posted posted 10-02-2003 18:21

If you have PS, it'd still be wiser to use that than MSPaint.

If you don't want to use a grid, don't....that's all.

Zoom in to 1600% and use your pencil tool.

You'll still have much more flexibility than with Paint, in regard to the image creation, editing afterward, saving for the web, etc.

prawnstar69
Bipolar (III) Inmate

From: Loughborough, Leics. UK
Insane since: Sep 2003

posted posted 10-02-2003 18:45

thanks DL-44, I think I will from now on, Cal just replied to my Q and eboy and Habbo Hotel are made using Photoshop and it's his weapon of choice.

silence
Maniac (V) Inmate

From: soon to be "the land down under"
Insane since: Jan 2001

posted posted 10-03-2003 04:42

The niftiest feature for this type of work is view->new view

With that, I keep a fully zoomed in view, a 200% view, and an actual size view. Makes it a lot easier.

Skaarjj
Maniac (V) Mad Scientist

From: :morF
Insane since: May 2000

posted posted 10-03-2003 05:59

Or for those working with Photoshop 7, yo're looking for view>>document>>new window

Activ8
Nervous Wreck (II) Inmate

From: United Kingdom
Insane since: Oct 2003

posted posted 10-06-2003 02:48

Hi to Everyone

I,m new to this forum but I do feel I have something that you will all be inerested in. I have developed some software The World Creator (v1.5) which takes much of the drudgery out of designing Game Graphics.

It can create 2D, Platform , Isometric , Pseudo 3D, artwork as well as animations! Very professional results can be achieved very quickly. AND IT IS FREEWARE!!!!

As well as this we have a huge Resource Center : 1000's of pre sorted textures, backgrounds, fonts, icons and other FREE SOFTWARE.

Logon to http://www.inet2inet.com and try out this software.

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