For all of those amateur plug-in designers out there, here's a tip for inputing sprites. Make the Ysize and Xsize of each sprite a multiple of eight. I learned this after many weeks of trying to get my sprite right and then reading the EV Bible (something I should have done long ago.)
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Do I talk too much?
DoItalktoofast?
Do I ask too many questions?
I wonder...
Quote
Originally posted by MikeMTL:
**For all of those amateur plug-in designers out there, here's a tip for inputing sprites. Make the Ysize and Xsize of each sprite a multiple of eight. I learned this after many weeks of trying to get my sprite right and then reading the EV Bible (something I should have done long ago.)
**
Got anymore tips? Christ, I really suck at sprites. I got my image dimensions to multiples of eight, and used makespin to create my sprite. It failed miserably and the mask sucked.
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webkid, don't use makespin. Render all your frames and put them together using Pics2Sprites or other program. It's really the only good way.
MikeMTL: good advice by example for everyone - read the EV Bible before making a plugin.
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Quote
Originally posted by Weepul 884:
**webkid, don't use makespin. Render all your frames and put them together using Pics2Sprites or other program. It's really the only good way.
MikeMTL: good advice by example for everyone - read the EV Bible before making a plugin.
**
ok, i'll try. what 3d program do you use? i need a good one.
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i've heard good things about strata 3d, but never tried it. mechanisto is quite good, esp. as a starting point- it's easy to use and does a decent job (and it's free, so you don't lose anything if you decide you don't like it). i use infini-d and i think it's great (of course, it got a whole lot better a few months ago when i decided to at least skim the manual and found all kinds of features i had wished it had for a few years), but it was expensive and it's oop now
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if tin whistles are made of tin, what's a fog horn made of?
other free stuff: you can get an older version of Pixels3d from (url="http://"http://www.pixels3d.com;")www.pixels3d.com;(/url) (url="http://"http://www.idevgames.com")www.idevgames.com(/url) currently has a link for free downloading of an older version of Amapi3d. Both of them are fairly powerful, although not the most intuitive apps out there.
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Hey! MakeSpin works excellent! It handles all sizes of sprite images, makes all the masks which by the way can be fixed afterwards. I always worked with it and it's great.
My 3d software is Cinema4D XL. (hahahahahaaaa)
I use Strata 3D and a wonderful program called m2s (movies to sprites.) I've made many brilliant sprites with them. Here's how:
1. Model your ship
2. Make sure it's all grouped
3. Put the camera view to top using the pop-up menu
4. Create a new camera from view using the pop-up menu at the top right of the window
5. Make sure the ship is facing toward the top of your monitor
6. Go to the project window make the number inside the parenthesis (next to the film strip icon) 36
7. Change the number outside the parenthesis to 10
8. In the Object Properties window, click the transform tab, then click the radio button with the round arrow and change the number on the y axis to -90 and hit return on the keyboard the ship should be facing the right now
9. Now, change the number outside the parenthesis to 19 and change the rotation degrees to 180 and hit return
10. Change the outside number to 28 and rotate 90 degrees
11. Change to 36 and rotate 10 degrees.
12. Change the aspect ratio to 1.00: 1 (Square)
13. Go to the rendering menu and go to render. A window should pop-up. At the top pop-up menu go to retracing and then to best
14. Click the all radio button and click on render
15. Save it as a QuickTime Movie and hit Okay
15. A movie should come up with your ship spinning around once.
16. Go (url="http://"http://www.sutherland-studios.com.au/family/evo_software.html")here(/url) and download m2s.
17. Drop your movie over m2s holding down the option key and enter in the sprite sizes (multiple of eight) and click okay
18. It should save your movie as a simple text file as a sprite and mask.
Hint: read the read me that comes with m2s.
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Do I talk too much?
DoItalktoofast?
Do I ask too many questions?
I wonder...
(This message has been edited by MikeMTL (edited 06-13-2001).)
(This message has been edited by MikeMTL (edited 06-13-2001).)
A good tip for masking:
To easily make a perfect mask, render a picture of your ship with texture ambiance set to 100% (the ship will be all white) and render it against a black background. Then simply rotate it 35 times and poof! Instant mask!
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"I don't want to insist on it, Dave, but I am incapable of making an error" - HAL 9000
Quote
Originally posted by MikeMTL:
**For all of those amateur plug-in designers out there, here's a tip for inputing sprites. Make the Ysize and Xsize of each sprite a multiple of eight. I learned this after many weeks of trying to get my sprite right and then reading the EV Bible (something I should have done long ago.)
**
Actually, it's just the X that needs to be divisible by 8. The Y can be anything. And on masks - kids, I highly reccomend that you learn how to use alpha channels. Almost all 3D programs support them, and they make post-rendering a snap. After the sprites are done being rendered, I just sit back and let an automated Photoshop do all the work while I remeber the agony of making sprites in (url="http://"http://www.meowxcat.f2s.com/fedcru")the past(/url)...
-david-
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(url="http://"http://www.meowx.com")Meowx Design Studios(/url)
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