Staredit Network > Forums > SC1 Terrain > Topic: Researching semi-transparent creep
Researching semi-transparent creep
Apr 9 2026, 3:34 pm
By: NimoStar  

Apr 9 2026, 3:34 pm NimoStar Post #1



Creep is fine, but there is a problem in that it completely covers terrain. I think if creep was semi-transparent, there'd be more visual variety to zerg bases with the environments they are in. It would look more gooey and overall better.

In SCMdraft2 last version, they seemingly implemented semi transparent creep



However this is ONLY for the map editor.

I think map editor uses a display engine pretty much compatible to the actual game, though. So how did they do it?

I did make stuff semi transparent myself, but in other contexts. You can use cloak palette.

But i was unable to find the creep in images.dat, neither in sprites.dat or flingy.dat (which would ultimately point to images.dat anyways)

Thus I think they are just tiles and use the tileset colors.

However, is there any way to make them semi transparent as in the editor? Or would that, for example, only leave a black hole...

I thought about making creep "animated" as well. If its a tile this seems even less possible. But you could use the animated colors like in water. However, this is possibly too distracting.

TL;DR if the creep is an "overlay" and not a pure tile, it should be possible to make creep that is semi transparent...



None.

Apr 9 2026, 8:37 pm DarkenedFantasies Post #2

Roy's Secret Service

The creep edges are found in a GRP graphics and are overlaid over the terrain, but the creep itself is the row of creep you see in the indexed tiles in SCMD2. The creep tile replaces the terrain tile, while the terrain tile is stored somewhere else for when the creep recedes. Making transparent creep would not be impossible, but will need a lot of programming.




Apr 10 2026, 4:59 am NimoStar Post #3



Mhm so it is much as I suspected, except for a "silver lining"

Where are the creep edges stored, if you would be so kind? Perhaps some effect can be put there, if that is an overlay



None.

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