Heya!

I wonder what tools you guys use for 2D graphics?

Of course we can all come up with some PSP or PhotoShop thingie, however i dont feel like it is the best for game graphics.

I'd like a tool that supports pixeling, e.g. with some grid representing the pixel field, and assistance for animations. I think the Microangelo Icon Editor (especially the Animator part for animated windows cursors) has nice features, however it is quite limited as it is designed for win icons/cursors.
(It can be downloaded at [url http://www.impactsoft.com/], but unfortunately there are no screenshots, i think.)

So what - at the moment I feel like I have to write my own Microangelo/MM Flash Crossover Clone. That's gonna be some work, so if you have any better recommendations I'd be quite happy.

-- the coffee dude

Edit: Had to fix the linebreaks/layout of my text, my browser f*cks up the preview

See A.S.E. (Allegro's Sprite Editor). It was created by David A. Capello and you can get it from the depot (on the left of the main Allegro.cc page). It's cool:).

Personally I'm ussing The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) but only the Linux version is estable. You can try the Win32 version, but it'll crash sure:-/.

I just use PSP. Fast and simple.

And oh, I'm planning on making a paint program mainly for pixelart and animation as well.

Before Paul pops up:
GraphicsGale is a nice program.

And before Johan shows up: ProMotion is quite nice as well.

Then there's ArtGem and GrafX2.

I prefer PSP4, but mainly because I'm used to it, I guess.

Okay. The Gimp is very much like PS and PSP. They are okay for pixeling - I even do use gimp on linux - however they are of general purpose and therefore lack specific features that I sometimes wish to have for game graphics or pixeling in general.

I downloaded ASE once, but it failed to start for some reason and I was too lazy to debug it or sth.

@ Inphernic: Yay

@ spellcaster: thanks, I'll take a look at those.

-- the coffee dude

You can use the grid in PSP(7) by pressing CTRL-ALT-G

they grid defaults at 10x10 pixels (i think), but you can change that in the preferences to 1x1.

I use photoshop for mostly anything. I don't know what you're talking about when you say it doesn't have a grid. You can set your own custom grid with it's own divisions and turn it on and off at the will of a keypress. It's really nice, actually.

And for animations, I feel that photoshop is easy to use for it because you can just use those "layers". Plop one layer over the other and see just how much one frame moves in relation to the other. I think what you mean is maybe showing animations as you're working on them?

I guess I'm just biased though. I have PSP and other paint programs. It's really hard to get used to another one after you've been using a certain one for such a long time.

It's really a matter of personal preference. Whichever program you feel most comfortable with will probably produce the best results.

heh, I use MS Paint for pixeling (it has a grid, too! ).. but it wouldn't be too friendly if you're using 8-bit.

For anything else I use Photoshop 6.

We're not that predictable, are we?

Btw, ProMotion 4.5 is out and it fixes some bug and add some new features.

I use MS Paint and RSE mostly. Occasionally I'll use Gimp.

If it would now use also a more standard interface, it would be great

On a not totally related side note:
Does anybody know how to do effects like the "inner bevel" an other stuff like the layer effects in photoshop?
It doesn't have to realtime, doesn't have to be fast, it simply has to work

(I'm still trying to find a nice and easy way to create allegro fonts)

The main tool I use for sourcing graphics is my e-mail program! And sometimes ICQ. Does that count?

Actually I made a draw program which is completely grid based for the reasons you specified.

Using it and Photoshop is outrageously efficient.

It supports the mouse but you can use the keyboard to do everything (move the draw cursor around, change colors, EVERYTHING) so you can create very nice tiles without getting a cramp in your wrist..the artist for my games mades some awesome images with it acutally...perfect for making those 8bit console-feel images, even has a button that shows the preview 3x3 so you can see if the images looks good tiled. I would send you mine, but I'm at work and you should probably get off your lazy hiney and make it yourself!;D

Disclaimer:
This isn't one of those posts that programmers sometimes respond with to boost their egos. I would recommend everyone have a completely grid pixel-by-pixel based graphics editor using the keyboard.