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My secret (a particular tutorial) (Read 6931 times)

Started by Gladiacloud, March 05, 2019, 10:26:41 am
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Gladiacloud

My secret (a particular tutorial)
#1  March 05, 2019, 10:26:41 am
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Gladiacloud here.

From the day I became one of the best spriters in Mugen world, many of you have pointed out to me that I am very fast.

Well ... I think it's time to reveal my secret to you. ;)

This is a particular and original method that I invented many years ago.

Are you ready?

LET'S START!

1) Choose any graphics program you have. I recommend strongly GraphicsGale.

2) The first thing I do, is to open a new window. A very long window. I personally choose a length of 3000 pixels.



3) Then I choose the transparent color (whatever, but I prefer the green), and then I add layers. I much prefer to duplicate the main one, so I do not have to set the transparent color again.



4) Now I access the properties of the first layer and I decrease the opacity. The green background will still be there, but it will become invisible.


5) At this point, you have to zoom in and create lines that determine the proportions of the sprites.


6) Now you have to zoom in as many times as your eye is able to analyze the pixels to draw the sprites.


7) Now begins the most difficult part to explain, because the scroll bar will enter the scene (I have selected it with an orange box).


8) Now, you simply have to click on it once:


9) If you have the proportion lines still copied, you simply need to paste and move the pasted image with the arrow keys, then move it and click various times on scroll bar until the selection is aligned.


10) Now you have to paste the proportion lines along the entire length of the window. We got a sort of "timeline" for sprite animation.


11) Now, you just have to sprite, but since this is an example, we'll use Beast sprite made by me and Motorroach.


Under the beast sprite I added a kind of red cross: that cross is adjacent to the proportion lines.

12) Click on the scrollbar and paste the beast sprites so that the red cross rests on the proportion lines. Obviously, this must be done with the zoom.
If the zoom, the proportion lines and the sprites are well aligned, when you press the scroll bar the animation (if so we can call it) will be static. If it is static, it means that we have done well.


12) Just to give an example, we take every Beast sprite and select and move various areas randomly, then press the scroll bar until the end


And you've done it. You have created a sprite animation in a very simple way.

FINAL WARNING: Don't change the length of the window by clicking on the border at the left and at the right, or the "timeline" would mess up.

I hope this tutorial can be of much help to aspiring spriters.

See you next time!
 
Last Edit: March 05, 2019, 02:03:55 pm by Gladiacloud

Matatat

Re: My spriting secret (a particular tutorial)
#2  March 05, 2019, 11:02:40 am
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...What?

Nuroravage

Re: My spriting secret (a particular tutorial)
#3  March 05, 2019, 02:01:58 pm
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Cool! I always wondered how people animated sprites by cutting odd shapes and duplicating and filling in changes.  Thanks dude.
 Here is a link to graphics gale for anyone who doesn't have it
https://graphicsgale.com/us/download.html

TiE

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#4  March 05, 2019, 03:43:59 pm
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Thanks for the insight on your excellent spriting, Gladiacloud.

However, there are a few questions popping up for me:

1.) Regarding your pictures, you basically work in the upmost layer, including the alignment cross / separation frames, etc.
Do you clean these out by hand, when happy with the result?

Wouldn't it be easier to use another layer for those & just set it to invisible when done?
Also, why paste these on in fragments, instead of drawing the proportion lines through the whole 3k pixels?
I never used GraphicsGale, so please excuse if this due to GG.
Gimp allows to draw a straight line by holding SHIFT, same goes for moving stuff. There SHIFT freezes one axis.

2.) I'm well aware that you went easy on us, but what's the fourth layer for (actually the third for you)?
Only things I could come up with was either some secret you didn't tell or if you want to place something behind the "main" object, like an arm or FX for example...
Maybe you use it to fix gaps you produce when moving parts of the sprite, without directly painting into the sprite?


You might have already figured... I sometimes fail counting... Sorry!  :mhmm:

Again:
Thank you for this out of the sudden!

 :smitten:
[BGdef]
 ;Filename of sprite data
spr = stages/ ***.sff

Umezono

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#5  March 05, 2019, 03:53:24 pm
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Bastard Mami

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#6  March 05, 2019, 03:56:43 pm
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I remeber that back then, gfx gale would choke on me if I create an image that big; but nowadays I have 32 times more ram.
my method is (was?) similar to that one, except that I woudl use gfx gale's multiple frames/animation options, as the biggest reason I choose gale over other spriting software was that gale was oneof the two native windows apps that had layered animations.

Umezono said, March 05, 2019, 03:53:24 pm
Please refrain from commenting if you have nothing to contribute

A nicer answer asking to elaborate on what he did not understand would be good; but just posting "what" comes out as pretty rude, yeah.

Umezono

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#7  March 05, 2019, 04:20:05 pm
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Yeah I wasn't sure what the point of that post, if its asking for clarification they should just take the extra 2 seconds to clarify that.

Matatat

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#8  March 05, 2019, 07:19:00 pm
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You may be right. Sorry about that, I didn't understand it first and I thought it was a weird "joke" post.

Basara Lapis

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#9  March 05, 2019, 07:45:39 pm
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+1, I thought that was a kind of "how to draw" meme as this one, later I realized his tutorial was about how to animate static sprites instead how to draw them

Rest in peace, Toriyama-san...
Normal WIPS - ClayFighter - Ideas - Anti-Gouki Project - Lifebars - Facebook - X

WilliaMasterNo1

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#10  March 05, 2019, 07:53:42 pm
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Interesting tutorial.

Inactive user

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#11  March 06, 2019, 01:36:31 am
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It's very cool, many guys have interest to learn new techniques for improving their skills.
I hope give a MVC treatment for unknown soldier, I really wish make him a good char.

Inactive user

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#12  March 06, 2019, 07:49:22 am
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i'd like you had put the name of each tool you used at  this tutorial, however you taught the step by step, it´s missing the explanation about each tool icons.

sorry! my lack of skills, but this editing software is new for me.

the tutorial is good, but you could to have shown the result.

Gladiacloud

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#13  March 06, 2019, 09:07:22 am
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Basara Suede Goo said, March 05, 2019, 07:45:39 pm
+1, I thought that was a kind of "how to draw" meme as this one, later I realized his tutorial was about how to animate static sprites instead how to draw them

My tutorial is not about spriting, but about my personal method of spriting animation.

Unfortunately there will never be a precise tutorial on how to draw sprites. The existing tutorials give only some advice, the spriting itself is something that you learn over time.

Momotaro

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#14  March 06, 2019, 09:50:22 am
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Looks good!
Sure it's helpful.

I'm a little bit confused (perhaps because I'm not native english speaker) about this
move various areas randomly

I'm not sure to understand why??

Gladiacloud

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#15  March 06, 2019, 10:44:21 am
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Nedflandeurse said, March 06, 2019, 09:50:22 am
Looks good!
Sure it's helpful.

I'm a little bit confused (perhaps because I'm not native english speaker) about this
move various areas randomly

I'm not sure to understand why??

It's just to make the sprites different, since they are all the same in every "frame".

When you press the scroll bar, the sprite seems to be animated.

Matatat

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#16  March 06, 2019, 08:40:00 pm
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Just one question: How is it better than just using the animation feature in GraphicsGale? That way you don't have to do a timeline.

Inactive user

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#17  March 07, 2019, 05:09:43 am
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STAND ANIMATION created with Graphicsgale using a unique sprite with the tutorial of gladiacloud.

Really so fast.... i don't believe when i saw the animation working in few minutes and easier than before.

with the same standard and easier animates other areas showing the immediately result.

--------------------------------

i got it copying the new images and making alterations when it´s possible and seeing the result and fixing

the preview window show us how it´s looking and amplying the image it´s possible to see the errors and revamping them.

----------------------------------------

i used these tools to work on Graphicsgale:

LASSO = selects specific areas of sprite to make alterations that you need... example move a little parts without interfere at rest.
RECTANGULAR SELECTION - amazing tool!!! with this you select any part of char and can rotate it to build a new position.
PEN = used for you rebuild alterated parts on char, it´s possible with right button of mouse picks the exact color to rebuild missing parts of new sprite.
DUPLICATE = duplicates the sprite for you build a new to animation.
PREVIEW = shows the immediate result.

Last Edit: March 07, 2019, 08:38:29 am by Mazemerald.

Momotaro

Re: My secret (a particular tutorial)
#18  March 11, 2019, 10:20:33 pm
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Gladiacloud said, March 06, 2019, 10:44:21 am
Nedflandeurse said, March 06, 2019, 09:50:22 am
Looks good!
Sure it's helpful.

I'm a little bit confused (perhaps because I'm not native english speaker) about this
move various areas randomly

I'm not sure to understand why??

It's just to make the sprites different, since they are all the same in every "frame".

When you press the scroll bar, the sprite seems to be animated.

Oh, I see, so it's not really randomly.
It's more like to recreate some breath or something.
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