2D Character Tutorial UT2k4
From Moviesandbox
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
<h1>Introduction</h1> | <h1>Introduction</h1> | ||
in this document, we will show you how to create your 2D-Character and set it up so it works inside Moviesandbox. | in this document, we will show you how to create your 2D-Character and set it up so it works inside Moviesandbox. | ||
| - | This Tutorial requires knowledge of the Unreal Editor and Moviesandbox, so please be sure you feel familiar with those tools before creating your own characters. For beginner tutorials, go visit the [[Tutorials]] page. | + | This Tutorial requires knowledge of the Unreal Editor and Moviesandbox, so please be sure you feel familiar with those tools before creating your own characters.<br> |
| + | For beginner tutorials, go visit the [[Tutorials]] page. | ||
<h3>How 2D-Characters are set up</h3> | <h3>How 2D-Characters are set up</h3> | ||
Revision as of 19:42, 9 April 2006
Contents |
Introduction
in this document, we will show you how to create your 2D-Character and set it up so it works inside Moviesandbox.
This Tutorial requires knowledge of the Unreal Editor and Moviesandbox, so please be sure you feel familiar with those tools before creating your own characters.
For beginner tutorials, go visit the Tutorials page.
How 2D-Characters are set up
The 2D-Characters in Moviesandbox are basically a set of textures that are drawn on the screen. The angle from which you look at the character, the characters own rotation and the state the character is in (i.e. walking, idling, animating) dfine the texture that is displayed.
It works pretty much like the character display in the very first version of the game DOOM from idSoftware[1].
Right now, Moviesandbox treats every 2D-Character as a 4-sided object, so you would need 4 textures for a fully functioning character.
Here's an example of what an Idle texture from the front and from the side might look like.
Obviously, you would want to use Alpha channels on the textures, and a texture sequence instead of just one static texture.
Moviesandbox uses its own naming convention to keep track of the different textures that below to the same character.
Creating a simple character
As mentioned above, Moviesandbox treats 2D characters as if they would have only 4 sides, thus, each characters must have a texture for each side. In addition to that, every character has at least three states - moving, idling and animating.
Every state needs textures for all 4 sides of the character to display correctly, which leaves you with 12 textures or texture sequences to be generated.
Fill in example character textures here
Once you have your textures set up, import them into UnrealEd in your own package and follow the naming convention described below.
File Naming conventions
Every Texture's name consists of the character name followed by the side and then the state that the texture represents. To make life easier and filenames smaller, the following abbreviations are used:
for the 4 sides:
- F=Front
- L=Left
- R=Right
- B=Back
and for the 3 states:
- Idl=Idle
- Wlk=Walk
- Ani=Animate
To sum things up, you should follow this syntax when naming your character:
<p>
filename_XAAA_A00 whereas X is the side the texture represents and AAA is the state name the texture is for and A00 is the beginning of your texture sequence.
Examples:
Garry_FWlk_A00 is the character Garry, depicting the front part of the character while walking.
Tobias_LIdl_A00 is the character Tobias, depicting the Left Side of the character while standing.
