Help:Creating Images and Videos: Difference between revisions

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* The two primary goals for the images are:
The two primary goals for the images are:
# Make the attack easily identifiable by players who only slightly know the character and have seen each attack once or twice at most.
# Make the attack easily identifiable by players who only slightly know the character and have seen each attack once or twice at most.
# Be a visual aid to explain how an attack works.
# Be a visual aid to explain how an attack works.
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*Have the character in default colors/costumes
*Have the character in default colors/costumes
*Make sure the stage doesn't obscure the attack. Find a stage (or part of a stage) with colors that don't blend into attack
*Make sure the stage doesn't obscure the attack. Find a stage (or part of a stage) with colors that don't blend into attack
**Also consider taking screenshots while other effects darken the stage like RCs in Guilty Gear Xrd or Overdrive in Blazblue CF
*Be consistent with the stage. Use one stage for all the screenshots for that character. Using a different stage for another character is fine.
*Be consistent with the stage. Use one stage for all the screenshots for that character. Using a different stage for another character is fine.
*Hide things that aren't related to the move in question if you can.
*Hide things that aren't related to the move in question if you can.
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*Try to avoid having the HUD in the screenshot if you can. You can move HUD elements up/down slightly in the game's display options. Some games even allow you to hide the HUD completely (or via mods).
*Try to avoid having the HUD in the screenshot if you can. You can move HUD elements up/down slightly in the game's display options. Some games even allow you to hide the HUD completely (or via mods).
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:BBTag Hilda CondensityGloom.png|Hilda's attack is mostly black, we use a white-ish background to help the attack stand out
File:BBTag Hilda jBB.png|Hilda's attack is mostly black, we use a white-ish background to help the attack stand out
File:GGXRD Ramlethal 5P.png|Ramlethal usually has her giant swords with her, but we set them offscreen and take a screenshot without them
File:GGXRD Ramlethal 5P.png|Ramlethal usually has her giant swords floating behind her, but we set them offscreen for this image
File:GBVS Zooey Breath.png|Only include the dragon if it's part of the attack, like here
File:GBVS Zooey Breath.png|Only include the dragon if it's part of the attack, like here
File:GBVS Zooey Convergence.png|No dragon here because it's not part of the attack
File:GBVS Zooey Convergence.png|No dragon here because it's not part of the attack
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==Images Need to be Readable When Zoomed Out==
==Images Need to be Readable When Zoomed Out==
*Remember, these images are shrunk on character pages, so make sure text and diagrams are still readable when shrunk. Before uploading an image, open it on your computer and zoom out to see if the image is still readable.
Remember, these images are shrunk on character pages, so make sure text and diagrams are still readable when shrunk. Before uploading an image, open it on your computer and zoom out to see if the image is still readable.
*Crop the image so that extraneous details such as long ponytails do not take up too much space.
*Crop the image so that extraneous details such as long ponytails do not take up too much space.
*Consider moving objects closer together - these images are to help readers identify the attack and not necessarily show the attack's range. For example if the attack hits far away, such as Bedman 3H, or Cell's command throw, it's okay to move the hit effect closer.
*Consider moving objects closer together - these images are to help readers identify the attack and not necessarily show the attack's range. For example if the attack hits far away, such as Bedman 3H, or Cell's command throw, it's okay to move the hit effect closer.
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File:BBCS_Hakumen_5A.png|Notice the sword is mostly cropped out
File:BBCS_Hakumen_5A.png|Notice the sword is mostly cropped out
File:BBCP_Celica_3C.png|The robot's ponytail is cropped out
File:BBCP_Celica_3C.png|The robot's ponytail is cropped out
File:GBVS Vaseraga RisingSlash.png|Both his cape and axe are cropped out
File:DBFZ Beerus CataclysmicOrb2.png|The lines and text have outlines and different colors to help them stand out against each other
File:DBFZ Beerus CataclysmicOrb2.png|The lines and text have outlines and different colors to help them stand out against each other
File:GBVS_Lowain_SammyAndTommy.png|The outlines help the arrows stand out when zoomed out
File:GBVS_Lowain_SammyAndTommy.png|The dark outlines help with the arrow's visibility when zoomed out
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Use Multiple Images to "Cheat"==
==Use Multiple Images to "Cheat"==
*Since these are still images trying to show what an animation looks like, it's fair to cheat a bit to create images that give the illusion of motion.
Since these are still images trying to show what an animation looks like, it's necessary to cheat a bit to create images that give the illusion of the whole attack.
 
Think of it like adapting a scene in an action movie into a comic panel; the same scene in a comic panel will need to combine multiple images and cheat time/space to give the same impression.
*Ex: the image for Vegeta's Consecutive Energy Blast does not exist in the game, it was made by putting multiple blasts together to give the visual illusion that he has quickly shot multiple shots
*Ex: the image for Vegeta's Consecutive Energy Blast does not exist in the game, it was made by putting multiple blasts together to give the visual illusion that he has quickly shot multiple shots
*Ex: Millia's Chroming Rose does not spawn the roses that close to her. The image was made by running forward, then backdashing and running forward again.
*Ex: Millia's Chroming Rose does not spawn the roses that close to her. The image was made by running forward, then backdashing and running forward again.
*Ex: The sprite of Hilda is pasted near her attack. In the game, she recovers too fast for her to be in the pose when the attack activates. We do this since her pose and the attack are the two most visually recognizable parts of the attack, even though they appear at different times.  
*Ex: The sprite of Hilda is pasted near her attack. In the game, she recovers too fast for her to be in the pose when the attack activates. We do this since her pose and the attack are the two most visually recognizable parts of the attack, even though they appear at different times.  
*Ex: The Metera screenshot is 2 images combined for the same reason as the Hilda example
<gallery widths=175px heights=200px>
<gallery widths=175px heights=200px>
File:DBFZ SSVegeta ConsecutiveEnergyBlast.png|The shots are not that close together in-game. That was done with image editing
File:DBFZ SSVegeta ConsecutiveEnergyBlast.png|The shots are not that close together in-game. That was done with image editing

Revision as of 01:58, 4 May 2020

The two primary goals for the images are:

  1. Make the attack easily identifiable by players who only slightly know the character and have seen each attack once or twice at most.
  2. Be a visual aid to explain how an attack works.

Image Guidelines

  • Use sprite rips with a transparent background for images even if the sprite does not use all the special effects used in game. As long as the attack is still easily identifiable as that attack, it's fine.
  • If no rips are available, use high quality PNG screenshots taken with a capture card or straight from the PC version of the game.
  • Characters should use default colors and face right (as if they are player 1)
  • Name the image with the following format: GameAbbreviation_CharacterName_attackName. So for example, Sol's 5P in Guilty Gear XRD would be named GGXRD_Sol_5P.png
  • Nearly all images that have text use the font Arial bolded. Please continue to use it for the sake of consistency.
  • Combine multiple sprites together if the attack does an animation that can not easily be understood by one sprite alone.

Image Editing Tools

  • Photoshop
  • Gimp
  • Paint.NET
  • Krita

Consider taking a learning course on image manipulation basics to help you learn what tools are at your disposal in these programs.

Taking Screenshots

  • Have the character in default colors/costumes
  • Make sure the stage doesn't obscure the attack. Find a stage (or part of a stage) with colors that don't blend into attack
    • Also consider taking screenshots while other effects darken the stage like RCs in Guilty Gear Xrd or Overdrive in Blazblue CF
  • Be consistent with the stage. Use one stage for all the screenshots for that character. Using a different stage for another character is fine.
  • Hide things that aren't related to the move in question if you can.
    • Ex: In Guilty Gear XRD, Many of Ramlethal's normals don't involve her giant swords, so don't include them (or crop them out) if you can
    • Ex: Granblue Fanatsy Versus, Zooey can have her dragon with her, don't include it unless it's part of the attack
  • Avoid having the opponent in the screenshot unless needed (Ex throws, proximity normals, etc.)
    • If they are needed, make sure they are easily distinguishable from the attacker (no mirror match, different colors)
    • It's okay to crop out parts of the opponent like an outstretched arm
  • Try to avoid having the HUD in the screenshot if you can. You can move HUD elements up/down slightly in the game's display options. Some games even allow you to hide the HUD completely (or via mods).

Images Need to be Readable When Zoomed Out

Remember, these images are shrunk on character pages, so make sure text and diagrams are still readable when shrunk. Before uploading an image, open it on your computer and zoom out to see if the image is still readable.

  • Crop the image so that extraneous details such as long ponytails do not take up too much space.
  • Consider moving objects closer together - these images are to help readers identify the attack and not necessarily show the attack's range. For example if the attack hits far away, such as Bedman 3H, or Cell's command throw, it's okay to move the hit effect closer.
  • Use colors for text and arrows that don't blend into the background. Consider adding an outline to them to better help them stand out

Use Multiple Images to "Cheat"

Since these are still images trying to show what an animation looks like, it's necessary to cheat a bit to create images that give the illusion of the whole attack.

Think of it like adapting a scene in an action movie into a comic panel; the same scene in a comic panel will need to combine multiple images and cheat time/space to give the same impression.

  • Ex: the image for Vegeta's Consecutive Energy Blast does not exist in the game, it was made by putting multiple blasts together to give the visual illusion that he has quickly shot multiple shots
  • Ex: Millia's Chroming Rose does not spawn the roses that close to her. The image was made by running forward, then backdashing and running forward again.
  • Ex: The sprite of Hilda is pasted near her attack. In the game, she recovers too fast for her to be in the pose when the attack activates. We do this since her pose and the attack are the two most visually recognizable parts of the attack, even though they appear at different times.
  • Ex: The Metera screenshot is 2 images combined for the same reason as the Hilda example

Screenshots With Invisible Backgrounds

Images like those seen in the Guilty_Gear_Xrd_REV_2 character pages take a lot of work to pull off and is primarily the work of one dedicated user: User:Johhny. He wrote up a guide on how he does it here. It is the combination of screenshots, image editing, and lots of work.