Making a Battle Background problems.

Well, I have been recently trying to make my own BBG's  by making a map and taking a snapshot of it then forging it into a background using paint.  However, sometimes whenever I go to save it it always comes out as "Invalid Color Depth" when I try and import it.  I wonder why it does this bcause there are things of (seemingly) far greater value already in the system.  Is there an easier way to do this or a way to fix the problem?

I assume you are using 2003? Save your bg's as a 256 color bitmap.

(Rude Awakening Imminent)

Yeah, I tried that already...and my cave BBG came out as a horrid, clay-like blob of brown. It was just deformed and toned down TONS in color.  It also got a slight hint of green  as well.


Still...I'll see if I can get it better.

I think there is a way to retain quality AND reduce to 256 bits in photoshop...not sure...

T.T  That means you have to have photoshop though...which I don't got.  Oh well...maybe I'll switch back to the default-type BBGs.

pm me what you've got, I could try it.

OK.  Once I get a few more BBGs made I'll send em to you. 

Well, here it is.  This is one I currently need for a dungeon.

This should solve the problem, I has Photoshop export it as a 16-ibt bitmap.

It didn't REALLY work, but thanks!.

I just saved the image to my desktop and tried to upload it...and it wouldn't work, the "Invalid color depth" thing still came up.  However, when I opened up your image in paint and another background (made by someone else) I saved yours over theirs and saved it.  It imported with the color in tact.  I find that odd.  if I try to do it with other BG's they just discolor or turn brown for some reason.

That's what I used to do, when I didn't have PS. Sounds like you figured things out though, good to hear!

Just for that one image, though.  For exaple: If I saved...say....a forest Battle Back over a cave one the forest one would be all brown. 

Well, I guess just find pics that use the same general pallette. *shrugs*

myabe, maybe.  I shall just try and do that untill I do some kind of map which there is no corresponding one for.  i guess the people will have to deal with a duller map then

I just checked one of the pre-installed backs in photoshop and your looking at an 8-bit depth JPG (a PNG would likely work as well).

Send em' my way if you like and I can take care of them for you.

I did the one you posted earlier and tested it myself, works just fine in the Postality Knights edition.

Yes, but that's PK, not 2003.

yeah, sorry.  I should have stated that in my first post ( if I didn't ) >.<  Thanks for the try though.

This one works in 2K3, tested it.

When saving in Photoshop you need change your image mode from RGB to indexed, thats where you were getting your color depth error.

It should be 320x240, I've no clue what the link on my post says it's smaller. 2K3 specifically asked for 320x240 when I tried it so I had to scale it up by just a few pixels.

I'm new to RPG maker, sorry for coming off like a total newb. I do graphic design by trade, not coding 

AHHHHHH.....so it IS possible. Thanks for the heads up NS!

AHHHHHH.....so it IS possible. Thanks for the heads up NS!

I figured thats what it was initially but didn't bother to try it in another version of the game, I didn't realize there was that much of a difference.

Thanks for pointing out 2k3 to me, I think it's a little more what I'm looking for over the XP stuff.

Your quite certainly welcome


Now, if you're open that same PNG in Photoshop later to edit it, you'll need to change back to RGB mode when you edit, then back again to Indexed when you save. You'll give yourself a killer headache trying to figure out why it won't let you make any changes if you don't 

Yeah, but he needs it for RM2k3, not RMXP. BTW, you can save it in MSPaint as .gif, open it again and save it as .png, this should also work.

Here's what you can do:

1) Download iDraw onto your computer
2) After you take your screen prints, paste them into iDraw.
3) Save it as 256 colors if that doesn't work.

Paint uses millions of colors, many of which RPG maker can't recognize, so what happens is with all those colors that it doesn't have room for (everything over 256) it replaces it with a ~similar~ color that it chooses on it's own based on the color's red/blue/green values.  With iDraw, you can declare which 256 colors will be used rather than the standard RPG maker set.