Tools for graphic importing?

[Yosikuma]

Outside of IntyColor, does anyone have tools or suggestions on getting better ways of importing graphics into their programs? 

[carlsson]

What would be your source of graphics and what do you want to obtain? While all graphics are GRAM cards with the same properties, it differs slightly if you're intending to use them for MOBs or background screens.

 

Would you expect to feed 24-bit graphics into a tool that converts to monochrome on the fly with some dithering, or would you do most of the conversion work by hand like before you feed a BMP to IntyColor?

 

I've never used IntelliTool, in case it can import graphics files?

[Yosikuma]

Does IntelliTool import graphics? I have never used it.

 

I've been having difficulty judging exactly where my 8x8 cells are when importing graphics using IntyColor so I was seeing if there was perhaps a better way than what I'm doing.

[carlsson]

Aha. I would use a regular graphics editor first. I tend to go big with Photoshop, but pretty much any tool that lets you zoom in and superimpose a grid should do. That will let you determine where your boundaries are and where colour clashes will occur. Once you believe your work is good to be converted, save as BMP and let IntyColor determine if you were right.

[Yosikuma]

Thanks. I was using a different graphics program but since I have Photoshop, I may as well do that. I appreciate it!

[+nanochess]

IntyColor has the "-r output.bmp" option where it can write a file (named output.bmp in this case) to show you where are color clashes.

 

[Yosikuma]

Hey Nanochess, thanks! I'm actually following your book and trying to get some artwork transferred to the Intellivision as we speak!

[+nanochess]

2 hours ago, Yosikuma said:

Hey Nanochess, thanks! I'm actually following your book and trying to get some artwork transferred to the Intellivision as we speak!

Excellent! 😀✌🏻

[carlsson]

Another idea would be to look for graphic tools for other retro systems. When it comes to the bitmaps, the Intellivision isn't that unlike Colecovision/MSX, ZX Spectrum, VIC-20 and many others. Some systems have better colour resolution like C64 so I would not bother trying to use one of those tools unless it specifically works in hires mode. It would take a bit more work since you're not guaranteed to get data in a format that the compiler will like unless you massage it yourself, but IMHO there is nothing magical about the GRAM definitions on the Intellivision.

[+DZ-Jay]

1 hour ago, carlsson said:

... but IMHO there is nothing magical about the GRAM definitions on the Intellivision.

 

I bet you also don't believe in the Tooth Fairy or Santa Clause ... 😆

 

On a serious note, I agree with @carlsson:  Any tile-base graphics tool works and most of them export to BMP, so you can always process their output through IntyColor.  I personally use an iPad app called "Pixel Studio," which allows you to define a color palette, configure the resolution, and define reusable tiles.  It also offers the ability to create layers and even has an animation feature that helps to define sprite sheets.

 

    -dZ.