Parallax Mapping Help?

[SonataEXE 0]

For starters, I've been searching all over the forums for some sort of general "help me and let me know what I'm doing wrong" section, and I haven't found one. Since my problem is mapping related, I put it here. I hope I'm doing it correctly.

Now on to my issue...

 

I just recently decided I'd give Parallax Mapping a crack, and see how I can do. I got photoshop today and have been working all day on the attached map. The map is in layers.

1) Grass

2) Darker Grass

3) Road

4) Weeds

5) Flowers

6) Plants and Objects

7) Trees

 

My problem is that, now that the map is finished, I can't figure out how to put it into my game to work correctly. I've been following several video tutorials, and none of them are making any sense to me. The majority of my mapping doesn't line up with the VX gridlines, so how am I supposed to make certain areas passable and certain ones not? How do I make parts of the trees go over me?

Tutorial videos haven't helped me at all, they have me doing anything from cutting all my trees except the brown trunks to using passable and impassible tiles to do the job for me. I am extremely lost on what to do, and I'd like to at least complete one parallax map.

 

Could anyone explain to me what it is that I need to do in order to import my map into RPG Maker VX Ace, and make it useable with passable area, impassable area, and sections that hang over the player.

[HumanNinja 144]

There are quite a few scripts that allow the use of parallax mapping. Most involve note tags in the map info screen and special tags within the save file name. If you search the script database you'll find them.

 

As far as getting your squares in the game to line up with maps, try showing a grid while creating the map. Set the grid size to 32 x 32 pixels. Also, create the size of the map to equal however many 32x32 squares you're using. The default map size is 17x13 so the map dimensions in photoshop/gimp would be 540x416.

 

Most parallax maps involve layers. You would need a bottom layer that can walked on by the player and another layer of things in the foreground that the player would be able to move behind or underneath. Some parallax scripts have up to 3 or 4 layers. It just depends on how much effort you want to put into it.

[+ EraYachi 180]

The key to parallax mapping is to watch the videos and tutorials first before making the first map. In order to have any kind of overlay (objects that appear on top of character sprite instead of behind), you have to layer your map appropriately. If you do have a layer of trees, as you said, then it's simple. Just select the tops of the trees with that layer active, copy and paste to a brand new layer.

 

Each parallax map is two images: the finished 'underlay', which is every single layer visible saved as a .png or a .jpg (I go with .jpg most of the time to save space). And the 'overlay', which is every single layer turned invisible except for the parts that you want to appear over the sprites. In the current example, we're talking about that new layer of tree-tops. I just call that layer 'overlay'. 

 

Like HumanNinja said, there are scripts that are crucial to parallax mapping. The two I use are Yanfly's Fixed Parallax and modern algebra's Fixed Picture scripts. Seriously, this tutorial explains everything:

http://www.rpgmakervxace.net/topic/12299-getting-started-with-parallax-mapping/

 

In summary, you set the underlay image as your parallax on a blank map (it's in the map's options when you right click--very easy), and then use an autorun or parallel process event to call the overlay pic. Adjust the passability/impassable areas with more transparent tiles, and you're golden.

[SonataEXE 0]

Oh wow, do I feel dumb. ^^"

 

I was doing everything the videos showed me correctly, but I didn't realize I would have to put scripts in to make it all work. I was trying to do it all without the scripts, and that's why nothing was working correctly.

I also went a bit overboard with things not totally touching the gridlines, which is what I had worried about when making the map. All I need to do now is some minor tweaking in photoshop to align things better with the grid and the map should work perfectly.

 

 Thank you both very much for your help, my map is actually usable now

[Tsarmina 2,612]

I suggest using Yanfly's Region Restrict too. It uses regions (duh) to set passability for X and O and it's easier to see than invisible tiles.

[phoenixrossyNRG 3]

I'd personally recommend blending out some of the flowers from underneath the trees. Flowers don't bloom in the gloom

 

I like the simplicity; I tend to overcrowd my maps by blending too many layers, and it ends up looking like a blurry mess! Parallax mapping really is an art though, and everyone has their own style. I think this is a good first attempt.