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Pixel Art / Re: A first go at a character: animated spaceman.
« on: June 16, 2019, 07:29:10 pm »
Hi daramon!
That's an adorable little spaceman.
Here are some thoughts about the animations:
It appears as though the spaceman is stopping for a frame as his foot hits the ground. I think it would be helpful to make sure that for every frame that the spaceman's foot (do this for each foot) is touching the ground even partially, it is moving a specific amount of pixels. While the foot is in the air, though, definitely give it a bit of a pendulum motion.
In most cases, a person's gait is pretty constant throughout the entire cycle, and it's especially true for games where the sprite moves at a constant rate. Keeping the foot movement (while it's touching the ground at least) the same across all frames will help prevent a conveyor belt/stutter sort of effect from happening while the character is moving in the level.
Right now the spaceman appears to be jumping forward. I'm not sure how the game is going to use the jumping mechanic, but usually, the animation is designed to be used for jumping straight up into the air as well as forward. If you're designing the jump mechanic to act like other platformers, I'd say try a straight up and down jumping animation because it'll look the best in-game while the player is bunny-hopping around and switching directions mid jump.
Your spaceman is breathing too quickly for it to look natural at the moment. I'd say pause the animation for three frames at the point where his lungs are completely full and the point where his lungs are completely empty.
Also, it looks like his head is tilting back a frame before his lungs are full. Try swapping that so that the head tilts back one frame after his lungs are full instead. His diaphragm should be doing most of the work here, and his head should follow it not pull it.
If you want to be a little extra, you could shorten the length of the reflection on the middle frame by a pixel or two to try to account for the curve of the visor, but I don't think it's necessary. I think you handled the reflection on his helmet great.
That's an adorable little spaceman.
Here are some thoughts about the animations:
- Running animation
It appears as though the spaceman is stopping for a frame as his foot hits the ground. I think it would be helpful to make sure that for every frame that the spaceman's foot (do this for each foot) is touching the ground even partially, it is moving a specific amount of pixels. While the foot is in the air, though, definitely give it a bit of a pendulum motion.
In most cases, a person's gait is pretty constant throughout the entire cycle, and it's especially true for games where the sprite moves at a constant rate. Keeping the foot movement (while it's touching the ground at least) the same across all frames will help prevent a conveyor belt/stutter sort of effect from happening while the character is moving in the level.
- Jumping animation
Right now the spaceman appears to be jumping forward. I'm not sure how the game is going to use the jumping mechanic, but usually, the animation is designed to be used for jumping straight up into the air as well as forward. If you're designing the jump mechanic to act like other platformers, I'd say try a straight up and down jumping animation because it'll look the best in-game while the player is bunny-hopping around and switching directions mid jump.
- Breathing animation
Your spaceman is breathing too quickly for it to look natural at the moment. I'd say pause the animation for three frames at the point where his lungs are completely full and the point where his lungs are completely empty.
Also, it looks like his head is tilting back a frame before his lungs are full. Try swapping that so that the head tilts back one frame after his lungs are full instead. His diaphragm should be doing most of the work here, and his head should follow it not pull it.
- Scanning animation
If you want to be a little extra, you could shorten the length of the reflection on the middle frame by a pixel or two to try to account for the curve of the visor, but I don't think it's necessary. I think you handled the reflection on his helmet great.