Question about designing in GIMP

[Marleen]

I am really seriously trying to figure out the process of designing, with the manual provided.
First I tried in Paintshop, but the final steps became too difficult (it's hard enough as it is, all in English), so I downloaded the GIMP-program recommanded in the manual.

And no matter how many times I try, I don't even GET to the last steps. Because, whenever I design anything, no matter how crude (I eventually even tried a pair of plain underpants !!, just as they are in the doll), everything I create gets totally killed and screwed up in the scaling-process.

Here's what I do :
- I draw the item I want, 2 pixels wide at least (which is VERY hard because I can only choose between a pencilwidth of 1 and 3 (and larger).
-I erase the rest of the doll
-I set the transparency for the background
So far, so good....

Then, I go to the scaling, set the size as indicated (101x215 pixels, cubic), click on 'scaling'.....and voila ; gone is my perfect picture, replaced byh a very very blurry, all shades of blue, grey, white and black fuzzy image of what I just TRIED to make. Nowhere NEAR an image that I can somehow use in the future, unless I wanna make people think they need some glasses.
Back to the drawing board, to get the same result over and over again.

What am I doing wrong here ?
SHOULD the small picture look so un-usable blurry and is it just me ? Am I missing a step that is - or is not- in the manual ?

http://r13.imgfast.net/users/1311/23/20/80/album/verkle10.png

In this image I put the - very plain knickers with stripes, which is NOT what I was trying to design, but just a very clear and plain example - original version as drawn and the scaled image next to eachother. As you can see, the scaled image is hardly usable.

Could you please let me know where I am going wrong here ? Because I just cannot seem to find the problem.

[TroyHepfner]

The scaled image is actually correct. I can't tell from your picture, but I suspect the zoom level at the bottom says 800% or something like that. If you change the zoom level to 100%, it will look like it should in the game.

[Marleen]

But even at a 100 % it looks much 'blurrier' then any of the clothes in the game ??
Well, I'm just gonna continue trying with one of those blurry images then - hoping it DOES come out fine. I suspect I'm gonna have enough trouble trying to line up images in a .png-file :lol:
In the meantime I checked some .png-files from both the original and user-made addons, and indeed they seem to have this somewhat (thoug not this bad) blurry base. That must be the reason then you have to revert to the larger image befor using color and then rescaling again. That first seemed like an unnecessary extra step.
I'll definitely try something easy first....don't think it'll ever show up here....

[Marleen]

Well. I THINK I just made a strip of clothing-items, and now I'm looking in to the XML I'm supposed to write. That looks a loot harder, really. I hope I can just copy the text provided and change the values as needed......pfff. Better start cooking first ;-)

[Marleen]

So, I THINK (again) I did everything right -or at least according to the manual - more or less - and after playing three games in a row, finally 1 (!) of my items showed up !! Just one so fas, but that was GREAT (even though the desing was nothing to write home about).
Hope some of the other colors will come out later today (if I can keep playing this impatiently. )

[AlleyCat]

Sounds like you're making good progress! Can't wait to see some new creations for Fashion Cents Deluxe! It's been a few months since we've seen some new addons for our favorite dressup game!

[Marleen]

I am just making a simple catsuit-like thingy, and although I've only seen a few so far (one shouldn't upload TOO many addons in this game, even if it was just for testing :lol:). Maybe I'll complete the outfit with bunny-slippers ;-) it SEEMS to be working. No 'invisible' desses turned up.

But then I tried making a second thing (a nightcap to go with the frilled catsuit, which I thought kinda looked like something you could only sleep in) , and although only a few turned up so far, and I had to make a lot of adjustments in the .dat-file to place them properly, I have a feeling several of them DID appear, but totally invisible. (Invisible 'hats' with colours I used).

But I can't see anything wrong in the DATfile.
Coordinates, width, height, colours, everything seems to be in order. This really puzzles me a the moment. Why only index number 8 showed up twice so far.

What causes invisibility of an item, and what should I look at / recalculate / remeasure to fix that ? Or should I just start all over again ? (I think I placed the items too close together on the strip).

(Here's a small impression of the ' work in progress' )
http://r13.imgfast.net/users/1311/23/20/80/album/workin10.png

[Marleen]

(And I fount an easier way to test my items ; I deleted ALL addons-titles from the index-file except my own (kept them in a safe place ofcourse), so now my items are showing up more regularly.
Only seen 5 out of 17 / 2 out of 17 variations though, but I hope more will show. )

*edit* - seen 11 out of 17 / 7 out of 17 plus 4 invisibles by now. Few more to go, and find out what causes invisibility.

[TroyHepfner]

Feel free to post the contents of your .dat file here. I'll be happy to take a look at it and give you feedback.

[Marleen]

It's kinda long, but I'll give it a try.

This is the DAT-file for my 'hats' :

<FCADDON>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 0 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 1 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 16 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 0 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 1 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 9 11 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 48 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 2 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 12 13 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 95 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 3 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 6 8 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 142 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 4 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 16 17 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 189 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 5 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 6 12 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 236 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 6 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 9 13 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 283 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 7 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 7 15 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 330 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 8 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 0 3 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 377 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 9 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 6 10 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 425 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 10 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 1 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 1 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 471 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 11 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 4 11 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 518 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 12 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 3 14 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 565 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 13 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 2 17 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 613 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 14 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 3 7 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 661 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 15 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 8 10 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 707 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
<CLOTHING>
<NAME> mznightcaps </NAME>
<IMAGE> mznightcaps.png </IMAGE>
<TYPE> 0 </TYPE>
<INDEX> 16 </INDEX>
<COLOR_COUNT> 2 </COLOR_COUNT>
<COLORS> 11 16 </COLORS>
<SRCX> 754 </SRCX>
<SRCY> 0 </SRCY>
<XOFFSET> 24 </XOFFSET>
<YOFFSET> 4 </YOFFSET>
<STARTX> 211 </STARTX>
<STARTY> 559 </STARTY>
<WIDTH> 47 </WIDTH>
<HEIGHT> 34 </HEIGHT>
</CLOTHING>
</FCADDON>


and I don't know if the .png is needed and if I can upload it correctly, but this is the corresponding png-file. I don't know if the transparancy shoes up.

http://elkedaggehaktdag.actieforum.com//users/1311/23/20/80/album/mznigh10.png

I've gone over and over and over it to look for what could be wrong, but I guess I just don't know what I should be looking for....

[Marleen]

And....looking at this strip, I think I know what went wrong......seems like I overwrote the correct finished strip with an older, unfinished one....

Back to the drawingboard......

[TroyHepfner]

Yes, the main thing I see is there are 17 entries in the .dat file, but I only see 9 hats in your image. So all the clothing items from index 9 onward are going to be looking at empty parts of the image, and that may be why nothing shows up for these items.

However, I also noted something else. When I downloaded your image and opened it in my copy of GIMP, I noticed it was called mznigh10.png, which is different than the one your .dat file uses, which is mznightcaps.png. So maybe the image you uploaded isn't the same one your .dat file is loading into the game. If that's true then maybe mznightcaps.png has more hats in it than I'm seeing here.

The other thing that I see is that you've set the height to be 34, but the image is only 32 pixels high. This could cause a problem too. I would recommend changing the height from 34 to 32.

Other than that, everything looks great! The hats are well-placed in the image file, the SRCX and SRCY tags are all correct, and all the offsets, starting coordinates, dimensions, and colors are filled in properly. I think you're really close!

[Marleen]

The reason the name is different, is because the file refers to the image I have on my computer, and the one I placed here was first uploaded to the Internet to an online photoalbum. I only now just noticed the possibility to directly upload attachments.

And yes, I made the stupid mistake to make the image over 2 days. After day 1, I left the unfinished strip open, and re-opened it to modify and finish it.

Finally when closing up, I somehow overwrote the new image with the old one, so I had to remake it. The harder a problem seems, the easier it usually is ;-)

Hats are all working fine now, suits are working and yes, I even finished the bunny-slippers !
The part that seemed the most difficult (writing the .dat) appeared to be the easiest and fastest part really, as long as you write down your coordinates.

I have to do a little more testing, beause I still dont think I've seen ALL the colours I made, and some need just a tiny adjustment in the scrx to fit the body (+ or - 1) , but when it's finished, maybe I will even upload it to see if people like it, and then start thinking about something serious to design.

Thanks for all your help ! I really think I get it now. I even understand (!!) the xml-stuff.