How to draw masks on Gimp and import them in AGS.

[ProcioneSx]

Hi forum,

I finally worked out how to create masks in Gimp for AGS. I've seen that in the forum this method is illustrated using Photoshop, so I think mine can be useful for Gimp users.
In this example I'll draw some walk behinds areas, but it works for walkable areas, walk behinds, regions and hotspots as well.
Here it is:

- First let's open the image with Gimp.
- Then set the pencil this way:
   
   Brush: Pixel
   Size: 1,00
   Dynamics: Dynamics Off




- Since Gimp wants 256 colors masks we have to convert the image by clicking Image --> Mode --> Indexed.




- Leave the fields as they appear and click Convert.
- Now click on Windows --> Dockable Dialogs --> Palettes. The palette on the top of the stack is the palette of our image.   

Let's double click on it to open the palette.



As we know, AGS recognizes the #0 color of the palette as transparent and the colors from #1 to #15 for the areas that we want to draw in our room. So we have to use the first 16 colors, from 0 to 15 (the colors in the first row of the palette).



Now let's create a new transparent layer, we'll draw the walk behinds areas on it.

Let's draw the first walk behind area with the color number 1 of the palette, the second walkable area with color number 2 and so on.





Once we have finished to draw all the areas let's pick the color number 0 to cover the rest of the image.



We can now export the file by clicking File --> Export. I save mine as PNG. The default options work fine.
Then click the Export button.



We can now load the file, and the areas will be automatically recognized by AGS.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I hope it helps.

This forum and the densimng youtube channel helped me a lot so, for Italian AGS users I have created a Youtube channel with some tutorials.
I'm gettin keen on Ags!

http://www.youtube.com/user/ProcioneSx