RPG MAKER XP's graphics have been given a dramatic boost with improved resolution and full-colour support. That means big changes in the sizes and standards of the materials you can use to create your own games. Here's a sneak preview of the goodies in RPG MAKER XP's toolbox.
* Image sizes are in pixels (horizontal x vertical).
Both PNG and JPG (JPEG) graphic formats are available for use. The PNG format fully supports 32-bit colour (with alpha channels).
These files contain character graphics for the map screen.
Human
Super-Sized Monster
Each character is contained in a single file. This file can be any size, and is laid out with the character facing all four directions and going through four frames of movement, for a total of 16 frames. The size of the actual character will be 1/4 the height and 1/4 the width of the entire image, and there are no limits on character size. The frames, when animated, will loop in a 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 1... pattern.
These files contain graphics for the characters that appear in battle scenes. They can be up to 640x320 pixels in size and are used by both protagonists and enemies.
These files contain animation graphics used mainly as visual effects in battle scenes. Each cell contains at least one block of five 192x192 pixel frames lined up horizontally, but can go on to contain as many blocks as necessary. There's no limit on the file's vertical size.
These files contain tiles for map making. Each tile contains at least one block of eight 32x32 pixel frames lined up horizontally, but can go on to contain as many blocks as necessary. There's no limit on the file's vertical size.
* You can lay out an infinite number of map tiles in a single tileset!
As a general rule, autotiles form the basis for the tile patterns seen here.
| A | The representative pattern, displayed in the tile palette and used to show how the other autotiles interact with each other. |
|---|---|
| B | The parent pattern. If the pattern shown here and an autotile from the same group (with the same representative pattern) are placed next to one another, they will join seamlessly. |
| C | The parent pattern is featured in the four corners of this tile. |
| D | Tiles with the parent pattern on all four sides, plus a central pattern with no borders at all. |
If you need to animate these autotiles, such as for water graphics, simply place the basic blocks as multiple cells in a horizontal pattern You can use as many patterns as you like.
If you only need to animate a single tile, you can just line up single 2x32 pixel tiles instead of the larger autotile blocks.
These files contain graphics (distant landscapes) used in maps. There's no real limit to their size, but they must tile on all four edges - like a bad website's background.
These files contain graphics that are overlaid in the map's foreground. There's no real limit to their size, but they must tile on all four edges as well.
These files, measuring 640x320 pixels, contain graphics used as backgrounds in battle scenes.
These files, measuring 24x24 pixels, contain icon graphics that are displayed next to skill and item names.
These files, measuring 640x480 pixels, contain images that are displayed on the title screen.
These files, measuring 640x480 pixels, contain images that are displayed on the Game Over screen.
These are graphics measuring 192x128 pixels, as seen here. They're usually in 32-bit PNG format.
| A | The window background. A 128 x 128 pixel pattern is drawn here, filling the window. The window's edges are actually two pixels smaller. This feature allows for natural-looking rounded corners. Translucent backgrounds of some windows means you don't need to make the images themselves translucent. |
|---|---|
| B | The window frame and scroll arrows. The four corners are drawn at a set size of 16x16 pixels, and the remaining frame tiles at a width of 16 pixels to match the window's size. The arrows are used to indicate that scrolling is possible in a given window. |
| C | The command cursor indicates which item is selected in a given window. The outer two pixels of the cursor resize both horizontally and vertically, and the rest adjusts to match the size of the cursor. |
| D | The pause graphic, used in a message window to show that the player's input is required, is a four-frame animation measuring 16x16 pixels. |
| E | The arrow cursor, used in battles to select characters and enemies, is a two-frame animation measuring 32x32 pixels. While it's not actually part of the window, it's included in this file for convenience. |
These files contain graphics that are displayed during in-game events. They can be any size.
These files specify the effects displayed during screen transitions, such as when you encounter an enemy. They're 640x480 pixels and must be in 256-color grayscale PNG format. The screen is redrawn from the lower palette layer and up.
You have five different file formats at your disposal: MID (in BGM and MFX only), OGG, WMA, MP3, and WAV.
Background music, usually in MID files.
Background Sound, usually in OGG files.
Music effects, usually in MID files.
Sound effects, usually in OGG files.
| MID | MIDI files played via the DirectMusic Synthesizer. If a BGM MIDI file contains the control change value 111, that value is recognized as where the song will start repeating after it reaches the end. |
|---|---|
| OGG | Files containing compressed Ogg Vorbis data, known for its sound quality and compression rate. However, since RPG MAKER XP doesn't support OGG streaming, the entire file must be loaded before it can be played, making it unsuitable for longer pieces. |
| WMA | Compressed Windows Media Player sound files, played via DirectShow. Unlike the OGG format, streaming (loading data while playing it in real time) is supported, so it's good for longer-playing songs. |
| MP3 | An extremely popular compressed sound format, played via DirectShow. It has the same special traits as the WMA format. |
| WAV | The standard Windows sound format. RPG MAKER XP can process both standard uncompressed WAVs and Microsoft ADPCM files. |
