The VG Resource

Its not an option. I meant clikcthing the background colour of the sprite.

No, I didn't click the background color... EDIT: It worked! I couldn't see I clicked on the background because It was white with the new pic I was using! So to import all the monsters I just have to click on their background... Thanks a lot, Unknown!
Since I'm just getting started with RM2k, If you've any other tips/"tricks" like this (I mean, like "not seen" useful features or apparent problems that have an easy solution like this one), please let me know.

I'd like to ask 2 more questions about sprites, and maybe they've an easy answer like my previous one:
1) I tried to import another monster in RPG Maker 2000, but after I thought I successfully made all the changes to the picture (8-bit & 256 colors) and imported it in the game, I clicked on its the background as usual but this time in the Monster Menu the picture was like this (just a sample of the hand):

...so I thought that someone probably already edited this pic, since the borders are like that.
Do you know how can I fix this problem? I thought that maybe there is an easy way, like a program that lets you select only the "internal" picture (I mean the hand and the rest of the shape) leaving out its background, kinda like in RM2k where you can select the BG or the pic, and I was thinking about a program that lets you do just that but with the option to CUT the selected part and paste it somewhere else, so that I could save it.
I hope I explained myself correctly. I have Paint, IrfanView and Photoshop CS3, If you know how I can fix this problem with these programs It would be great.

2) My second question is about the Backdrops. I found many on this website and I saved a few, like the FFIVAdvance one. However, after cutting them with Paint, I can't seem to import any of those great background in my RM2k game. I noticed that in the RTP folder, the Backdrops are 320x160px, however I've no idea how to get that size (If I put 320px in the first, the other one becomes 170px, while If I put 160px in the second, I can import the Backdrop but It's much smaller than the other ones, with the rest of the background black).
I could go on and list all the things I already tried, but I'll just ask my question so that you won't lose any more time reading: Do you know the steps that I have to make to correctly import those Backdrops in my RM2k game?

This is all. I hope someone will be able to help me again!

With the first one, take the original picture, and use photoshop's Magic Wand tool on the background. Makes sure Anti-Aliasing and Smoothing/whatever it's called is turned off. Delete the selection. Now save the file as the required file type.

The second; you could try unlinking the Width and Height and try entering both values, but that'll make the background look ugly, and distort. You may prefer to have the black bits. Another thing you could do is, assuming you're using Photoshop, is stretch it with the first value (H20) and keep the other. Then select, Image; Canvas Size; and then enter 160 into the W section. Make sure on that grid of 9 squares, the middle one is selected. This will crop it for you, will be the right size and won't look as ugly as the first. However, you will lose 5 pixels worth of detail (after the stretch, that is, so maybe not as much as it sounds) on both the top and bottom.
Trust your force, and head into the Garden of Madness.

So, I kind of solved the first problem... I'm still not very experienced with Photoshop, but looking on the web and in the software itself, I made it: I cut the background with the Magic Wand, with Tolerance at 32 (by default... don't really know If I had to change it...) and Anti-Aliasing/Smothing turned off like you told me. However, in the new picture there're a couple of things messed up. Here's the, ehm, LINK to it, and what I noticed is:
1) The borders seem to have some white left around them and aren't really "perfect" as I hoped (perfect meaning like the borders of the other monsters). Can the Magic Wand or some other option fix this?
2) For some reason the Magic Wand also selected some of the insides of the picture, around the mouth, and cut it, resulting that now I see the blue sky of the BG around the mouths. Do you know why the Magic Wand cut also those parts and If it can solve the problem?

While about the previous second matter, I solved it with the 2nd method you told me, thanks! I didn't understand well the first one, however:

(01-01-2009, 08:42 AM)Unknown Wrote: [ -> ]you could try unlinking the Width and Height and try entering both values, but that'll make the background look ugly, and distort. You may prefer to have the black bits.

...and If It's better than the second one with the Canvas Size. What are these black bits? Just to know the best method to fix the Backdrops found in this site and put them in RM2k without losing too much quality.

Thanks again for the support, I'm learning many new things.

To change the Tolerance, just highlight the 32 and type in 0, that allows the Magic Wand to select every instance of a color (or colors if you use the shift key).

I tried putting 0 in Tolerance, but now, after saving the pic and importing it in RM2k, I'm getting an effect almost identical to the first one (the pic of the hand I posted above), plus two white orizontal lines at the top and at the bottom of the pic.
I don't know what kind of mistake I'm doing, uhm...

You don't want to lower the tolerance, you want to up it. But not too high. Also, make sure Contiguous is turned on.

Yes, It worked. Firstly I obtained this result: LINK 1, with those remaining of white in the borders of the pic, but then I tried again and at this second run with the Magic Wand, I noticed that this time somehow I could use different level of Tolerance than my last edit, so I managed to took off those remaining of white in the borders, obtaining this result: LINK 2.
Just to always improve myself, If you think I could improve the pic even more, or If you've any other suggestion about Magic Wand/Tolerance use (I edited the pic 2 times now after saving it and opening it again, but maybe there's a way to do it in only one run... or maybe It's just normal to do different runs of It...), please let me know.

Lastly, can you also tell me more about the other matter of the Backdrops I mentioned 4 messages before this one (second part of the post)?
Thanks again, Unknown.

This topic is to help out by answering your questions about spriting or ripping.
We really don't need to have multiple topics just asking one question each.

So if you have a problem in ripping something, or if you're probably just trying to find something, ask here.

I'm asking people to help out answering people's questions. So if you may, please.

Be sure to check this topic first! If you can't find an answer there, ask here.

This is not a request topic. No one will make sprites for you.
Some people could probably find them for you, but that's as far as it goes.
And please don't ask about how to make a pixel work of yours better, feel free to make a topic about that.
Don't ask about finding ROM's either. ROM's are illegal, good people.

As of today February 7th, 2009, all topics asking about spriting will be locked and it's questions will be asked to be asked in this topic. The next day the topic will be deleted.
I'm a mod!

I'm in need of spriting help! I'm attempting to tile-rip images from a game for the first time, and I'm using Tile Molester. I've gotten a lot of help already from this site, but I'm not quite "there" yet. Here's what I've got so far:



The blue head is supposed to be on top of the striped jacket, with or without a face (judging from what I've seen so far, I think the expressions may be separate from the rest of the image), and the images are barely recognizable, but this is the best I've been able to get it. I've tried every codec in both 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional. This is 2-dimensional, 4bpp linear, reverse-order. I set the zoom to 100%, but if you zoom in closer, you can see that there's a lot of detail missing, stray pixels everywhere, things are still a little distorted, etc.

I did byte-forward to line everything up (it was lined up fairly well as it was), then decreased the width until most places only had one head, one body, and two expressions lined up on top of each other (although some places have everything centered and others have the image chopped up and wrapped around the other side of the screen). I can't find the palette, either, but I could deal with that by recoloring from screen shots. Mainly what I want to know is how to get from that mess to this:



(And no, I'm not trying to make the blue-haired guy in the screenshot look like the girl in the picture; I don't have a screenshot of the guy because the game is in Japanese and I'm stuck trying to figure out what to do to be able to leave the current screen.)

1. If the file you are ripping from is a large one (and I couldn't help but notice you are about half-way scrolled down), you will need to byte forward multiple times, as for some reason it gets jumbled again if you scroll enough.

2. The file you are ripping from does not have a fixed width: Some widths work for some of the sprites, but for the other ones you will have to increase/ decrease the width as necessary.

3. A large number of sprites in games are actually separate pieces, even though it looks like one solid sprite. You're going to have to rip the separate body and head (and facial expressions) and place them on top of one another to get the correct sprite.

4. Just to make sure you know, the best way to copy the sprites you have into paint is to highlight whatever you want to copy, and go to Edit -> Copy To... and save it somewhere. Then you can "Paste From..." in MSPaint to paste the file in-- Normal copying and pasting doesn't work. You didn't ask about this, so you might already know about it.
Just be sure not to scroll if you have something highlighted! It will scroll the highlighted area down as well!

Hope that helps.

For the DS, always try with the widths being 16, 8, 4, 2, and sometimes 1 (used in some cases like the Megaman ZX game).

I cannot for the life of me figure out how to change the layers in VBA.

Ctrl + 1-8

Or

Options -> Video -> Layers