Homebrew DS pixel editors?

[PypeBros]

on these snapshot, you see them high-lighted. It won't appear on the "drawing" screen, of course, but I think that could be the place for the "extra actions menu" on that screen. Unless usability dictates me to do otherwise (i.e. put it in a corner for easier reach).

[Argyle]

It's not homebrew or anything, but Inchworm Animation is great from the DSi shop (might be on 3DS too, not sure)

Strangely enough, it's made by the studio that created movies like Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly.

I don't have any drawings or anything that I've done in completion on there, but it lets you use the camera for stop motion as well as having aliased/non-aliased artwork and onion skinning.

My Gallery is masterful

Here's some pixel art that somebody on PixelJoint made using Inchworm:


by TheBlackMarket

[HughSpectrum]

(might be on 3DS too, not sure)

It is.

They claimed they were gonna make a 3DS version, but the DSi version is available anyway.

[PypeBros]

I'll try to get that mockup done of what I'd find an optimum setup soon.

Btw, there's another feature I've got as a plan for a while. Please let me tell whether it should be prioritized over other development.

Idea would be to have a free-drawing, 1-bit canvas that can be overlaid transparently over the grid you're drawing on.

That would be to receive some lineart of the thing to be drawn that remains persistent. I wouldn't put "erase" nor "line" features, just bare "plot pixel" on a transparent layer, a slider to select transparency level and a button to clear the canvas or to return to a grid canvas. Does that sound useful to you ?

Here's some pixel art that somebody on PixelJoint made using Inchworm

I see on his gallery page that he also used graphics gale afterwards. I'd be curious to know whether the actual 'pixel art' could be started on inchworm as well or has been done purely in GG over an animated sketch on inchworm animation...
I'll give the tool a second try anyway (I think that's the one I've downloaded was flipnote studio, which doesn't do the trick for pixel art).

edit: no inchworm animation mentioned anywhere on my DSi shop here. Looks like it's one of those software (together with Cave Story) that isn't released world-wide but only in selected areas. >_<

[PypeBros]

the controls don't respond as I'd expect, in fact at times they seem situational

I'm taking a second read at your earlier response. "situational" as in "behaviour depending on some hidden internal state you have no idea what it currently is" ?
I'm not too sure I've understood whether you're talking about on-screen widgets or use of other DS input buttons, here.

I'd love to ask you a little poll.
for the following actions: sketch on the grid, change the color, erase something, save a intermediate step before proceeding further, reverting to a previously saved state, reuse a previously picked colour, save your work, design your own colours, do an animation test, make a tile that tiles, switch the grid size (16x16 <-> 32x32)

• A) you found which widget on screen was involved (5=immediately,..., 1=not at all, 0=you thought it was impossible)
• B) you managed to do what you wanted (5=immediately, 1=you stopped trying)
• C) after you succeeded to do it, the way the control work seemed (5=good idea, 3=you could learn it, 2=counter-intuitive, 1=didn't figured out how it worked)
• D) describe how you'd proceed to do it again
• E) describe how you'd rather have it working

PS: here's a google doc spreadsheet with the form if you want to fill easily.

[PypeBros]

Here's my first catch at the toolset widget. I don't have time today to encode the icons for pencil - block - fill - lighten - darken tools (so they are still A B ? / \ regular characters). Feel free to offer your 8x8 pixel art for the job

And of course, let me know whether it sounds more useable. You can grab the latest version here or just

• go to some place where your WiFi likes your DS,
• launch your currently installed SEDS version,
• press (START) to enter file mode,
• hold (L) and (R) and then press (SELECT) when they're hold

and the tool will then access the Internet, download the latest 'beta' version and reboot itself. Make sure you don't have unsaved data before you upgrade your copy of SEDS

edit now with proper icons for the tools.

[PypeBros]

a thought about feedback the program gives to the user ... should the pixel editor produce sound at all ?

[PypeBros]

I just filed AnimEDS -- the companion Animation Editor for SEDS -- to the Neocompo 2012.


If anyone around tries it, I'm eager to know your feedback in terms of User Interface for the following actions (use the same form as for SEDS, just tell which program you're reporting):

- open a .SPR file
- create a simple (one-component) animation
- pick an existing animation for edit
- review the existing animations in a file
- change the location of one of the components (limbs) on a frame
- change the sprite used by one of the components
- preview your modified animation
- change timing (speed up/down the anim)
- create your own character structure
- toggle animation looping