I'm ready to animate my characters but not sure which route to take...

fisheronaboat

Hi

I'm new at GameSalad and looking to create my first educational app.

I have created my characters in photoshop and layered them, so separate arms, legs, eyes, etc... Ready for animation.

These are no vectors and was planing to animate them in flash and export the animation as a PNG sequence.

Is this good practice for then placing them in my GameSalad app? Or should I recreate them as vectors and export a vector animation such as swf to import into GameSalad? The animations will be simple movements in 2D.

Sorry if these questions are a bit novice but would like to make sure the app is not slow running for users.

Thanks

F

Socks

Gamesalad does not support SWF files, take the PNG sequence route.

BoomshackBarry

You can't import swf or any other vectors in to Gamesalad right now. The most common formats used are png, tga (a very new feature) and to a lesser extent jpg. Seeing as you already have the images in bitmap format I'd say it's not worth redrawing them as vectors, unless you need the extra flexibility that vector offers before importing to Gamesalad, for example being able to scale the graphics before exporting as bitmaps.

Performance wise, png files are generally smaller file sizes but cause longer loading times in the game because of the way they are compressed, whereas tga files are generally larger file sizes, but aren't as compressed so the game will load quicker. It's down to personal preference which is a better trade off, or mixing the two. Jpegs are sometimes used for background art due to their small file sizes, but are a lossy format so they generally don't get used much for main game art because of the compression artifacts.

edit: beaten by @Socks!

Socks

@Boomshackbarry

TGAs aren't in the official release yet.

fisheronaboat

Thanks guys for the quick response. Where can I find the specifications for creating assets to import into GameSalad? For example, should the png or tga sequence be 25fps or 30fps or else. Stage size, etc...

So if GameSalad accepts png or tga sequences, does it mean I can use After Effects ot add a smoother feel to the animation like RSMB(real smart blur)?

I'm intending to create the app for ipads and androids.

Thank you in advance!

F

Socks

...should the png or tga sequence be 25fps or 30fps or else.

TGAs are not currently supported by GameSalad.

You set the frame rate once you import the image sequence into Gamesalad, the fastest playback speed using the animation behaviour is 23.5fps (which is labelled 30fps).

Stage size...

Make sure your images stick with the powers-of-2 rules (keep dimensions within 2 4 8 16 32 64 128 (etc) pixels . . .)

.So if GameSalad accepts png or tga sequences, does it mean I can use After Effects ot add a smoother feel to the animation like RSMB(real smart blur)?

Yes.

fisheronaboat

Awesome, thank you very much

GSAnimator

PNG sequence is a good way
take look this Demo:

http://arcade.gamesalad.com/g/112296

BoomshackBarry

@fisheronaboat my mistake for sending you on the wrong path there. To clarify tga files are a new feature of the nightly build Gamesalad releases, but they haven't made it to the official release yet. It's likely they will soon though once the feature is proven to be working well. I'm getting ahead of myself!