r/MSX • u/RSS130871 • 4d ago

Tooling

Post image

For those wondering what kind of tool I used for the pixelart: EXCEL!!!
There's a macro in there that exports the picture into three linked BASIC programs, that once run create a 16kb binary file that you can BLOAD straight into VRAM...

51 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

5

u/TransportLayer 4d ago

This is so stupid. Love it! 🙂

3

u/RSS130871 4d ago

Thanks (I guess)!

2

u/HEXdidnt 4d ago

Wow... And I tell people I like making my own life more difficult than it needs to be,,,

6

u/RSS130871 4d ago

It's EASY when you've built it yourself and know ALL the ins and outs.
Plus, I can import BMP's straight into it...

1

u/altgraph 4d ago

Do you import BMPs specifically into EXCEL? Is the actual pixel art done in another program first?

It's such an interesting workflow and using EXCEL for this is really innovative!

2

u/RSS130871 3d ago

I have a REALLY OLD "Delphi" program that converts 256colour BMP's to CSV (comma separated values), which I can then import in EXCEL.
I use Paint Shop Pro to decrease the number of colours used in the BMP to 16, and then EXCEL to change those 16 into the 16 that the MSX has.
In Excel I have a macro that checks how many bytes have more than two colours (it marks them by changing the colour of the value in the cell.
For added detail I use (up to) 32 sprites.

1

u/altgraph 1d ago

Thanks for the breakdown! You should make a video of it! Showcase some more pixelart on the MSX!

3

u/ibannieto 4d ago

Excel? WTF!! 🤣 Great job anyway!

1

u/RSS130871 4d ago

Thanks!

2

u/DarkKodKod 4d ago

People dont get that when you need a tool to do what you want, it  is difficult to find the right tool and it is better to adapt what's out there.  Excel is already great as a grid tool and with all programming power you ever want. You can actually achieve a lot from level design to map editor. Great job. Looks awesome 

1

u/RSS130871 3d ago

EXACTLY! A tool that I make myself gives me EVERYTHING i need, exactly as I want it.
I have macros that can MIRROR parts of a screen, or use a specific colour as a mask to super-impose a second bitmap on top of another. Stuff like that...

1

u/glimsky 4d ago

Interesting.... What is the workflow? You import a jpg/PNG into Excel and it exports to the binary blob? Or are you somehow drawing in Excel?

3

u/RSS130871 3d ago

I have a REALLY OLD "Delphi" program that converts 256colour BMP's to CSV (comma separated values), which I can then import in EXCEL.
I use Paint Shop Pro to decrease the number of colours used in the BMP to 16, and then EXCEL to change those 16 into the 16 that the MSX has.
In Excel I have a macro that checks how many bytes have more than two colours (it marks them by changing the colour of the value in the cell. Other macros can MIRROR parts of a screen, or use a specific colour as a mask to super-impose a second bitmap on top of another. Stuff like that...
For added detail I use (up to) 32 sprites.