I need a method to save an image file created in my Pixel Art Portraits program.

http://img.itch.io/aW1hZ2UvNDI3MTYvM...500/TvcN6L.gif

Download: Attachment 18207

The MFA of the pre-alpha version is above. It lets you shuffle through the frames of several active objects to create pixel art portraits. Will you please take a look at the code in the attached file, and if I'm doing something nuts with the code, let me know?

What I really want to know at present is if there's a way to capture the image created by the layered active objects in the portrait and save it as a PNG or something. I need help with this.

Thanks.

It depends on how you're exporting your program. If you're just exporting it as an .exe file then you could use the Capture Object to save a selection of the frame as a photo. I don't believe this extension works in any other exporters though.

Or if they're all preset animations in the actives that make up the face, you can save the animation frame numbers from each of the actives that make up his face and then reconstruct the face with the settings when the game loads again. You can save external data by use of INI or an array.

Really cool demo by the way. I love the pixel art and colors that you used! Keep it up!

Wow, very well done!

For image exporting,
if you need a flat png image from the bitmap portrait,
you can use screen capture object (as Sumo said) to take a snapshot of the "picture" area,
and then:
"Image manipulator object" (can load image from clipboard and save to .png)
or "Surface Object" (same capability as above, and lots more)

These only works on Windows runtime.

Alright I implemented saving in the last line. It saves the file name based on the time save was clicked. Is there a simple way to let the user input the same name?

Download: Attachment 18216

Yeah loads of ways actually :D
you could add an edit box and show/hide on need
(or a string object listening to keyboard input -with keyboard object- maybe more "shapeable" to your pixel art style)

then simply retrieve that line when saving,
maybe save only when string length >0
and clear the string / hide the edit box

Or for something more canonical,
you can use the file object
and popup a file selector screen when button clicked,
then retrieve resulting path/name from selector in the expression editor

http://s4.postimg.org/s9f4vqpuz/PAP_15_11_12_Undo.gif

Download: Attachment 18237

OK, I implement arrays to store all the data. Check it out. I know how to save the file in a few ways now, but I haven't yet decided which I'll go with.

Take a peek at the code. It should be much better now.

http://s18.postimg.org/hayrad2s7/PAP...Hair_Color.gif

Download: Attachment 18240

I need help with something new. I'm trying to add color controls, but I'm not sure how to cycle one set of pixels through a variety of colors.

Ideally, I'd let the user input the RGB values for hair and skin themselves, and have only the necessary pixels change to the exact right colors.

Take a look at the code, and see for yourself, the let me know if you've got any ideas. Thanks.

Not sure what you'd like to do:

-users inputting RGB values?
-users selecting from a color palette?
(both after selecting which face part to affect)

To have (a little) more freedom you could try using the "replace color" function (under animations menu)
but you'll need to store first and current color on every change, for every face part,
in order to replace the currently visible one

Here's what I got as of this morning: Attachment 18252

Looks like this in action:
https://img.itch.io/aW1hZ2UvNDI3MTYv...500/O4x2IV.gif
https://img.itch.io/aW1hZ2UvNDI3MTYv...500/R74n4a.gif

Basically, the hair color is synced with an active object off screen through an array.

The issue is that it effects the colors of all the undos and not just the current image. I guess it's because color replace effects all instances of an active object. Is that correct?

Right now only palette presets chosen by me are available. I've yet to decide how I'll implement more diverse color choices, but entering RGB values is a possibility.

Quote:

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The issue is that it effects the colors of all the undos and not just the current image. I guess it's because color replace effects all instances of an active object. Is that correct?

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Unfortunately yes, the only way to go with this function and undos would be having three different actives,
and maybe using a qualifier to reference all different actives for shared means.

Another idea could be loading into two different instances of a surface object the "undos" as images on every face change (same you do for saving, without actually writing to disk)

But both of these could overcomplicate your code, maybe..


Out of curiosity, is it the piece of a wider project, or is it a stand-alone tool? :)
Very clean work, very good retro design, congrats!

I might just ignore color changes in the undo history. The whole undo thing was to protect against accidental clicks on the shuffle command, but there is no shuffle for color at present, so things are pretty safe now.

I may add separate active objects for each undo, but is there an automatic way to copy all the frames from one active to another? I can do it manually if needs be, but a simple method would be best.

If progress continues smoothly I plan to add an option for the user to insert their own art. Then others can use it to generate their own random portraits. Possibly I'll just have local folders where, if you add images to them, they'll show up in the options.

Quote:

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I may add separate active objects for each undo, but is there an automatic way to copy all the frames from one active to another? I can do it manually if needs be, but a simple method would be best.

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None that I know of :(
(of course, aside from "cloning" it in the frame editor, which would be useful only if you knew you won't make any more change to the object)

"Load frame" could be possibly used, but can only load images from external files,
so if you have all your animations saved as external pictures
(or if you could consider doing this export job and including this external art in release version) this could be a -notsohandy- way...

Something like a "frame exchange" between objects would be a very handy feature.

Cool project!

this is pretty cool, you should put it in the "Guides and Tutorials" Forum too :)
(I Am not a help right now, I know, but I really like to say this) ;)