Pixel Joint Forum: Automated black outline help

Message

   So I'm trying out this new technique for making a massive amount of sprites, but the problem is that they have no outline and I want an outline around them. I can solve this by going into photoshop and just giving it a 1 pixel "outer glow" setting via blending options on the layer... but here is the problem:

The first circle would be the "raw" sprite. The second one is what I get with photoshop. The third one is after I've edited it to look how I want.

The bottom two images show what I'm trying to remove. Photoshop does a nice job of outlining, except it includes pixels for the corners. I only want to have it place pixels next to another pixel in the original raw sprite. (basically I don't want those red pixels)

Is there some sort of program or technique that can achieve this? I'd rather not have to hand remove all of those excess pixels out of hundreds of frames of sprite sheets.

Author	Message
Konidias Seaman Joined: 15 July 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2	Topic: Automated black outline help Posted: 15 July 2009 at 10:50pm
	So I'm trying out this new technique for making a massive amount of sprites, but the problem is that they have no outline and I want an outline around them. I can solve this by going into photoshop and just giving it a 1 pixel "outer glow" setting via blending options on the layer... but here is the problem: The first circle would be the "raw" sprite. The second one is what I get with photoshop. The third one is after I've edited it to look how I want. The bottom two images show what I'm trying to remove. Photoshop does a nice job of outlining, except it includes pixels for the corners. I only want to have it place pixels next to another pixel in the original raw sprite. (basically I don't want those red pixels) Is there some sort of program or technique that can achieve this? I'd rather not have to hand remove all of those excess pixels out of hundreds of frames of sprite sheets.
	IP Logged

Dr D Midshipman Joined: 14 August 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 94	Posted: 15 July 2009 at 10:59pm
	Did you try the stroke setting? It's under blending options too, at the very bottom. I'm not sure if it does the same thing. Edited by Dr D - 15 July 2009 at 10:59pm
	IP Logged

Hatch Admiral Joined: 05 August 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1387	Posted: 15 July 2009 at 11:24pm
	1) Use magic wand to select the white or trans around sprite. 2) Select -> Modify > Contract... 3) Enter 1 px for the contract value. 4) Select -> Inverse 5) Use fillbucket on selected BG pixels in non-contiguous mode. Make sure your BG color is not used in your sprite or it'll replace that color with black. If all your sprites are in one big image file (say, a spritesheet), this will do them all at once. [EDIT]ed like a million times because I'm anal. Edited by Hatch - 15 July 2009 at 11:27pm
	IP Logged

Konidias Seaman Joined: 15 July 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2	Posted: 15 July 2009 at 11:29pm
	*Originally posted by Hatch* 1) Use magic wand to select the white or trans around sprite. 2) Select -> Modify > Contract... 3) Enter 1 px for the contract value. 4) Select -> Inverse 5) Use fillbucket on selected BG pixels in non-contiguous mode. Make sure your BG color is not used in your sprite or it'll replace that color with black. If all your sprites are in one big image file (say, a spritesheet), this will do them all at once. [EDIT]ed like a million times because I'm anal. AWESOME! It works like a charm. Thanks a lot! I tried the stroke blending option as well and that gives a similar result.. except it leaves light gray pixels in place of the ones I want removed. It's simple enough to flatten the layer from there and erase that gray color but the contract method does it perfectly in less steps. Thanks again!
	IP Logged

Hatch Admiral Joined: 05 August 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1387	Posted: 15 July 2009 at 11:31pm
	You could also make the BG black, then do steps 1-3, then just fill/erase the selected pixels. It amounts to the same thing, but I think it's a tad quicker.
	IP Logged

jalonso Admiral Joined: 29 November 2022 Online Status: Offline Posts: 13537	Posted: 16 July 2009 at 7:54am
	hmmm,????? I would never have thought of doing any of that. My way: 1) Use magic wand to select the area around the sprite/object. 2) Stroke 3) Enter 1 px for the value. 4) Select > Stroke Inside 5) Select color, if needed.
	PJs FAQ <•> Sticky Reads
	IP Logged

yrizoud Commander Joined: 03 May 2021 Location: France Online Status: Offline Posts: 343	Posted: 16 July 2009 at 12:17pm
	Shameless plug: 1) Use grafx2 2) Load the whole image as a brush 2) Select the "background color" according to your transparent color 3) Select black as foreground color and press 'O' once. 4) Save the brush.
	IP Logged

7Soul Midshipman Joined: 10 April 2021 Online Status: Offline Posts: 87	Posted: 17 July 2009 at 1:57pm
	I just select it, pick the Marquee Tool, Right Click the selection > Stroke 1px Center
	IP Logged

Hatch Admiral Joined: 05 August 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1387	Posted: 17 July 2009 at 2:27pm
	The trouble with your (and I think jal's) method is that it puts the stroke inside the object, destroying hand-placed pixels.
	IP Logged

7Soul Midshipman Joined: 10 April 2021 Online Status: Offline Posts: 87	Posted: 17 July 2009 at 3:04pm
	Then you could invert the selection and the do that. The only problem in that it would stroke the canvas border
	IP Logged

Hatch Admiral Joined: 05 August 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1387	Posted: 17 July 2009 at 3:30pm
	Oh, yeah, I just realized that's what jal was saying. Cool!
	IP Logged

Resources and Support
Pixel Joint Forum : The Lounge : Resources and Support