The software I used to create my own graphical image as well
as the school’s IT display and to edit existing images was Fireworks CS4. I
used Fireworks because it’s a professional software that included all of the
features and effects that I needed to use to create the retro game’s design.
These features were like the vector line tool. I didn’t use Paint or other free
editing software which were available because Paint or software similar to Paint
are very basic and don’t include the editing features needed to create my retro
game’s design. Fireworks was better than Photoshop to create the graphical
image I wanted to create as Fireworks is a software for creating or editing
vector images and Photoshop for bitmap images. Also, with the limited time to
create the image and the knowledge on how to use Fireworks, it would have been
easier to use Fireworks than Photoshop. The school already had Fireworks CS4
installed on to the school computer system meaning I would be able to work on
the retro game design on any computer in the school. This ensured that I could
work on the images within the school, at any computer so I could edit the
images at any time within the school.
The first main tool I used in the retro game design was the
Pencil tool. It was used relatively often throughout the creation of the retro
game layout. The pencil tool was used to make sure that I could create any
little sections that weren’t able to be created with a different tool. The second main tool I used in the retro game
design was the vector line tool. It was used a lot whilst I was making the
retro game layout as I was able many outlined sections of my image were
straight lines, so it was easier to use the vector line tool than the pencil
tool. The vector line tool also couldn’t been drawn over after it had been
drawn other than with the other vector tools, so the straight lines weren’t
affected often. The next main tool I used in the retro game design was the
paint bucket tool. I used it fairly often during the creation of the retro game
lay out for when I had a bulk of colour to add to the image, like the floor, or
the sky. This meant that I could create the coloured parts of the image faster,
than if I was only able to use the vector line tool or the pencil tool. The paint
bucket also allowed me to change the gradient of the colour, so I was able to
create different effects in the images I was creating. The fourth main tool I
used in the retro game design was the rectangle tool. I used it fairly often
during the creation of the retro game lay out, especially when I needed a
square or rectangle that looked natural in the image. I would have been able to
create the squares of the stair case, or the turrets in the tower by drawing
them by the line tool, but it was easier to create one with the rectangle tool,
and have the outline a different colour to the main colour. This meant that I
was able to define the different sections easier and the time to create the
image would be shorter than if I had to draw these objects out by the line
tool. The fifth main tool I used in the retro game design was the oval tool.
Even though I didn’t use it very often, it was a key tool in creating the
clouds in the retro game lay out. Using the oval tool was very similar to using
the rectangle tool. I could have created the clouds by the pencil tool and the
fill bucket, but it was easier to create them with the oval tool used several
times then each oval in the cloud would be grouped together. This meant that
the time to create the image would be shorter than if I had to draw these
objects out by the pencil tool and the fill bucket. The last tool I used in the
retro game design was the text tool. I used it on multiple occasions throughout
the creation of the retro game layout. I used it to create the P in the flag
and on the improved image, I used it to create each of the M’s on the
staircases. I used the text tool to create the letters as that was the quickest
and most effective way to create the letter, where if I used the line tool or
pencil tool, it would mean that the time to create the letters would be vastly
longer. Each tool was used to make sure the image was created as best and quick
as possible.
As I was using Fireworks to create the retro game design,
the file was saved as a PNG file. A PNG file is small and are a lossless file
so won’t lose any detail if the file was to be compressed. A PNG file can have
an 8-bit colour depth meaning that there could be 256 colours in the file. A
JPEG would better if the image needed more colours as a JPEG has a 24-bit and
16 million colours, but when editing a JPEG, a lot of the original image’s
information is lost. A BMP wouldn’t be appropriate as the file would be big due
to each pixel being separate and it doesn’t scale or compress well. So, for the
design I was creating, a PNG file was best as I didn’t need many colours and it
was a small file when finished.
The resolution of the retro games image I created was 660 x
440 pixels. The image’s resolution would need larger to be used as a corridor’s
display. I used a smaller canvas than what I should have to get an idea of the
placing of the different parts of the image and then I would be able to scale
the retro games design to fit a bigger canvas which I decided that the canvas
would have a resolution of 1000 x 800 to fit the purpose of the design. Even
though the canvas was smaller than it would have been for the final print and
then the image being scaled bigger for the final print, the image looked
professional on both the smaller canvas and the larger one and the final
quality of the image was good and satisfied the user needs.
The colour depth that I used for the retro games design was
8-bit as PNG files are only able to support an 8-bit colour channel. As I
didn’t need as many colours as modern images, I didn’t need to have a high bit
channel and since I used the same few colours throughout the design, using an
8-bit channel was suitable to produce a good quality. If I was using more
colours than I had, I might have made the quality worse due to the 256 maximum
colour limit to an 8-bit channel and the colours being blotchy. Due to the PNG
file not being able to be used on the internet, the colour depth could have
been seen as to simple, so with the lack of internet support, an 8-bit image
was suitable. As I was creating a retro games design for Archbishop Holgate’s
schools corridor, the colour depth of the image was suitable for the purpose.
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