To edit a player set's animation sequences, select the Animation Sequences tab in the Player Sets Window. The Animation Sequences tab contains various controls, including list boxes filed with the player set's various animation sequences and frames, image wells displaying the selected frame, and fields for entering numerical properties. Each of these controls is explained below. For detailed explanations of certain aspects of player set animation, refer to the Additional Notes section below.
Sequences List Box
The Sequences list box contains a listing of the selected player set's animation sequences. The frames belonging to the selected sequence appear in the Frames list box directly to the right. A complete player set contains over 80 animation sequences. These sequences show the player aiming, moving, and attacking in eight directions, as well as falling, dying, climbing, and transferring from one action to another. An overview of the Player Set sequences follows. Note that if the Mirror Left Frames Checkbox is checked, the animation sequences showing the player aiming to the right will not be listed. The selection of animation sequences will be further restricted if any of the Can Attack checkboxes are unchecked within the Combat Options section of the Additional Options panel.
Aiming Down Sequences
These animation sequences show the player aiming downwards while standing and accelerating:
Aim Down Facing Left
Aim Down Facing Right
Aim Down Left
Aim Down Right
Aim DownLeft Accel
Aim DownRight Accel
Aiming Left Sequences
These animation sequences show the player aiming to the left while standing, accelerating, and falling:
Aim Left
Aim Left Accel
Aim Left Dead
Aim Left Dying
Aim Left Falling Back
Aim Left Falling Dying
Aiming Right Sequences
These animation sequences show the player aiming to the right while standing. accelerating, and falling:
Aim Right
Aim Right Accel
Aim Right Dead
Aim Right Dying
Aim Right Falling Back
Aim Right Falling Dying
Aiming Up Sequences
These animation sequences show the player aiming upwards while standing and accelerating:
Aim Up Facing Left
Aim Up Facing Right
Aim Up Left
Aim Up Right
Aim UpLeft Accel
Aim UpRight Accel
Attacking Sequences
These animation sequences show the player attacking while aiming in various directions. Some attack animation sequences show the player running; others show the player in a stationary attack position:
Attack Down Facing Left
Attack Down Facing Right
Attack Down Left
Attack Down Right
Attack DownLeft Accel
Attack DownRight Accel
Attack Left
Attack Left Accel
Attack Right
Attack Right Accel
Attack Up Facing Left
Attack Up Facing Right
Attack Up Left
Attack Up Right
Attack UpLeft Accel
Attack UpRight Accel
Descending While Aiming Left Sequences
These animation sequences show the player descending through the air while aiming to the left:
Descend Left Aim Down
Descend Left Aim DownLeft
Descend Left Aim Left
Descend Left Aim Up
Descend Left Aim UpLeft
Descend Left Attack DnLt
Descend Left Attack Down
Descend Left Attack Left
Descend Left Attack Up
Descend Left Attack UpLt
Descending While Aiming Right Sequences
These animation sequences show the player descending through the air while aiming to the right:
Descend Right Aim Down
Descend Right Aim DownRt
Descend Right Aim Right
Descend Right Aim Up
Descend Right Aim UpRt
Descend Right Attack DnRt
Descend Right Attack Down
Descend Right Attack Rt
Descend Right Attack Up
Descend Right Attack UpRt
Jumping While Aiming Left Sequences
These animation sequences show the player jumping upwards while aiming to the left:
Jump Left Aim Down
Jump Left Aim DownLeft
Jump Left Aim Left
Jump Left Aim Up
Jump Left Aim UpLeft
Jump Left Attack DnLt
Jump Left Attack Down
Jump Left Attack Left
Jump Left Attack Up
Jump Left Attack UpLt
Jump Left Falling Back
Jumping While Aiming Right Sequences
These animation sequences show the player jumping upwards while aiming to the right:
Jump Right Aim Down
Jump Right Aim DownRt
Jump Right Aim Right
Jump Right Aim Up
Jump Right Aim UpRt
Jump Right Attack DnRt
Jump Right Attack Down
Jump Right Attack Right
Jump Right Attack Up
Jump Right Attack UpRt
Jump Right Falling Back
Miscellaneous
These animation sequences show the player completing miscellaneous actions. The transitional frames collection contains frames that are used to transfer from one action to another:
Climbing
Transitional Frames
Frame Editing Controls
The Frames List Box, combined with the Image and Mask wells and the Add Frame, Remove Frame, and Generate Mask buttons, comprise the frame editing controls. For more information on using these kinds of controls, see the Using Image Wells part of the Common Production Tasks section.
Mirror Left Frames CheckBox
Determines whether the frames showing the player facing to the left will be mirrored to create the frames showing the player facing to the right. This option reduces the number of player animation frames, improves game loading performance, and saves memory, but disallows asymmetry within the player sprite.
Projectile and Shell Casing Origin Controls
These controls are used to determine the initial location of projectiles and Shell Casings in relation to the position of the player sprite. Each attacking sequence has its own projectile and shell casing origin.
The projectile and shell casing origin points are indicated on the picture in the Image well as small blue and gray squares. As an alternative to entering values in the projectile and shell casing origin fields, these squares may be dragged into the desired positions.
Attack Frame Field
Determines which frame of each animation sequence of the selected type coincides with the firing of the projectile. Different Attack Frame values can be assigned to standing attack sequences, running attack sequences, and jumping attack sequences. This field is only visible when an attacking animation sequence is selected.
Stopping Offset Field
When the player stops walking forward, his sprite is shifted this many pixels forward to compensate for the apparent backward shift that results from the anchoring of the player's origin to his back side, an effect that occurs if his sprite is not as wide when standing still as when walking.
Animation Loops Checkbox
Determines whether the selected animation sequence loops when complete. If this box is not checked, the sequence will play through to its end and then remain on the last frame. This option only applies to standing and jumping animation sequences.
Additional Notes
Frame Anchoring
Most animation sequences in Power Game Factory are anchored to the left, meaning that if a given frame is wider than the one that came before it, the left sides of the frames will be aligned, and the right side of each frame will extend to a different location.
Certain sequences, including those used by projectiles and contrails, grow from the center, allowing objects to smoothly expand or contract in all directions.
The anchoring scheme used by player and character animation sequences, however, is subject to change depending upon the direction in which the character is facing. If the character is aiming to the left, the sequence will be anchored to the right, and if the character is aiming to the right, the sequence will be anchored to the left. In this way, the character's back side is always aligned, while the position of his front side is subject to change.
Running Attack Considerations
Some weapons may allow the player to attack while running. Such an attack will not consist of a completely separate animation sequence. Instead, it will appear as a single frame. Because of this limitation, sophisticated attacks involving wind-up and follow-through are not possible while running. Very fast attacks such as gunshots are much more suitable, especially if the player's weapon is already drawn and aimed during the running sequence. A gun attack frame, for example, could look very much like a non-attack frame; the only difference might be a small flame bursting out of the gun's barrel.
This single-frame limitation stems from need to avoid interrupting the player's leg turnover animation during the attack; it would be impossible to maintain the fluidity of a running sequence while introducing a multi-framed attack animation at an arbitrary time.
A single attack frame, however can be seamlessly inserted into the player's running sequence. This is achieved by establishing a selection of several attack frames: one for each running frame. The exact frame used during the attack will depend on the current running frame. Therefore it is important that the number of frames in a running attack sequence match the number of frames in the basic running sequence, and that each frame's appearance correspond to the associated running frame.
Since this system does not permit complex attack sequences, weapons that do not allow the player to run while firing may be more desirable. (This change can be made with the Player Can Run While Firing Weapon checkbox, which is in the Weapons Window, under the Behavior tab.) To ensure that attack animation sequences are carried out in their entirety, uncheck the Attack Sequences May Be Interrupted checkbox, in the Additional Options tab of the Player Sets Window. This option prevents the player from performing any other action until the attack has been completed. Note however, that if the player is made to wait for a long attack animation to finish, the perceived responsiveness of the game's controls will be reduced.