What do you think about these modular animations.

[mode7]

I've recently been thinking again about how much I love point and click adventures and how much I want to do one someday.
The biggest problem for me have always been animations. They're tedious to do and if you're not into pixel animations like me doing them the traditional way takes a lot of patience and practice. I have neither of which so I've always been looking for ways to cheat
Modular animations are such a way. Why draw a leg 15 time when you can draw it once and translate it into the right position? Have a look at Odin's Sphere to see this pulled of perfectly klick! The problem with these animations is that you can't do foreshortening so  you're perfectly fine as long as you do a side view but when it comes to the front and back views it will look weird.
Still the advantadges are so tempting: Keyframing, Unlimted frames, Very detailed sprites and most importantly: You can reuse animations. So down there you can see the same animations with three different characters applied - all made from a template. Took me each about 45min for the template and another 5 to tweak the animation to the character. The animation itself took about 90mins.

You probably also see the disadvantages - yet tell me: Would you play a game with such animations (Side view will look much better!) or is it rather anoying?

[arj0n]

I would probably play the game with such animations. After you've released the full version of Concurrence
But seriously, these animation aren't that bad at all.
Can you upload (one of) the sideview animations?

[mode7]

Still have to do the sideways ones. But I've done plenty of them for games before - they're not a problem.

Concurrence is not dead don't you worry. I'm just in a job situation that gives me little time to work on it - will take a little more time.

[arj0n]

Glad to see Concurrence isn't dead

[Eric]

Having heard similar complaints about the first sprite I shared here, I hesitate to say, but I feel like they have an extra bounce in between steps, and roll their shoulders a bit too much. It makes them look a little Tony Manero.

Still, these are minor concerns compared to the amount of work this will likely save you. I've used this sort of trick for side views, but haven't pulled it off as well as you for front views yet.

[Problem]

They don't look too bad. But i think they would work better on less detailed characters with simple shading. With your characters, I would expect that the shading on the arms and legs changes with every frame - it looks unnatural if it doesn't.
But I think the main problem with these animations is that the legs and arms are the only things that are animated. The torso and head are too stiff. Though I guess the movement of the head would have to be hand-painted to look acceptable.

[Tosek]

Which tool do you use to do these animations? Can you explain some details?

[Adeel]

These animations look good, mode7 . In a manner, these animations remind of Barelt Floating. Perhaps AJA used modular animation too?

The feet's movement looks good so does the hands' one too . The shoulders' movement needs some tweaking. Because, currently, the shoulders' movement give the impression that characters are doing some sort of dance steps.

Which tool do you use to do these animations? Can you explain some details?

+1. I want to know that too. It would be great to use this program/tool. It'll take all of my animation woes away.

[mode7]

I'll have a look at the shoulder and head animations. Of course you could combine this animations with frame animation. For example I could a draw a few frames for the head and use them inside the animation. It depends how much time you want to invest.
The software I'm using is Anime Studio Pro. Basically because that's what I always used. Actually I don't need most of its features.
Interesting alternatives which do the same are Spine by Esoteric Software or Brashmonkey's Spriter. The last two are especially targeted at games developement and realtime rendering, but they also render to images.
If you're interested how I do these maybe I'll record some footage of me doing the sideways animations.

[dactylopus]

I think they look good.

As others have mentioned, the head could use a bit of a bounce on each step (and possibly hair on some characters), and the shoulders pop up a bit too much.  The first character has a slight issue with his right arm (on our left) where it keeps popping behind his body.  I wouldn't worry too much about shading issues, especially if this is their final size.  Don't forget, however, that not all characters will walk alike.

Keep at it.  With a little refinement, these will work really well in a game.  I would actually have no problem playing a game with these characters.

[mode7]

So did I say sideviews are easier? Well they aren't really. Actually I didn't quite work out as well as I expected it to. I think the problem is, that the torso has to move too.
I'll fix this eventually. Anyway, here is the animation - it took from painting the sprite to importing it into AGS about 90min. So be aware that there's some refinement missing.
I did a recording of it which is currently uploading to youtube. You can see it here. Feel free to ask any questions.

[Renal Shutdown]

His left hand is odd.  It starts to move forward, then disappears.  His right hand teleports from the back to the front.  I'm not sure if that's because they're not mirroring correctly, or you've just skipped it to get an example out.

[mode7]

I tried to fix some of the issues- Not sure about the head bobbing though...

[dactylopus]

Not bad.  I think the pants look a bit funny, since the torso part doesn't move at all.  It looks like he has a flap over his hip.

Aside from that, good job!  He looks really nice when you get him in AGS and walk him around.

[Renal Shutdown]

Hands, same issue.

[Anian]

I always like the feel of a nicely animated sprite, you know, frame by frame...just kind of has more "soul". Again, with extra attention, anything can look nice (by that I mean that with enough effort it can look almost as fluid as manually animated stuff).

Problem is, with lower resolutions, you can't really do much, because even rotation morphs the original significantly. Flash games use it though and most modern cartoons.

[Problem]

It still looks somewhat stiff and artificial. I think with some tweaking it could look really nice, but then optimising these modular animations might take just as much time as drawing them frame by frame.

[Snarky]

I tried to fix some of the issues- Not sure about the head bobbing though...

You've really captured that "pudgy Indy walking with an invisible cane" feel so many fan games are going for.

...

Sorry, but I think both the sprite and walkcycle could use quite a bit of work. I know these are just tests, though. As for the technique... well, it looks like what it is. Not as nice as hand-drawn animation, but with proper tweaking it shouldn't look too bad (as long as you don't look closely), I guess. In any case, if it gets you past whatever barrier is blocking you from making the game you want, go for it! It might not be up to the standards of Bill Tiller, or Shane Stevens, but it looks good enough that most people won't mind as long as the game itself is good.

[dactylopus]

I see what you mean, Snarky. he looks like he walks with a bit of a limp.  I thought it might have just been internet delay, but alas, I think it's the walk cycle.

[Renal Shutdown]

You've really captured that "pudgy Indy walking with an invisible cane" feel so many fan games are going for.

That is quite possibly the most hilarious critique I've ever read.

As for the images themselves, can you cobble together a simple line art/block color version for use to see?  Perhaps with a very mild checkerboard pattern on everything.  If we understood exactly how it's working, perhaps we could advise you better.  At the moment, it's like trying to criticise the Mona Lisa based on nothing but a slide puzzle based on it.  We've not really got much as a frame of reference to suggest anything other that "Post 1 is better" or "I prefer post 2".

That said, side view, the far leg seems devoid of shading compared to the first.  Unless the sun shines out of his ass, and every pore, there needs to be some sort of contrast between the distances.  If I look over my glasses (IE, squint), I can't tell which leg is which.

For actually animating something, I'd suggest two things. 1. Find a mirror, the bigger the better.  A large shop window will do.  Walk past it a lot, and take note of how you move.  Then go home, draw it on paper.  Rinse, repeat, repeatedly.  If anyone questions you, just tell them you are testing the reflectivity of the window coating or that you're a security specialist trying to see if the camera opposite picks you up in the mirror image, or tell them you're doing art.  Either way, spend time watching yourself prance, there's no need to be embarrassed.  More than likely they will impale themselves trying to draw a stick figure, you're better than them.

Secondly, walk thru your various animations around your house, concentrating on what feels right.  Once you have a rhythm (even in character), pick a specific point and pretend that's a light.  Walk yourself thru it very slowly imagining exactly where you will be lit up.  Think of 3 colors, and apply 1 to a shadow, then 1 to a base and 1 to a highlight.  Think of it as increasing in light each time.  Do this for pretty much everything you look at.  Ever.  Train your self to see things as a mixture of shadows and highlights.  I'm still having bother myself, as I pick the wrong shades, but I know where they should be applied, and that's helped greatly.  I could copy something or alter it and it might work, but understanding how it should work to begin with has helped no end.