Create-a-Pattern - recolorable patterns

[LoserInc]

I've never written a tutorial before, so, trying my best. Hopefully I can explain it ok for people to understand.

This is written assuming you know how to use whichever photo editing software you use. I use Photoshop, so it is explained in Photoshop terms, which are hopefully similar to other programs.


Photoshop:

1. Find or make a 4 or less color pattern you want to use. Make sure it is 256x256 and tiling.
2. Open Photoshop and make 4 new files, each of them 256x256 and transparent.
3. On each of your files, duplicate the layers so you have 2 layers in each file.
4. Place/Paste your pattern on the top layer of each of the files
5. Rasterize if using Photoshop, not sure if other programs have to do that
6. For each file, you want to decide what part of the pattern it is going to be, you may want to save them all with a name to not lose where you are working.
7. On each file, delete a different part of the pattern, so you have just the part you want and the rest is transparent.
8. Merge Layers (flattening will get rid of transparency)
9. Save as .png (save transparency if it asks)

Create-a-Pattern - henceforth known as CAP

1. After opening CAP, click on "add a new sticker" import your files this way one by one
2. Click on one of the layer panes - NOT THE LIGHTBULB ONE!
3. Find your new stickers. Place one in the big layer section.
4. After you place it, a new bar opens up. Here set W H to 256, set X Y to 128
5. Now, just repeat, working your way down the layer pane.
6. The lightbulb part is the one that makes things shiney. So if you want part of your pattern to be shiney, place it there
7. Preview pattern on surfaces
8. Save, then export
       


For some reason, these do not like to go in .package form, I have no idea why. I tried and it just freezes the game.

I'm sure a lot more can be done with this, but that is what I have figured out so far. I will update this as I find different things to do with CAP.

[Regina]

That looks good so far! And easy enough to turn into terms for PSP and I would imagine for anyone familiar enough with the image editor they use.

One suggestion I'll make is that if a person isn't very familiar with an image editor and layers and deleting parts of an image, etc., my tutorial for PSP 9 goes into more depth on the manipulation of the image. Also, if a person uses PSP most layers added are by default raster, at least in the earlier versions.

Thanks for taking the time to put it together! :D

[LoserInc]

Thank you, and no problem :)

Granted, this only works on basic solid color things, Haven't figured out how to deal with shading yet, but...that will come eventually.