What do you use when making GUI?

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crystalscm
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What do you use when making GUI?

#1 Post by crystalscm »

This has been on my mind now (I'm sort of interested in doing GUI/logo designs myself), but the thing is this: I don't really know what software/program to use. I don't know what other GUI/logo artists use to make their GUI/logo either. Maybe this is simply a stupid question, but- in all honesty, I was pretty curious from the start and have never figured out what they used.

I'm working on a project right now with a friend of mine, and we are looking for GUI/logo artists, but everyone I find seems to charge an amount that I/we can't afford. So, I want to try doing this independently. Plus, it looks really fun to design GUI and logos too! So, I want to get an opportunity to try it out for myself.

Thanks to anyone who answers! I'll listen to your recommendations and what you use, how useful it is for you, how simple it is (the more simple the better lol) etc.

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Re: What do you use when making GUI?

#2 Post by SundownKid »

I use Photoshop for the most part. I might pop into Illustrator if I need to make a design with an unusual shape and/or some kind of vector art.

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Re: What do you use when making GUI?

#3 Post by KittyWills »

Photoshop for GUI. Illustrator for logos since I need them in vector format most of the time.

GUI is no different from any thing else in your game. Just images with different actions assigned to them. You could do everything in Paint if you really had to.

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Re: What do you use when making GUI?

#4 Post by Ghost of Crux »

I'm FAR from being a GUI artist but the few times I make logos I use a combination of GIMP and SAI because my laptop is worryingly laggy whenever I pop up Photoshop. Usually I just do all the basic on GIMP, like what font(s) I want to use and various fancy text-related things and save it as .PSD before popping it up on my trusty SAI for more detailed artsy stuffs. Of course, me being primarily an artist is the reason why I do this. It's still a semi-valid alternative, though. As for the GUI itself, I actually used basically Paint for Of All There Is (since it fits the style) and just hand-draw a bunch of art-nouveau looking menus for Kinghearth on SAI.
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Re: What do you use when making GUI?

#5 Post by Hijiri »

I am one of those heathens who uses GIMP. Partially because I've spent just shy of a decade using it and partially because I just can't into PS.

A small word of advice: look at every single game you play and blatantly copy study the elements of those UI's. You can then piece them together to make something neat, or come up with ideas for your own special GUI.
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Re: What do you use when making GUI?

#6 Post by OokamiKasumi »

crystalscm wrote:This has been on my mind now (I'm sort of interested in doing GUI/logo designs myself), but the thing is this: I don't really know what software/program to use. I don't know what other GUI/logo artists use to make their GUI/logo either. Maybe this is simply a stupid question, but- in all honesty, I was pretty curious from the start and have never figured out what they used.
I use PhotoShop.
-- I create the PS document in the exact resolution I'm making the game, then simply cut out the individual images I need. This way they're guaranteed to fit the first time.

Example: 1366x768 at 96 DPI
1366x768_VictorianSS_03.jpg
An easy way to ensure all the pieces fit properly every time is by making a Master PSD you can copy/paste from and a Test Game in the exact size of the games you generally create. With the Test Game you can preset all the coding and specs ahead of time for ALL your games, then just copy/paste the coding as needed, leaving only occasional adjustments to fiddle with. Having a Master PSD and a preset Test Game really speeds up the GUI process.

Example: 1366x768 Test Game
1366x768_VictorianSS_01.jpg
1366x768_VictorianSS_02.jpg
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Re: What do you use when making GUI?

#7 Post by sendo »

Another Photoshop user here. It's not the simplest software to use but it's packed with more than enough features to get cracking with your GUI.

Here are my favorite tools and features of Photoshop (note that these are present in other software as well, such as GIMP):
  • Layer Styles (Drop Shadow, Bevel & Emboss, Stroke are my top favs)
  • Rulers (see OokamiKasumi's image)
  • Gradients
  • Clipping Masks
If anyone's curious, I recorded myself prototyping the GUI for my game Diamond Rose. The videos are fast-forwarded though , so look at the History Panel if you don't know what command/tool I use (see bottom-right panel). I use a combination of the things I listed above to make my GUI (although majority of the GUI was overhauled by the time I released the game haha).

Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HpAdQ98HYs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMj_7rqyopw
Finished VNs:
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