Getting Started
Everything you need to start creating Amiga graphics with Miggy Draw.
Overview
Miggy Draw is a macOS pixel art editor designed specifically for creating graphics for the Commodore Amiga. Whether you're building a game, demo, or application, Miggy Draw helps you create authentic Amiga assets and export production-ready code.
Native Asset Types
Create hardware sprites, BOBs (Blitter Objects), bitmaps, and bitmap fonts.
12-bit Color
Work with the Amiga's 4096-color palette across 1-5 bitplanes.
Code Export
Generate C or assembly code for VBCC, GCC, SAS/C, vasm, PhxAss, and AsmOne.
Lua Scripting
Automate repetitive tasks with built-in Lua scripting support.
Installation
Miggy Draw is distributed as a standalone macOS application. No App Store required.
System Requirements
- macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later
- Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) or Intel Mac
- 50 MB disk space
Miggy Draw is currently in active development. Download the latest release from the download page.
Interface
Miggy Draw uses a split-view interface with three main areas:
Sidebar
The left sidebar contains your project's assets organized by type:
- Projects - Your saved projects and recent files
- Palettes - Color palettes (1-5 bitplanes)
- Fonts - Bitmap fonts with multiple sizes
- Scripts - Lua automation scripts
- Animations - Frame-based animations
Canvas
The central canvas displays your current image with:
- Pixel grid overlay for precise editing
- Zoom controls (keyboard: ⌘ + + / -)
- Checkerboard transparency preview for BOB masks
- Real-time coordinate display
Toolbar
The toolbar provides quick access to:
- Drawing tools (pencil, eraser, shapes, fill)
- Current color selection
- Palette picker
- Image operations (flip, shift, resize)
Quick Start
Let's create your first sprite in under 5 minutes:
-
Create a new project
Press ⌘ + ⇧ + N or choose File → New Project. Give it a name like "MyGame". -
Create a palette
Press ⌘ + ⌥ + 2 to create a 2-bitplane (4 color) palette. Click the color swatches to customize your colors. -
Create a sprite
Press ⌘ + N and select "Sprite". Sprites are 16 pixels wide with a fixed height of 21 pixels. -
Draw something
Select the pencil tool (press 1) and pick a color from your palette. Click and drag on the canvas to draw. -
Export your code
Choose File → Export and select your target toolchain (VBCC is a good default). You'll get a.hheader and.cimplementation file ready to compile.
Use keyboard shortcuts 1 through 8 to quickly switch between drawing tools without leaving the canvas.
Ready to dive deeper? Continue to Asset Types to learn about sprites, BOBs, and bitmaps.