I'm currently experimenting with creating location graphics for an Amiga-style graphic adventure of my own, using photographs I've taken as the starting point. I'd love to know a little more about the process Jarda used to convert the AI generated artwork for the Amiga — particularly the resolution, number of colours, software used and whether the final images were manually pixel-edited or dithered.
Is there any chance you could point me towards Jarda, or share a little about his workflow?
Using photos as a starting point is a great idea. I've been collecting shots for over a year but haven't got a story to go along with them yet. I know a little of Jarda's process but it would be best if I put you in touch to get more details. You can get me AT alanpemberton on Telegram or alanpemberton on the Spectrum forum.
Thanks crayon that's really helpful. Can I ask what resolution and colour palette/number of colours you normally work to for the Amiga versions? For example, are you specifically restricting the finished scenes to 32 colours, and do you use a fixed palette across the game or create a palette for each scene?
For DAAD, it is not necessary to create a standard colour palette for all screens. In this particular case, DAAD requires a resolution of 320×200 px with 32 colours per image. However, some games use different graphics modes, so 32 colours is by no means an absolute rule. It depends very much on the extent to which you wish to maintain compatibility with older Amiga models.
In classic Amiga 500 games, you will very often encounter:
320 × 200 / 320 × 256 px – the most common low resolution 32 colours simultaneously – the standard ECS/OCS mode for games sometimes 16 colours, or even fewer 64 colours in EHB (Extra Half-Brite) mode HAM modes are used less frequently in standard games.
Personally, I prefer a resolution of 320×200 px with 32 colours, as it makes it easier to edit pixels in an image.
Thanks crayon, I’ve been experimenting with some of my own photographs as the basis for locations in an Amiga-style adventure game, so I’m going to try working to those same 320×200 / 32-colour limitations and see how I get on. Also haven't tried DAAD before so will give it a shot.
Thanks again for taking the time to explain it — very much appreciated!
