Adventure Game Studio

Creative Production => Recruitment => Topic started by: Ghostlady on Wed 07/05/2025 19:01:47

Title: [AGS HELP WANTED] Chimney Smoke
Post by: Ghostlady on Wed 07/05/2025 19:01:47
Looking for someone who can animate smoke coming out of a chimney.  It would be put on top of a background.

As you can see here, it needs some help:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvJSuMoXYQA
Title: Re: Chimney Smoke
Post by: Rik_Vargard on Wed 07/05/2025 20:28:37
For what I understand, you need an animated object that you can place there.

In my Metro City Resistance Demo, at the end, in the city, I use a 30 frames animated object to create some heavy rain.
I created the rain in Blender (thx to a tutorial), then I exported it as a PNG sequence and used those images in my game's Views for that object.
I found This tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtKQwN9P0sE&ab_channel=Olav3DTutorials) but there are more.

Another solution could be to use a black/green/blue screen VFX (like This One (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGbfvmBZ8y0&list=PLjlARA-sJZ8Y7c_OCieAJOvWH4XPewTCT&ab_channel=UDAYDIGITALS) (there are more to find)) and then use a video editor and use a chroma key to make the black/green/ blue transparent and then export as a PNG sequence with RGBA.

Once one of those is done, you will have to use an Image Editor (I use Corel PaintShop) to select just that part of the image that has the smoke for every frame (because the PNG sequences will be like 1280*720) , and then save them as new images to use in AGS.

I think that the "complicated" thing will be to match the visual art of the background in the video editor.

ALL of this being said, maybe someone will come to you with a much simplier solution  (laugh)
Title: Re: Chimney Smoke
Post by: brushfe on Wed 07/05/2025 23:10:44
That's a great solution, and it's so cool to hear the process behind your gorgeous game!

On the animation front, I think creating a looping shape would help a lot. Combined with the texture you have, this could create the illusion.

You could study the looping structure of the smoke in some gifs like this one, to see how the loop is created:

https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/overlays-instagram--1013943303605022164/

Title: Re: Chimney Smoke
Post by: Ghostlady on Wed 07/05/2025 23:25:39
Rik, the YouTube link you posted is exactly what I am looking for. That slow easy stream of smoke. This kind of work is out of my wheelhouse that's why I'm looking for some help. The background in that area of the chimney can be painted over to remove the smoke that is there.
Title: Re: [AGS HELP WANTED] Chimney Smoke
Post by: Ghostlady on Wed 07/05/2025 23:30:31
Brushfe, I am looking for someone to do this for me.
Title: Re: [AGS HELP WANTED] Chimney Smoke
Post by: RootBound on Wed 07/05/2025 23:46:19
@Ghostlady I'm willing to give it a try if you can send me the background and existing animation frames.
Title: Re: [AGS HELP WANTED] Chimney Smoke
Post by: Rik_Vargard on Thu 08/05/2025 06:28:47
@Ghostlady I can create a PNG sequence from that black screen smoke VFX and then create the frames to use in your Views in AGS.
I will also need the desired dimensions of your object image in pixels.

EDIT: In fact what I'll need is the width of your chimney top in pixels (full screen) so I can adapt the smoke
Title: Re: [AGS HELP WANTED] Chimney Smoke
Post by: Ghostlady on Fri 09/05/2025 13:10:34
@Rik_Vargard would you like me to send you the two backgrounds?
Title: Re: [AGS HELP WANTED] Chimney Smoke
Post by: Ghostlady on Fri 09/05/2025 13:14:59
@RootBound thank you very much for your offer. I'd like to see what Rik comes up with.
Title: Re: [AGS HELP WANTED] Chimney Smoke
Post by: Rik_Vargard on Fri 09/05/2025 19:31:33
Quote from: Ghostlady on Fri 09/05/2025 13:10:34@Rik_Vargard would you like me to send you the two backgrounds?

Yes, that would be very helpful.  (nod)




Title: Re: [AGS HELP WANTED] Chimney Smoke
Post by: Rik_Vargard on Sat 10/05/2025 13:39:03
Alright this was much more of a challenge than I expected  (laugh) , but here we are:

https://youtu.be/MBm1ZxI-L-E (https://youtu.be/MBm1ZxI-L-E)

I cannot change the smoke's behaviour since right now, the loop is perfect.
What I can change, are the visuals, if you need me to:

- I can change the color of the smoke
- I can pixelate it
- I can change the opacity
- I can change the size
Title: Re: [AGS HELP WANTED] Chimney Smoke
Post by: Ghostlady on Sat 10/05/2025 23:41:03
Hi, I've been out of pocket today so just now able to respond. This is amazing! I love it. I would like to see it somewhat pixelated, a little more transparent and moving slower if this all it not hard to do.
This whole project has been a challenge. I'm not reproducing any of the rooms, it would cost too much, but I have worked magic to get animation going.  I mean magic like creating pieces of a room as objects and overlaying them on the background.  What you just did here. :) I've been having lots of fun with it all. :)