Scrolling Game Development Kit Forum

General => Off-Topic => Topic started by: Jam0864 on 2006-12-20, 03:15:29 PM

Title: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2006-12-20, 03:15:29 PM
I just discovered a program named Pivot. It is a great program to make stick figure animations. Instead of redrawing frames, you can just move certain body parts by using drag and drop. It so much easier and more enjoyable than animating stuff by drawing all the different frames. Here is an animation I just done in Pivot. http://www.box.net/public/4aquekbzrf It lasts for about 20 seconds and is pretty cool.
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: eric22222 on 2006-12-20, 04:40:13 PM
Heh, gotta say, that was... a pretty unexpected ending.

I'm pretty sure I've heard, er, read Sam talking about Pivot. Do you have to export it as a gif, or can you export the frames individually? Or better yet, what about movie files?
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2006-12-20, 07:24:25 PM
You can export as a gif, individual bitmaps, or a pivot file. (.piv) The individual bitmaps is good for use in SGDK, although you can't save as a bitmap tileset so each frame has to be imported seperately.
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: eric22222 on 2006-12-20, 08:19:28 PM
Rats... I was hoping that'd be able to make video files. I guess it'd be somewhat useful for GameDev animation, but probably more trouble than it's worth.

Still, a good program.
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2006-12-20, 09:46:04 PM
I turns out there was a newer version. I downloaded it in hope of new features, but only got bug fixes.
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: bat on 2006-12-21, 01:39:00 AM
lol Sam found that too... geeks think alike!
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: sam on 2007-01-05, 03:50:47 PM
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h228/sam_46/NASpar.gif (http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h228/sam_46/NASpar.gif)
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h228/sam_46/LoadedSpar.gif (http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h228/sam_46/LoadedSpar.gif)
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h228/sam_46/Ninja.gif (http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h228/sam_46/Ninja.gif)
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h228/sam_46/DefaultSparThing.gif (http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h228/sam_46/DefaultSparThing.gif)
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h228/sam_46/Rollin-Blunt-Kickflipout-Switch-180.gif (http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h228/sam_46/Rollin-Blunt-Kickflipout-Switch-180.gif)
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2007-01-05, 07:30:03 PM
Cool! I like I like. what is s2d?
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2007-01-05, 08:14:19 PM
The Deadly Clock

http://www.box.net/public/g2g8ah6nm0

NOTE:the other animation (Fight) is the same animation I posted in the first post.
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: sam on 2007-01-05, 10:00:59 PM
Thankyou. S2D = Sam2d. My username for most things. *Downloads Deadly Clock* Interesting animation you got there. :)
Here's a huge pivot group you might like if you're interested in animating. DarkDemon (http://forums.darkdemon.org)
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: bluemonkmn on 2007-01-06, 10:20:14 AM
It's funny we still rely on GIF for so many animations... it seems like such an antiquated way to do animation with so many limitations.  GIF is limited to 256 colors and therefore usually doesn't have very colorful or smooth animations, and no anti-aliasing.  But it's a widely supported format so I guess that's what people choose.  I see more web sites opting for flash now.  Anybody know how well supported Flash is?  I know it's a format for much more than animation, but it could be considered a few generations better than animated GIF if you're looking for an animation format.  If I understand correctly, it doesn't have to store raster images like GIF does and can draw vector graphics in real time, so you'd get better "compression" too.  I've been tempted to look for and try some free Flash editing utilities, but haven't had the time... are there good free Flash editors?
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: durnurd on 2007-01-06, 01:01:56 PM
Flash is an interesting demon.  It can and does support vertex graphics, but can also show real images, and real video, and is a sort of good way to stop people from stealing video from you if you put it online and know what you're doing.  I think another cool thing is the interactive part.  You can make interactive animations with Flash (something as simple as a follow-the-mouse thing, or as complex as a Flash-based game) as well as static animations.

Any good flash animators are not free that I could find.  The free ones mostly convert from one format to another, but don't actually do any editing.
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2007-01-07, 04:15:12 AM
The only thing I don't like about Gif's is that there is no sound.  :( Thanks for the link Sam. I went there and learnt how to do blood and decent firearms.  ;D After that I couldn't resist making this animation, Ultimate Fight.  :D http://www.box.net/public/g2g8ah6nm0 If only I could add sound effects.  :-[
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: sam on 2007-01-07, 11:11:09 AM
Why don't you try uploading your animations with Photobucket (http://www.photobucket.com) or Image Shack (http://www.imageshack.us). Then you can just link directly to the animation. And, you can add sound. You can use Movie Maker or Flash. There's fighting sound effect libraries on certain sites.
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2007-01-07, 05:44:10 PM
Whoa! Sound makes animations seem so much better! Never thought of Movie Maker. Just added sound, took a while but made it really cool. I tried image shack and it won't allow wmv.(I had to save as wmv to keep the sound) I'll try photo bucket later.
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: sam on 2007-01-07, 08:37:59 PM
I meant use Photobucket or Imageshack for uploading gifs. They only upload pictures...Photobucket, Imageshack
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2007-01-08, 07:38:53 PM
Good point.
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2007-01-08, 10:05:55 PM
Ultimate battle now has sound. There is a sound and a non-sound version, I recommend sound even though it adds another 400KB to the download. Same link as always http://www.box.net/public/g2g8ah6nm0
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2007-01-10, 04:52:07 AM
http://img147.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1combofiniscv7.gif
No need to download, now using imageshack. thanks Sam!
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: sam on 2007-01-10, 03:05:25 PM
Are you using Pivot 2? Or Pivot 3 Beta?
If you're using 2 then when you save as gif set frame delay to 6, it'll play faster.
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2007-01-10, 06:40:02 PM
It's wierd the frame delay is on 1 and it still goes slow. Frame delay 1 is the fastest right?
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: sam on 2007-01-10, 07:58:13 PM
You would think, but 6 is.
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2007-01-11, 12:31:40 AM
Yeh I changed it to 6 and nothing changed. Then I found out Windows Picture and Fax Viewer slows down Gif animations. So now I use internet explorer to open them and it works now, thanks!
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2007-01-12, 04:10:33 AM
1 vs 100
http://www.pivothost.org/upload/v2/Jam0864/1_vs_100l3uw.gif
It took 3 days to create this in Pivot because it is 431 frames long!
NOTE I didn't create the stick figures. I downloaded them from http://droidz.org and put them in my own animation.

The Martial Art of Guns
http://www.pivothost.org/upload/v2/Jam0864/The_Martial_Art_of_Gunsxh88.gif
This animation is really short but still cool. I actually created the sticks in this.
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2007-01-24, 03:57:12 AM
2 new ones.

Power isn't everything
http://www.pivothost.org/upload/v2/Jam0864/Power_isnt_everythingezj.gif

Ninja
http://www.pivothost.org/upload/v2/Jam0864/Ninja3bh7.gif
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: Jam0864 on 2007-01-25, 07:48:22 AM
Dakar Rally (motorbike test}
http://www.pivothost.org/upload/v2/Jam0864/Dakar_Rally!bue7.gif
This animations link has to be copied into the address bar because it won't work properly when you click it.
Title: Re: Animation
Post by: bat on 2007-02-03, 08:57:31 PM
guess wut? 
you can load those gif's into msn messenger as emoticons!!! 

just figured out how: