Skip to main content

Browse GamesGame JamsUpload GameDeveloper LogsCommunity
Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
TagsGame Engines
Subchrist Software2 years ago (3 edits)

Hi, thanks for the feedback, yes the decision was taken many years ago purposefully NOT to include a "per-map-cell" matrix colouring method, with CharPad being primarily designed as a game-map editor the feeling was that few games would need/use such a method due to the effective doubling (or at least a 50% increase, 1 nybble per cell) in the size of required map data.

This and also the requirement for the user to manually paint the map colours as well as the map characters were the main reasons for it's omission.

However it actually IS something that has remained on the todo/maybe list and while it might not get added as a general feature, it MIGHT get added as an export option at some point,

ie. if you have a project using the "per-char" colouring method, we may add an option/tool that would create a converted set of data for a "per-map-cell" colouring method (for export/use/viewing on the C64), this would obviously allow a reduced number of character images in most cases as all of the colour data would be pushed over to the map.

It may not be the solution you were hoping for but it's the one that is most likely to happen as adding such a colouring method (and probably also "per-tile-cell" would likely take years to complete as general features.

Reply
Martin Piper2 years ago

I've has the option for "independent colours for every character" in my generic engine code for quite a long time: https://github.com/martinpiper/C64Public/blob/master/Scroller/ScrollEntry_MultiD...
But I don't think anyone is really using it because it's very memory hungry. :)

Reply
Subchrist Software2 years ago

Also worth mentioning is the fact that while the addition of 'per-map-cell' (and/or per-tile-cell) colouring methods + the abilty to directly paint colour to the map/tiles might be intuitive enough for the text modes (just 1 matrix colour), it almost certainly would not be for the bitmap modes (2 / 3 matrix colours).

So on balance, I would have to conclude that offering 'per-cell' matrix colouring as a project data export option (only) would be the right choice.

Reply
Scrap/GP2 years ago

I must agree with The Syndrom, that an export of the colors from a non tile map would be very useful. Even though, the program is not intended for this case of use, it is a good tool, for just editing char based screens, that do not depend on tiles. Just deporting the colour information of a map, as the are , would be very useful 

Reply
Subchrist Software2 years ago (6 edits)

Ok thanks for your input on this subject.

Yes I would be happy to provide an "export map (char) cell colour data" option.

This would export a block of colour data of equal size to the map (in chars) by simply translating each map cell into a colour depending on the contained char.

The thing I really want to avoid is adding "per map cell" (and "per tile cell") as basic colouring methods as this would really complicate things and demand a whole world of new converters and design features to be added.

So you would have to settle for the existing colouring methods at design time and just use the export option when needed.

I imagine this would mainly be used from the "per char" colouring method, so after exporting the colour map you could switch to "per project" and compress any differently coloured duplicates out of the char set and then export the (optimized) chars/map.

If you understand this I will try and get this option into the next update.

Reply
Scrap/GP2 years ago

Hi! Thanks for your quick reply! An export option as described by you would be perfect!

Reply
ghackwrench1 year ago (1 edit) (+1)

Thanks for the info -- I was looking for this feature, and couldn't find it.  I'm using the would-be foreground color (per screen cell) as the "material" (in effect, the background) and the extended color mode to choose one accent color per cell.  Most of the accents are generic, but many are material specific, and any given display is going to see lots of cell-to-cell material and accent changes. Using the tile editor to get this functionality is working, but a 1x1 tile option would let me pull off what I'm actually trying to do.

Reply
AboutFAQBlogContact us
Copyright © 2025 itch corp · Directory · Terms · Privacy · Cookies