Animation Manager tutorial soon?
by jydog · in TGB Platformer Kit · 04/08/2008 (12:35 pm) · 3 replies
Phil
In your Framework doc on TDN you make the statement:
> The actor's animation manager used in the starter kit is perhaps the most complex of the core systems used.
I believe it is a very nice system and I will work on using it, but I have to agree that it is complex. How about making up a comprehensive tutorial on it?
In your Framework doc on TDN you make the statement:
> The actor's animation manager used in the starter kit is perhaps the most complex of the core systems used.
I believe it is a very nice system and I will work on using it, but I have to agree that it is complex. How about making up a comprehensive tutorial on it?
#2
Datablock Prefix: This is the word that precedes all your animation's: IE BobRunAnimation. Bob = the prefix.
Allow Transitions: do you want to enable transitions animations between different anim states (IE run-to-fall, etc).
Play Sounds: plays SFX if they're named properly. IE BobRunSound
Scale Volume: Louder as you're closer to spawner, quieter as you're farther away.
Sound Min/Max Volume: used above for scale, Max = don't hear it after this distance.
Anim states are pretty self-explanatory. If you want to manually specify an animation that isn't used with the Datablock Prefix, you'd put it here. IE if your idle anim was called "playeridleanimation" vs "BobIdleAnimation" You'd need to specify to use the player one.
Basically, that's it. If you take a look at the datablocks.cs file you'll see it calls the anim mngr behavior & sets some default settings for it (import one is the prefix: Dragon).
04/08/2008 (9:04 pm)
Honestly, I've found the anim manager RIDICULOUSLY easy (once you play with it). Here's what you do:Datablock Prefix: This is the word that precedes all your animation's: IE BobRunAnimation. Bob = the prefix.
Allow Transitions: do you want to enable transitions animations between different anim states (IE run-to-fall, etc).
Play Sounds: plays SFX if they're named properly. IE BobRunSound
Scale Volume: Louder as you're closer to spawner, quieter as you're farther away.
Sound Min/Max Volume: used above for scale, Max = don't hear it after this distance.
Anim states are pretty self-explanatory. If you want to manually specify an animation that isn't used with the Datablock Prefix, you'd put it here. IE if your idle anim was called "playeridleanimation" vs "BobIdleAnimation" You'd need to specify to use the player one.
Basically, that's it. If you take a look at the datablocks.cs file you'll see it calls the anim mngr behavior & sets some default settings for it (import one is the prefix: Dragon).
#3
Seriously, the items in the kit are fairly easy to use, like the animation manager. But it is complex and has so much potential. I would like to understand them better and be able to use them much more fully. And who better to help than the one who designed and understands them.
His first tutorial on TDN really helped. Additional ones would be great. I know he has other tasks to do, and I anticipate the update with network stuff. He said additional help is coming, so I look forward to it. Even posting small snipits while working on larger items would be welcomed.
Next I will demand to understand digital watches and computers then . . . oh wait, wrong show. At least the Object Manager and Conditional collisions and apples and oranges and fruit (oh my). :)
Getting my requests in early, additional forth coming. ;)
04/09/2008 (5:13 am)
We gotta make him work for his money! ;)Seriously, the items in the kit are fairly easy to use, like the animation manager. But it is complex and has so much potential. I would like to understand them better and be able to use them much more fully. And who better to help than the one who designed and understands them.
His first tutorial on TDN really helped. Additional ones would be great. I know he has other tasks to do, and I anticipate the update with network stuff. He said additional help is coming, so I look forward to it. Even posting small snipits while working on larger items would be welcomed.
Next I will demand to understand digital watches and computers then . . . oh wait, wrong show. At least the Object Manager and Conditional collisions and apples and oranges and fruit (oh my). :)
Getting my requests in early, additional forth coming. ;)
Associate Phillip O'Shea
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