Tutorial: Make CIA Deck images the nice and easy way!

[ARTHANASIOS]

Spoiler for IMPORTANT NOTICE:

All the following links are very useful if you are interested in CI&A deckbuilding.

Rate The CI&A Deck Above you!

Tutorial: Making CI&A images the nice & easy way!

Private Message me to make your CI&A Deck's image!

CIA Deck Image Builder Tool.

Fixed missing CI&A art.

Good Luck & Have Fun!

Card Ideas & Art Image Making Tutorial

by ARTHANASIOS



Make CIA Deck images the nice and easy way!


There is an easy way to make Card Ideas deck images by using Game Maker as your tool. Here is a tutorial through which we create a basic deck image.
Using a game creating tool in order to make a cool-looking deck image! Why not?


Step 1: Finding & Downloading the program.

Download Game Maker Lite Edition from the following link & install it somewhere.
http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker/windows

If you use Mac instead of windows, the link for Mac version of Game Maker is here

Spoiler for downloading icon:

If the latest version isn't for you, any version from 4.0 to the latest one can be used instead

Spoiler for Game Maker Version 5.3 donwload:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/61724283/Gmaker53.zip

Step 2: Downloading the card images we're going to use...

In order to make our deck, we need some card images. Let's download the ones from the following links. Visit the link, then right-click on the iage of your choice, then left click "Save picture as..." to save it at a location/folder of your choice.



* Amethyst Tower from: http://elementscommunity.org/wiki/Entropy

* Imagerie (upgraded version) from: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,43247.msg539042.html#msg539042

* Unbound (upgraded version) from: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,44757.msg1016538.html#msg1016538

* Amethyst Scepter from: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36889.msg463290.html#msg463290

* Tokens from: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36737.msg461123.html#msg461123

* Confusion (upgraded version) from: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,35472.msg446416.html#msg446416

* Crazy Horse (upgraded version) from: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,25608.msg326496.html#msg326496

* Chaos Gate (Unupgraded version) from: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,23607.msg301033.html#msg301033

* Mark Of Entropy from: http://elementscommunity.org/wiki/Entropy (The Mark only, NOT the card!)




Step 3: Running GM...

After downloading and saving all the pictures in a folder of yours (eg. at the "Pictures" folder of your windows or even on your desktop) go to the Game Maker's folder and run Game Maker (select "Continue Using the Lite Edition", close any pop ups etc.) . . .

Important: Take your time and become familiar with the GM's interface. The more familiar you are, the easier the following steps will be for you.






Step 4: Creating your first Sprite...

In Game Maker, go to "Resources", then to "Create Sprite" (or press Shift + Ctrl + S).





Step 5: Loading your downloaded image(s)...

Select "Load Sprite" and load upped Imagerie's image you have downloaded & saved previously. After that, press the "Edit Sprite" button in order to open the Sprite Editor.





Step 6: Resize your card image...

In Sprite Editor, go to "Transform" and then to "Stretch" (or press Ctrl + Alt + E).





Step 7: Card image's new size...

Disable the "Keep aspect ratio" button and give the following values in pixels and press "ok":
Width: 146 Height: 222

(note: Here we are going to use "normal" quality, but you may wish to practice with other quality values too.)





Step 8: And repeating, and repating, and repeating...

Repeat steps 4, 5, 6 and 7 for each one of the card images you wish to use within your deck.

OR

Spoiler for faster way but far too complicated:

a) Go to "File" and select "Add from file" (Ctrl + A).
b) Select the next card image.
c) At "Inserting Image(s)" panel, select "Keep original size" and "Stretch" buttons, then press ok.
d) Repeat steps a,b and c until you have included every single card image you wish to use.
e) Dublicate the sprite as many times as the amount of card images you wish to use.
f) Delete every subimage from each sprite's dublication until only a single, different subimage stays in each case.

Either way, your sprite section after this step must look like this:





Step 9: Your Sprite folder...

After doing the above, you should have a total of 8 sprites (Amethyst Tower, Imagerie, Unbound, Amethyst Scepter, Tokens, Confusion, Crazy Horse and Chaos Gate).
Furthermore, create one more sprite and load the Mark Of Entropy image you've downloaded before.





Step 10: Creating your Backround...

Go to "Resources", then to "Create Backround" (or press Shift + Ctrl + B).





Step 11: Loading a picture to use as Backround...

Press the "Load Backround" button and load a picture to use as CIA deck's backround.
(in this example, we used the 'Wood' image, which is within the Backrounds folder within Game Maker's directory)





Step 12: Colorising your Backround image...

Press the "Edit Backround" button and right after select "Image", then "Colorize..." (Shift + Ctrl + C).





Step 13: Completing our colorization...

Shift the hue to make the backround's color more violet/Entropy-like and press "ok".





Step 14: Creating your first Object(s)...

Go to "Resources", then to "Create Object" (or press Shift + Ctrl + O).





Step 15: Selecting a certain card image for an object to has...

In the "Object Properties", select "sprite0" as object0's sprite. Press "ok".





Step 16: Repeating & your Object folder...

Repeat steps 14 & 15 until you have 9 objects, every one with a different card image as a sprite (Mark Of Entropy image included).





Step 17: Creating your Room...

Go to "Resources", then to "Create Room" (or press Shift + Ctrl + R).





Step 18: Changing the room's Grid...

In the "Room Properties" screen, set both the "Snap X" and "Snap Y" to 24 (they are usually both to 16), and press the "backrounds" button.





Step 19: Selecting the backround of the room...

In the "backrounds" section of the room, select the violet/wooden backround as Backround 0 and enable the "Visible when room starts" button.
Now, your room has a nice backround screen.





Step 20: Placing the Objects by left-clicking on a grid's space in order to create your deck...

In the "objects" section of the room, disable the "Delete Underlying" button. Then, select an object to place it with a left-mouse button and create a deck image like the one below. After you have finished placing the objects, press "ok" to leave the room.
(This may takes a little practicing in order to get used to it. In case you misplaced a card, remove it with the right mouse button.)





Step 21: Saving your work...

Save your "game" with a name you like and then go to "Run" and select the "Run normally" button (F5).





Step 22: Print your deck's image...

Finally, after the game loads and the room appears, press F9 in order to print the deck image (it will be loacted into the examples folder in Game Maker's directory) and close the program by pressing ESC.
Well done! If everything was done correctly, the CIDeck image should look like the following:





Now, upload your image to the web and share your creations with the world!
I personally use Dropbox to upload my stuff (https://www.dropbox.com/) but you can use whatever uploading way you like or you're proficient with it.

HAVE FUN!!!

[EmeraldTiger]

TY looks great!

[Absol]

Now we don't have to download that uber-big program of yours.
Thank you.

[ARTHANASIOS]

Thank you, guys! Feel free to ask any questions you may have by posting in this thread, or PM your questions to me.