Sprite cleanup program...?

There has got to be a solution for this that does not kill may sanity (and my eyes)...

I download a sprite sheet. it looks fine, I pop it into ACE and it looks like the character has the world's worst case of dandruff (i.e. white dots around the image) The best solution I've found is to drop the sheet into an image editor (I use Paint.net) and fill the 'transparent/white' area with a color that's NOT used, like red or lime, then manually erase every extra floating dot. (and on the full 2X4 sheets (72 sprites) it takes a LONG time --- and I have to do this with probably half of my sprites...)

Is there a better program/method that removes the dots too?

not really - you can trick a bit with the settings for the selection and fill tools, but that's about it.


However, it sometimes help to know how those pixels are created in the first place: They happen when using a picture format with compression (like JPG) and setting the compression to a level that is too high to allow for lossless storing. This will create fragments that then turn into those not exactly white dots.


However, no even halfway-professional artist will store its own work into a JPG, because it will be obvious to anyone working with any image program how that will disrupt the picture.


Which means that those pictures with JPG-Fragments are often rips or demos never intended to be used in other people's games - you might try to check the sources of those downloads, especially if someone has a lot of those fragments in their spritesheets...

It's interesting because all the sprite sheets I have are PNGs....

Good point. Right now I'm still learning to use the system (if you can't tell from all the questions) and am not trying to create a commercial product, so I'm not as worried about the source of the sprites --- however, when I learn enough to begin work on my own IP, then I will be much more careful, thanks for pointing it out! :)

You should give the source a secound thought because:

1. respect for the artist

2. non-commercial releases can also get sued

3. if you write down the source in the first place you don't have to search later where you exactly got the sprites

For cleanup: you could use the "magic stick" funktion of photoshop or gimp (or nearly every other advanced picture programm) to select every white and nearly white pixel and then erase it. Give google a shot about it.