[Fib]

Hi everyone,

So I only know one method for adding animations into a 2D game, and that is with sprite sheets. I am no artist(not even close), and I find it very difficult to create each animation frame for a sprite sheet using gimp. Especially since a smooth looking animation will take A LOT of frames.

I have an idea, and I wonder what everyone thinks of it. The idea is to draw, say a character for an RPG(in a front standing position) in gimp. Then importing the image to Adobe Flash CS4. Then using the bone tool, or symbols to create a smooth looking animation of the character running in each direction, attacking, dying, ect. Then take each frame that flash creates and export them as a .bmp file, then arranging them into a sprite sheet.

So I was wondering, is this a good method of creating sprite sheets? Is there a better way? Is this even possible in Flash? Is there a cheaper alternative to Flash that can accomplish the same thing? Am I completely idiotic?

Any comments will be appreciated!

[onetwosix]

Dang i was hoping someone would have answered, I am in the same boat. I am a terrible artist and need to find and animate some sprites for one of my games.

[ZOMBIE!!!]

lol I think we all need the answer to this one

[stayscrisp]

Hi

I have used the Flash method you described myself and it is a really nice way of doing it, mostly because you can watch the animation as you are creating it, and using onion skinning makes lining up the characters movements really simple.

There is one fault with this method though and that is that flash uses vector graphics when creating symbols and drawing and the export results can be a bit iffy sometimes, I found that a good way of getting a nice resolution for the sprites was to create them using vector graphics and then zoom into them and get a screen capture. This capture will then be a nice size and won't look terrible when scaled around in photoshop or gimp.

There also is a lot to be said for creating the sprites in photoshop and using layers to create animation, you can create animations in photoshop as you go along and then split them into separate files which then can be lined up to make a sprite sheet.

Hope that helps:)

*edit*

Forgot to mention this nice piece of software
http://www.humanbalance.net/gale/us/

This post has been edited by stayscrisp: 10 December 2009 - 04:46 PM

[WolfCoder]

I would actually have the bone animation in realtime if I were going to do it that way. For my 2D OpenGL style engine, it would work out pretty good, and you could have things like 2D ragdolls.

I've only really messed with bones when making actual 3D character models a while ago in 3DGS before.

This post has been edited by WolfCoder: 11 December 2009 - 07:20 AM

[Fib]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Thanks stayscrisp and WolfCoder, I'm glad someone here has already tried this method.

stayscrisp, on 10 Dec, 2009 - 04:40 PM, said:

There is one fault with this method though and that is that flash uses vector graphics when creating symbols and drawing and the export results can be a bit iffy sometimes, I found that a good way of getting a nice resolution for the sprites was to create them using vector graphics and then zoom into them and get a screen capture. This capture will then be a nice size and won't look terrible when scaled around in photoshop or gimp.

Just to make sure I understand this. So your saying after the sprite is created, just take a screen capture of each frame by using the Print Screen button on the keyboard instead of using Flash to export the image? Then the screen capture file will be a good output file?

stayscrisp, on 10 Dec, 2009 - 04:40 PM, said:

There also is a lot to be said for creating the sprites in photoshop and using layers to create animation, you can create animations in photoshop as you go along and then split them into separate files which then can be lined up to make a sprite sheet.

This can be done in gimp. Photoshop would be nice, but I don't think I have the money for it. I don't even think I have enough for Flash I'll just save up for a while.

Also, thanks for the link stayscrisp. That program looks very good, and is cheap. I'll take a look at it when I get home.

[thspca]

Fib, on 11 Dec, 2009 - 09:31 AM, said:

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Thanks stayscrisp and WolfCoder, I'm glad someone here has already tried this method.

stayscrisp, on 10 Dec, 2009 - 04:40 PM, said:

There is one fault with this method though and that is that flash uses vector graphics when creating symbols and drawing and the export results can be a bit iffy sometimes, I found that a good way of getting a nice resolution for the sprites was to create them using vector graphics and then zoom into them and get a screen capture. This capture will then be a nice size and won't look terrible when scaled around in photoshop or gimp.

Just to make sure I understand this. So your saying after the sprite is created, just take a screen capture of each frame by using the Print Screen button on the keyboard instead of using Flash to export the image? Then the screen capture file will be a good output file?

stayscrisp, on 10 Dec, 2009 - 04:40 PM, said:

There also is a lot to be said for creating the sprites in photoshop and using layers to create animation, you can create animations in photoshop as you go along and then split them into separate files which then can be lined up to make a sprite sheet.

This can be done in gimp. Photoshop would be nice, but I don't think I have the money for it. I don't even think I have enough for Flash I'll just save up for a while.

Also, thanks for the link stayscrisp. That program looks very good, and is cheap. I'll take a look at it when I get home.

You've gotta check this out first: Tile Studio It's EXTREMELY powerful (and free AND opensource and it has the coolest random fill option and gradient option and animation settings and bla bla bla....)
[Replacement] So yeah it's really good.


Oh and check out this tutorial on pixel graphics:

Tsugamo's "So You Want To Be A Pixel Artist?"

Hope it helps,


NinjaNumberNine

[Fib]

Thanks thspca for the links! They are definitely helpful.

[thspca]

Fib, on 14 Dec, 2009 - 08:32 AM, said:

Thanks thspca for the links! They are definitely helpful.

You're welcome.


NinjaNumberNine

[Martisek]

Simple question: Does Tile Studio do isometric maps?

This post has been edited by Martisek: 09 March 2011 - 03:20 AM

[stayscrisp]

This thread is a year and a half old

I'm not sure if Tile Studio does isometric maps but Tiled does, and it's great