Using paper dolls with _attack/_cast frames etc

[AlfyG]

Hi all, 

 

I'm looking at using the _x sprites system for showing attack/shoot/cast actions. Can someone shed some light on how to use weapon paper dolls with them? I know that the weapon paper dolls exist for doing this, but I don't know how I would use them just for the action frames? How could they be shown/hidden at the right time? How can they layer properly with other paper dolls on the sprite when they don't show all the time? 

 

Apologies if my q isn't very clear, but if anyone can help, I'd be very grateful. 

 

Cheers all.

[Cheshire]

You use the same naming conventions for them as sprites. 

 

So paperdoll.png turns to paperdoll_attack.png for the attack frames. 

[izakt]

For the purpose of explaining how it works: you can literally go to your character sprite in resources -> entities and find the file (i'll call it "wizard_person.png"). Then copy it -> paste it in same folder -> rename it to "wizard_person_idle.png". Boom, you activated idle animations on the character. 

 

So now that you added the _idle file, the character idle animation will play after x seconds depending on the variable setting in your server config.

 

HOWEVER, it is going to expect idle animations for every single item in your game that uses a sprite sheet. 

 

So now you would have to create the _idle.png file for every item. You create them in the same way you make your normal sprite sheets ... you make it match the "wizard_person_idle.png" animation.

You can do the same for with _attack.png

 

I am looking for all the possible variables that you can use this for? If anyone knows it...

So far I know there is
_idle
_attack
_shoot
_weapon
_cast
 

i guess you can make custom animations / items types too but idk lol 

 

 

EDIT 
here is some video i find too that kinda visualizes how it works.

 

 

[AlfyG]

Ah, cheers Cheshire. I didn't realise that was possible. Thank you.

[AlfyG]

Hey. Thanks for this, very comprehensive! Once Cheshire explained that paper dolls could follow the same naming conventions, it fell into place. But I appreciate the extra clarification.