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Quick question: How many frames do the merc animations have?[message #350545]
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Fri, 11 August 2017 12:11
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Xubor |
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Messages:27
Registered:March 2008 |
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Hi Bears,
I would like to now how many single pictures were drawn to animate the mercs (big body, normal body, woman). Must be thousands, right? Does anybody know?
Thanks in Advance!
Xubor
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Private 1st Class
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Re: Quick question: How many frames do the merc animations have?[message #350553 is a reply to message #350551]
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Fri, 11 August 2017 22:24
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Flugente |
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Messages:3509
Registered:April 2009 Location: Germany |
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There are about 362 different total animations at the moment, though not nearly all of them are used for the same bodytype, and some might be copies of others. For the relevant bodytpes, I'd say you are looking at ~200-250 different animations (this includes dying animations etc.). As smeagol said, each animation has to be done for 8 directions and can range from 8 to 25 or more pictures. So even if you are extremely conservative, you'd end up at 200 * 8 * 8 = 12.8k pictures for just one bodytype.
This likely makes it easier to understand why have to fall back to crude hacks in order to get any new visual stuff.
I know now that it could never work between us, as much as we wanted to, it could never be! Not because you're a rabbit, but because you're black.
If you want, you can donate to me. This will not affect how and what I code, and I will not code specific features in return. I will be thankful though.Report message to a moderator
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Re: Quick question: How many frames do the merc animations have?[message #350565 is a reply to message #350564]
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Sat, 12 August 2017 14:49
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Flugente |
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Messages:3509
Registered:April 2009 Location: Germany |
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Eh. What? The volume of animations IS the issue. At least since I've been active here we haven't exactly had volunteers to do new animations.
ShangaIt's the fact that game only uses 3-4 body types for all NPCs and any changes were replicated through the entire set. ???
Animations to specific characters? You mean for individual mercs? Could be done. Mind you, we have 2 versions of the big merc because Sirtech thought it prudent to create a new bodytype even though they only differ in one animation or so (which could have been done much easier, but here we are).
I'm not exactly sure what you are referring to - perhaps I misunderstand you - but from my point of view, the issue blocking new animations is purely that nobody is willing to create them as they require so many pictures. Adding new animations also requires quite a bit of code (animations basically have bits of code that 'accompany them', so that, for example, a moving merc switches their tile on the correct animation). New animations always require accompanying code, but I, and I assume other coders as well, would gladly handle that part.
I know now that it could never work between us, as much as we wanted to, it could never be! Not because you're a rabbit, but because you're black.
If you want, you can donate to me. This will not affect how and what I code, and I will not code specific features in return. I will be thankful though.Report message to a moderator
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Re: Quick question: How many frames do the merc animations have?[message #350579 is a reply to message #350571]
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Sun, 13 August 2017 15:11
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Flugente |
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Messages:3509
Registered:April 2009 Location: Germany |
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I am not talking about new bodytypes. I am talking about adding new animations for existing bodytypes, like new melee attacks (maces, swords, martial attack animation for females, new death animations, going from standing to prone while still aiming). The only issue is that nobody is willing to create the required ton of pictures.
I know now that it could never work between us, as much as we wanted to, it could never be! Not because you're a rabbit, but because you're black.
If you want, you can donate to me. This will not affect how and what I code, and I will not code specific features in return. I will be thankful though.Report message to a moderator
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Re: Quick question: How many frames do the merc animations have?[message #350591 is a reply to message #350586]
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Mon, 14 August 2017 12:56
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Hawkeye |
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Messages:2416
Registered:October 2005 Location: Australia |
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It's still a lot of work either way and has been discussed many times before. As Shanga says once animations are done it is just a case of rendering frames at different camera angles, (if you don't count sourcing a good jointed model to begin with) or rather rotating the bodytype so shadows and lighting cast correctly. It is the animation itself that will take the most effort, I don't have a definite list but just start to think about them, shoot pistol, shoot rifle, run with rifle, run with pistol, walk, idle, talk into radio, death, hit, on and on. Pretty much standard anims for any action game. I suspect Sir Tech also would have needed to retouch a number of frames back in the day too, as rendering at such a small resolution would have come out very rough and ready back then for any 3D program.
I've worked on games for over 20 years and know how much work is involved including the old days of pixel pushing, which is why I haven't offered to start from scratch either, or been surprised so many have offered but then given up when reality of the task is realised.
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Re: Quick question: How many frames do the merc animations have?[message #350593 is a reply to message #350592]
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Mon, 14 August 2017 20:57
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Deleted. |
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Messages:2663
Registered:December 2012 Location: Russian Federation |
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For manual animation changing, batch conversion with sticom.exe is possible - you just run a script that converts sti to a set of bmp pictures, edit them in paint or photoshop and then batch convert back to sti, if you don't change the picture sizes, they will have correct offsets again.
At least one example of nearly full new bodytype is known - bigmale for RR mod, painted by hand by a very patient person. Also many new animations where added to 1.13, like double ready pistols, LAW crouched shooting or prone cowering, so it's definitely possible.
Also there is unfinished male with sleeves project, so if someone wants to check his painting madskillz in photoshop and has some free time for meditative work he can take that project and make some missing animations. Technically it's extremely easy, just tedious.
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