Animation Issues & Needs... Solutions?

kaanuki

Hi All.

I am trying to import animations with about 20-30 movements. Is there a way to do this in bulk? GS crashes when I try to drag multiple images into the animator at a time.

Also is there a way to assign animations to an actor and programatically Spawn that actor? I would love to see an "attribute" selection field in the Spawn Actor behavior to be able work with specially animated actor objects with tables and attributes.

By the way I am new around here. Is there a bug reporting section?

Thanks in advance.

kaanuki

Another question...

Is there a function to detect whether a number is ODD or EVEN?

THanks.

sparkania

on the windows version, I grab all of my images from a folder off to the side and drag them inot the GS Media block, I have done this with about 15 images at a time.

Animations can be set in the Actor's Prototype, so when it is Spawned, it will come out swingin.

dunno about the Odd or Even.. never tried it..

kaanuki

Thanks!

kaanuki

Yep - the folder drag method worked like a charm!

kaanuki

Another Question...

Is there a reference app available (or suggested) that can help me determine the size of the characters on my target screens?

Thank you

sparkania

I think that's more of a Taste thing. Once you have the scene size set to the resolution you want, then start setting up your actor sizes (even without their actual graphics) according to how YOU want it to look.. Every game is different in that area.. You just have to see what works for your concept..

Since I tend to set my games for Tablet sizes, my characters can be 200x200 and still be quite small on the screen, whereas you might be making a game targeted for mobiles, and 200x200 would then be a bit big..

kaanuki

Ok - thanks. What I did that was quite helpful, was to simply create a 480x320 graphic in photoshop and add my characters/scene to it. I then just drag to my Dropbox folder and view them to get an idea of how it will look.

sparkania

that works too!

just another tip you will find in allot of other threads, make sure that when you settle on the sizes that you want, make your graphic images the size that they will be in the game.. try not to do to much re-sizing of imagery in GS.. it does not always come out great looking.. so if your character's image is 100x100 but then you decide it would be better in GS at 88x88, then take the extra second to duck out, go to your photoshop and re-size the graphic image to 88x88 and re-import to GS..

famekrafts

Try not to use many images, in the long run it will have effect on game fps.

Try to use 6 to 8 frames max. And run the animation at low fps say 6 with delay between each frame by repeating the frames.

Check my site store page, the animations done there are just 6 to 8 frames.

www.learndesignanimate.com

Socks

Try not to use many images, in the long run it will have effect on game fps.

Try to use 6 to 8 frames max. And run the animation at low fps say 6 . . .

Well that all depends on what you are trying to achieve, I use hundreds of images in my projects, my animations (depending on what they are) are typically 50 - 100 frames long and run @ 30 fps.

. . . run the animation at low fps say 6 with delay between each frame by repeating the frames

Why put a delay between each frame, why not simply make the animation 3 fps with slider if that's what you are trying to achieve ?

famekrafts

Yes but if you use 20 of the same actor instances in the scene plus other characters it will start lagging. As you said depends on the scene.

Ya even that can be done but if there are 6 frames only, if there are uneven like 9 or eleven fps can be a problem. In that cases adding or subtracting frames will be required in such cases.

Socks

Yes but if you use 20 of the same actor instances in the scene plus other characters it will start lagging. As you said depends on the scene.

You can say that of anything !?

Never use red as a colour for actors.
But I use red all the time!?
Yes, but if you have 150 red actors in a scene it starts to lag.

Never use images bigger than 512 x 512
But I use bigger images all the time.
Yes, but if you have 50 actors using the image at same time plus 8 music tracks playing . . .

. . . etc etc

Ya even that can be done but if there are 6 frames only, if there are uneven like 9 or eleven fps can be a problem.

How are uneven frame rates problematic ?

In ths context, what problem does 3 fps have that 6 fps does not have ?

In that cases adding or subtracting frames will be required in such cases.

What is this problem that you feel adding or subtracting frames helps ?

famekrafts

Ah come on, stop pulling my leg

Socks

Ah come on, stop pulling my leg

?

It's a serious question, what is the problem you find with uneven frame rates ?

Socks

No . . . . I didn't think there would be an answer

If I am being honest, I think all this advice (Double frames / Avoid uneven frame rates / 8 frames max ? . . etc etc) is mistaken - (although I'm more than happy to be corrected) - and will only confuse new users.

sparkania

13fps is an unlucky frame rate..

famekrafts

Oh I can easily answer that with a sample but I think I will better spend my time on other things rather than trying to prove who is right and not. If you think that's a mistake, be my guest.

kaanuki

Exactly as Socks stated... I am trying to achieve something that actually requires 30-100 frames at 30fps. I am glad to know that you have achieved it and its possible.


I have another questions that I cant seem to find a clear answer to...

I want my game to work on Iphones and Ipads (starting with the iphone version). Do I have to create another version completely with bigger or smaller art, depending on the target device? How best to accomplish the multi device scenario?

Socks

Oh I can easily answer that with a sample but I think I will better spend my time on other things . . .

Or in other words you can't support these claims.

)

It's no big deal to me, but like I said it's probably not a great idea to put these kinds of ideas out there if, firstly, they are mistaken, and secondly you are not willing to support, expand on or clarify your claims, new users pick these kinds of ideas up fairly readily and end up spreading them.

But if you do find the time I'd be happy to look this sample you have.

Socks

13fps is an unlucky frame rate..

Definitely, avoid any frame rate with 'bad energy'.

Socks

Exactly as Socks stated... I am trying to achieve something that actually requires 30-100 frames at 30fps. I am glad to know that you have achieved it and its possible.

Just for your reference, GameSalad fame rates are pretty inaccurate, here is a list of claimed frame rates (the rate you set in the animation behaviour) and the actual rate it plays back at:

(Claimed = Actual)

30 fps = 23.5 fps

29 fps = 20.1 fps

28 fps = 20.1 fps

27 fps = 20.1 fps

26 fps = 20.1 fps

25 fps = 20.1 fps

24 fps = 20.1 fps

23 fps = 20.1 fps

22 fps = 20.1 fps

21 fps = 20.1 fps

20 fps = 16.5 fps

19 fps = 15.1 fps

18 fps = 15.1 fps

17 fps = 15.1 fps

16 fps = 15.1 fps

15 fps = 12.9 fps

14 fps = 12.1 fps

13 fps = 12.1 fps

12 fps = 10.9 fps

11 fps = 10.1 fps

10 fps = 9.1 fps

9 fps = 8.6 fps

8 fps = 7.6 fps

7 fps = 6.7 fps

6 fps = 5.7 fps

5 fps = 4.8 fps

4 fps = 4 fps

3 fps = 3 fps

2 fps = 2 fps

1 fps = 1 fps

I have another questions that I cant seem to find a clear answer to...

I want my game to work on Iphones and Ipads (starting with the iphone version). Do I have to create another version completely with bigger or smaller art, depending on the target device? How best to accomplish the multi device scenario?

There are a number of ways you can do this using things like resolution independence and overscanning, but the aspect ratio of an iPad compared to an iPhone 5 is so different that I'd be tempted to produce two versions, one for each device.

sparkania

I don't know much about Apple, but newer versions of Android (3.1+) have a scaling feature for making apps with lower resolutions to 'Full Screen' on tablets. I only mention this because while it does work, and usually without much screw-up, the graphic quality on an Image based game will suffer. Vector based games work better in that scenario but again.. GS is Image based..

So as Socks said, it might be better to produce an HD version, which if you set alot of your constraints right, wont be a terrible undertaking.

kaanuki

Hmmm... So let me ask -

When Im ready to finalize/publish the finished product, is there any type of compression by GS? WHat I mean is, If I import my graphics at double the size, and simply shrink them accordingly to fit the target screen sizes, will the finished game be the same size on both the iphone and ipad versions?

Socks

. . .If I import my graphics at double the size, and simply shrink them accordingly to fit the target screen sizes, will the finished game be the same size on both the iphone and ipad versions?

I don't understand that question.

There is no need to pre-emtively shrink graphics, just use resolution independence.

sparkania

I get his question, and the ultimate answer I believe is No.

GS will assemble that which you assigned, and how you assigned it. a zooming accessory in the device's OS will only zoom it from it's created form.

if you have an image let's say 200x200. and you assign this image to an actor at 100x100. Then you place it under a zoom feature, it will (I believe) zoom the 100x100 actor as it would appear in it's 100x100 form, just now bigger.

kaanuki

Let me clarify a bit...


I have started the project as an iphone landscape project (480x320). My main character is about 120x120, So I am importing the images for that character at 120x120. Now, I also want to target the ipad, but 120x120 is too small for the main character - he would need to be about double that size if I understand correctly.

So - should I go ahead and import the images at 240x240, and simply shrink them on the stage to 120x120 for the iphone version, and let the 'resolution indep.' option handle the enlargement for the ipad version? AND, in using bigger images from the beginning, will this make my iphone version's file size just as big as the ipad version's file size?

(* Note - Because there are so many images (due to the animations), I am trying to be a judicious as possible.)


I hope that was clearer...???

sparkania

perfectly clear. Unfortunately, No.

GS does not condense pixels, it merely reduces resolution when scaling actors. Even though the source image is of higher definition, You told GS to make it a lower definition, and that lower definition will then be multiplied for resolution independence. As if you zoomed in on your desktop icons, they don't get more defined, they just get bigger with what's there. Like putting a small video on Full Screen..

kaanuki

Regarding the animations and the loading of the associated graphics, what are the best practices as far as loading / 'pre-loading' the graphics for them?

I am using very few actual scenes, but rather loading most of the required actors and graphics using TABLES, based on the levels. How would you recommend using the "PRELOAD ART" behavior? Im still not very clear on it.

Thanks.