SOMEONE PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE EXPLAIN LITEING FX TO ME.

Are you talking about making them pretty light effects for your maps or just adding them to a map in Rpgmaker?

Well to make the pictures (or even charsets since you use VX you can have charsets as lights comming from lightbulbs or windows for example, or even fire (easily animated).

But the first step, I know how to do with Paint+Phortoshop etc, which involves creating the picture/sprite with various degress of transparency. But you know you can find a lot of files like that online or depending on what you need I can do some for you :)

Now on implementing: Simple show picture with a desired transparency, there is no secret, just try and see until you are happy.

Now for lights and shadows based directly on maps you would have to:
1-Take a screenshot of your map
2-Open it on photoshop/similar software
3-create a new layer above the map layer
4-sprite/draw the shadows and lights in this layer over the map.
5-Erase the map layer leave the bg transparent
6-save as PNG
7-Go in RM and show picture, adjust the position and transparency until you are happy with it.

Hope this helps anyway :)

Well the X/Y for pictures in 2k3 goes for screen pixel position, so you got to calculate 2k3 screen resolution (320x240 if I remember) and see where you want the center of your picture to be.

Keep the size of your pictures in mind too.

If your map is bigger than a screen (and probably your picture as well) you will have to calculate the screen position based on where the hero will be when the event shows the picture. A good game for you to mess around would be Sunset over Imdalh.

As for software: http://www.rpgmaker.net/forums/index.php?topic=1655.0
This topic has some hints on software, I only use paint and photoshop. However if you are working in 2k3, which doesn´t support those cool gradient transparency, paint+Idraw/irfanview will do wonders.

You may only need some software which has layers if you want to do the contour light shadow thing... I think Ocean uses Graphics gale instead of Photoshop and he is a pro spriter.

However before trying to make your own stuff, play with those overlays like the ones in Arafell and open then on paint just to see how they were made :)

As for how artistic: well, in RM2k3 it is just as hard as editing RTP.

I hear GIMP is a good Photoshop substitute. I use Photoshop, so I don't really know though. 55% is generally around the best transparency level for lighting.

Also, about centering...
Explanation of coordinates: A single map tile is 16x16 pixels, so a 15x20 tile map (smallest size) is *15*16)x(20*16). Which is 320x240. 320x240 is RM2k3's resolution size. Title screens and gameover screens are all this size.
The default show picture location is at 160,120 because this is the exact center 320x240 (15x20 tiles) map.

But what if the map is larger than 15x20 tiles? Then showing a picture at160x120 may create some problems.
So what you do is:
Create an event that's at the center (parallel process) of the map or as close as you can get. (This means it will be the exact center, or one of the offspots on the two sides, due to there being an even number of tiles.) Use two varibles, one called and the other . Set to the event's screen relative-X, and to the event's screen-relative Y. (Variable operation -> Operand -> Sprite -> This Event if you don't know where "screen-relative" is.)

Now, if that was the exact center, show the picture (at a high number, like 50) at 55% at those coordinates you just set. (,)
If it wasn't the exact center... Add +8 to if the event was on the off-spot to the left, subtract 8 if it was on the off-spot to the right. Add +8 to if the event was on the off-spot below, subtract 8 if it was on the off-spot above. (You may need to do a -8 to the X and a -8 to the Y.) Make sure "Picture Scrolls With Map" add an erase event command (or use a switch) and you're done!

Oh, and it looks better if the picture fades in. As in, when using shown picture set to 100% and use move picture to move it to %55. (If you're using such a fade, then if there's a savepoint on the map, you'll have to add something else too.)

Example:


About the lighting itself... well I may write up a tutorial if I get the time. (Shadows are a whole other story with panoramas.)

author=Max McGee link=topic=2290.msg39412#msg39412 date=1224782891
the difference between "stock" lighting effects and contoured map overlay (light maps) that are made to specific maps?

"Contoured" is what I used in my graveyard. Each lightmap was specifically created. "Stock" is usually just a gradient or generic light that appears above the hero, following the map. I used it in the watery area.

EDIT: Also, I've worked with Malad before (infact the game in that screenshot was something I helped with and inspired) and he does the same thing for centering. However, the way he does atmosphere is much more sophiscated than my method! (I've improved over time though.) He's more skilled as an artist, giving better results. He also plays around with panoramas more, which I don't so much. If you play his game, you'll notice things like plants growing on walls, in addition to lighting. So, if you want the highest quality lighting and atmosphere, the best you could do is ask him directly.

Don't worry I used to be like "WTF How did you post the screen like that?" as well but it's fairly easy, just time consuming is all. Basically just take screenshots of the map and past them all together.

As for Malad he's staff at IGP with me and Crumply. Also randomly pops up at GW sometimes. I'm pretty sure a PM would suffice.