GameMaker [Suggestions] Image editor, custom brushes

Kahrabaa

Member
3 simple extra settings when painting using custom brushes.
-The ability to randomize the angle, on each stroke
-The ability to randomize size, on each stroke.
-The ability to randomize between multiple toggled/marked custom brushes, on each stroke

This will simplify the drawing of example grass, leaf's on a tree or some other random pattern.
If someone has time to implement this, then they can easily make the randomization customizable.
For example if my brush size is 50 then I could set the random size to randomise +/- 10 then each stroke size would random between 40-60.
Same with angle, say I want to random 360' each stroke. How many angle increments should each stroke randomly change into. 22? then randomly choose 0,22,44,66,88, etc. or 1? then any value between 0-360

Sorry for inefficient choice of words.
Made a quick demo


Unrelated
vv
Another awesome tweak would be to have the alpha slider outside of the colour selector, as it was in gms 1.4. If you work with alphas alot it becomes distracting to open and close the color box each time I want to change the opacity of the brush.
All in the name of speed =)

Thanks for reading.
 
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Cofefe

Guest
That would be a really cool feature if implemented, and might help the image editor compete with other tools like Gimp. Although I'm not sure they really want to compete with other drawing tools as the general consensus is that this is game maker not image maker. :p Still, I would like to see that kind of functionality.
 

Yal

šŸ§ *penguin noises*
GMC Elder
And while at it, have pasting image data not create a new brush by default, but paste in a movable image chunk like in every other image editor on the planet? If you're copypasting from other programs a lot, it litters the brush space with a lot of brushes you're never gonna use on top of breaking existing UX conventions.
 

rIKmAN

Member
the general consensus is that this is game maker not image maker.
I'm one of the people who thinks that GMS2 shouldn't try and compete with existing programs that are free / cheap and infinitely better suited to the job.

Same with the sound editor - should it be made to compete with Audacity?
I don't see the point when Audacity already exists and the dev time could be spent in much better areas on the actual engine adding support for things like realtime effects via code.

I understand that some people want GMS2 to be a one stop shop, but I think focusing on doing a small number of things very well and allowing us to use the output from other existing tools that are already leaps and bounds ahead of the built in editors is much better than trying to be everything to everyone and being totally average at all of them.

In saying that, I have no issue with features being added to the built in editors as long as it isn't done at the expense of other things which simply can't be done with other existing tools.

Good suggestion though considering they already have the whole "brush" thing going on.
 
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Kahrabaa

Member
Although I'm not sure they really want to compete with other drawing tools as the general consensus is that this is game maker not image maker
I'm one of the people who thinks that GMS2 shouldn't try and compete with existing programs that are free / cheap and infinitely better suited to the job.
Same with the sound editor - should it be made to compete with Audacity?
I don't see the point when Audacity already exists and the dev time could be spent in much better areas on the actual engine adding support for things like realtime effects via code.
I agree, the developers probably has tons to think about in terms of keeping platform compatibility up to date, solving bugs, security and planning future features. Its not easy keeping everything organised and easily expand or flip flop into directions that may not be necessary to their main goal.

I'm glad GM uses a simple internal image editor thou
Not having to refer to external path names and configure file locations makes things so much faster and simpler.

Sometimes small additions have large impacts on indie scale dev's efficiency or improve overall graphics of games made with the engine. Just like that very cool, "Animate and Draw" feature. Its such a simple feature, programming-wise but gives great new ways to experiment.

In this specific example it is such a small addition, should not take much of their time. If only they have a spare person. Like a coffee person or an elevator operator that could help. xD

1) They already have a bar for brush settings. Just need a variable/tick box for "Random Rotation"/"Random Size"

and then

2) (ctrl + leftclick) on a custom brush to add/remove in an array that keeps track of which custom brushes are marked for random placement.


3) Finally an if statement to randomize everything before the actual brush is drawn to the sheet when the mouse is clicked. Since for example there clearly is a variable for the angle of the brush.


Highly doubt YoYo dev's need instructions on how to implement this, just showing the simplicity and mildly criticizing the often repeated response that we should not recreate for example photoshop inside gamemaker.
No mean to disrespect hehe

This saves time when drawing menus or backgrounds for example.



And what would happen if you combine this brush randomization with the Animate and Draw feature
=O
We would get 6 dimensional graphics!!!

Unrelated
vv
I used to be able to "shift" an entire image and "wrap" that image so I can easily fix the borders for seamless backgrounds. Now it takes more time, need to copy/paste/position for the same results.
----->

Another luxury "complaint" I know. Just hoping out loud. xD

I just bought GMS 2 and am very satisfied in general!
Go YoYo!
 
C

Cofefe

Guest
I agree with all of that, as I use GMS2's built-in image editor a lot. Actually for simple pixel art, its all I would ever need.

I'll tell you what I really want though... I would like it if my stored colours... were actually stored instead of deleted as soon as you close the program. I'm tire of color picking my images everytime I want to make a new sprite.:confused:
 

rIKmAN

Member
just showing the simplicity and mildly criticizing the often repeated response that we should not recreate for example photoshop inside gamemaker.
I think your suggestion is a good one as the underlying framework is already there to add those little extras onto and the cost / benefit ratio is good.

It's when people start suggesting workflows and features that would take a complete rewrite of the editor and a lot of work to implement that I wonder why they don't just use an existing tool that already does it very well and has been tested and refined already (along with other extra features too usually).

If you use something like Aseprite along with LazyLoad you don't even need to manually import the sprites either.

GMS2 seems like it wanted to reinvent the wheel with the image editor for some reason and while some of the ideas work, the general "flow" just doesn't compared to every other standard image editor (as Yal pointed out).
 
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Toque

Member
If the editor was really good I would probably care more. I like it to make small adjustments. Itā€™s quick for changing something during A jam.

I donā€™t think a few changes would inspire me to use it over Pyxel Edit. So Iā€™m not sure itā€™s money well spent to add to it.

I committed myself to use it for a small project hoping I would get used it. But I didnā€™t really enjoy using it. There are a few things that are annoying.


That being said I would miss it if they took it out.
 

Toque

Member
I agree with all of that, as I use GMS2's built-in image editor a lot. Actually for simple pixel art, its all I would ever need.

I'll tell you what I really want though... I would like it if my stored colours... were actually stored instead of deleted as soon as you close the program. I'm tire of color picking my images everytime I want to make a new sprite.:confused:
yeah thatā€™s annoying. Adding a colour palette to a new sprite.
There are a few things that I just canā€™t get over.
In pyxel edit I just press alt and click on a colour to pick it up with the pen tool. Donā€™t have to switch to the eye dropper and back to pen.
 

rIKmAN

Member
yeah thatā€™s annoying. Adding a colour palette to a new sprite.
There are a few things that I just canā€™t get over.
In pyxel edit I just press alt and click on a colour to pick it up with the pen tool. Donā€™t have to switch to the eye dropper and back to pen.
Yeah I love(d) PyxelEdit too, and it's a shame it looks like it's not gonna be updated anymore.

A Windows 10 update broke being able to CTRL+SHIFT+S and paste into it so I made a thread in the Bug Reports forum last February and it hasn't got a single response, which is a shame as it had potential but the lack of updates has killed it for me.

I also made another report on the same day regarding the layers panel resetting it's position to the top every time you go to another tab - again not a single reply.

I can't complain as I got a key in a Humble Bundle and have had my monies worth from it, but due to it stagnating I'm slowly starting to use Aseprite more and trying to overlook the pixel art UI which I hate - but once the tilemap update drops I'll probably use it exclusively as it's full of great features and is getting constant updates and fixes.
 
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Cofefe

Guest
In pyxel edit I just press alt and click on a colour to pick it up with the pen tool. Donā€™t have to switch to the eye dropper and back to pen.
Definitely its missing a lot of basic things, but I should let you know if you hold ctrl you can pick a color that way too. ;)
 

Toque

Member
Definitely its missing a lot of basic things, but I should let you know if you hold ctrl you can pick a color that way too. ;)

Iā€™m on a mac. I will have to try that!! I should have thought of that.
Thanks

How do you copy a colour pallete to a new sprite?
I usually duplicate the original sprite. Erase and draw. There are a couple other ways. Makeing a brush (if you hadnā€™t changed alpha).
Writing down the hex numbers.
Saving to the colour picker.

Itā€™s been a while since I used it. I should look at it again when I have time.
 
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Toque

Member
Yeah I love(d) PyxelEdit too, and it's a shame it looks like it's not gonna be updated anymore.

A Windows 10 update broke being able to CTRL+SHIFT+S and paste into it so I made a thread in the Bug Reports forum last February and it hasn't got a single response, which is a shame as it had potential but the lack of updates has killed it for me.

I also made another report on the same day regarding the layers panel resetting it's position to the top every time you go to another tab - again not a single reply.

I can't complain as I got a key in a Humble Bundle and have had my monies worth from it, but due to it stagnating I'm slowly starting to use Aseprite more and trying to overlook the pixel art UI which I hate - but once the tilemap update drops I'll probably use it exclusively as it's full of great features and is getting constant updates and fixes.

Thatā€™s too bad it broke. I updated to the latest Catalina and havnt noticed any problems yet. Heā€™s not been updated in a long time.

Iā€™m on a Mac and it still runs pretty good. I really should get used to asperite. I like the animation tile system in pixel edit.
But Iā€™m guessing sequences will be more like asperite handles animation. I should just switch and see.

I wish I had more time for learning these new things. GM as well. Retirement is not far off. I can do whatever he heck I want.

I like learning new software itā€™s like slowly opening a Christmas gift.

I agree that I would not sacrifice GM engine for the editor.
 
C

Cofefe

Guest
How do you copy a colour pallete to a new sprite?
I usually duplicate the original sprite. Erase and draw. There are a couple other ways. Makeing a brush (if you hadnā€™t changed alpha).
Writing down the hex numbers.
Saving to the colour picker.
If I know that I'm going to need those colors ahead of time then I do what you do and duplicate then erase. Otherwise I would usually create a brush. Although the problem with changing the alpha is one I run into a lot. :D Unfortunately you just have to change the alpha back to 100, which is stupid, but it is what it is.
 

Toque

Member
Definitely its missing a lot of basic things, but I should let you know if you hold ctrl you can pick a color that way too. ;)
Unfortunately no Command option control or combination does not seem to work on a mac. It won't pick up a colour.

Im trying the paintbrush trick for transferring palette now.

edit: Hmm in the 2.2.4.474 version the paintbrush does seem to work now.....
That will help a little. Thanks


I really hate the pencil tool pointer. A simple crosshair is better. I get why they have the pencil pointer so people know its on the pencil tool but its just too big and in the way. And there is a lag in the pencil tool if you are doing a quick rough shape. Dont like it.

I just go back to Pyxel edit.

My apology for going a little off topic. I will stop now.
 
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