After image

Player_E

I just had a thought here at work and cant check into it on GS, but I have to get the question out.

is it possible to have an after image effect kinda like moving a glow stick in the dark?
im sure it would have to do with editing the opacity of multiple actors left behind the main one. just wondering if any one has tried this and if it works out.

BarkBarkCo

I would suggest playing with particles, but at the moment there is no easy way to get particles to generate BEHIND an actor...

If you don't mind stacking and constraining two actors to the same position, one to show in front and the other to sit in back and emit particles, I suggest looking at Eastbound's Tower Defense demo. It is the best example of getting a consistent stream (no annoying flicker) of particles I have seen yet.

http://gamesalad.com/game/play/56870

gyroscope

This can be done relatively easily in Photoshop, importing the image as usual:

An example of a glowing orb:
• Select new file with transparent background.
• Set, let's say, 5 layers
• On each layer, make a circle, but getting smaller on each layer
• Make them all yellow
• Set the opacities of each layer to (from smallest circle to largest) something like 100, 80, 60, 40, 20 percent
• save out as .png

And there you go; when seen on a black background, it'll look like a glowing orb

Alternatively, play around with the radial gradient tool, yellow to yellow, with the transparency set 100% and 20%

Certain you'll get some nice results using these methods, maybe not as impressive to see when you've used barkbark100's suggestion, but useful if all you need is a constant glow.

;-)

BarkBarkCo

@gyro, I got the impression that the OP was looking for more of a "glowing trail" than a simple glow. Your steps might still be valid for creating the graphical resource used with the particle system.

gyroscope

You could be right Brad; I just thought a glow stick that Player_E mentoned (or in my example, an orb) wouldn't leave a trail, so they'd be no need to involve the particle system... but hey, if it wasn't relevent, the info might still help someone else!

:-)

PS perhaps he meant a glowing stick, i.e a stick on fire...

BarkBarkCo

I was keying off the reference to "after image" which is like retinal burn-in ("screen burn-in" for the eyes)...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afterimage

gyroscope

Ah, see what you mean. Thanks for the link, though with respect i do know what an after image is: the words obviously didn't register when i read Player_E's post. I am dutifully whipping my back at this very moment... ;-)

:-)