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Making 2d sprites in Adobe After Effect

Started by January 10, 2014 08:02 AM
7 comments, last by valdsign 10 years, 10 months ago

I don't know if this a relevant question, but have you guys ever create game sprites with adobe after effect before ? or draw it manually in gimp or photoshop ?

I've never used After Effects but I would think it would be a easier to use purpose-built software like Photoshop or Illustrator. Does After Effects have some built in animation stuff that you're using?

-Mark the Artist

Digital Art and Technical Design
Developer Journal

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I've never used After Effects but I would think it would be a easier to use purpose-built software like Photoshop or Illustrator. Does After Effects have some built in animation stuff that you're using?

[first, I'm sorry for my bad english explanation], in after effect, after you've animated something, there is export option (in render setting) that makes PNG sequence from animation you've create before... and I think it makes sprites process lots more easier rather than draw it manually.

actually this is my first attempt to create sprites, do you have any suggestions which tools that fits in sprites making process ?

here the result, I'm quite confuse with the setting, in after effect I set the duration to 15 frame, but the result blowing to 40..

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwG6eR150LUvbjYyR2l2RTdMbDQ/edit?usp=sharing

This course from CGWorkshop deals with Unity2D and After Effects, though it is expensive.
http://workshops.cgsociety.org/courseinfo.php?id=481

When creating sprites, I create them as Photoshop layers then depending on the engine used, I export the frames. After Effects has a lot of animation tools but I never personally used it as I think it's not that effective for sprite creation. I think you're better off with Flash if it's a 2D game to keep things simple.

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When creating sprites, I create them as Photoshop layers then depending on the engine used, I export the frames. After Effects has a lot of animation tools but I never personally used it as I think it's not that effective for sprite creation. I think you're better off with Flash if it's a 2D game to keep things simple.

Yeah, I think After Effects is probably too bloated for sprite animation work, and that there's undoubtedly better software out there. Most raster and vector image programs have animation functionality too nowadays anyway. I mean, there isn't really a right or wrong way to do it (as long as the result is good), there are just faster or more efficient ways.

-Mark the Artist

Digital Art and Technical Design
Developer Journal

after effects would be fine for sprite creation but only in the sense that it is just one step in the process, I would still recommend loading the image sequence in to photoshop for final processing....if you need sprite sheet then there are several free apps for doing it as a one step operation.

But yeah, sometimes after effects is the quickest way to generate the original art.

I often do my roughs in flash, clean up in illustrator, colour in photoshop and purpose in after effects before rendering in premiere.....you wouldnt expect to build a shed using just a hammer, same applies to software.

if you have a specific after effects issue, shout me, i live in that program

well, I'm sorry for this veeeeeery late reply, I do the design in Adobe Illustrator, layering and final touch in photoshop (I know I can do all the stuff inside illustrator but I find it lot more easier in photoshop to retouch the design), and animate it in after effect, oh yea, I'm using unity by the way, after watching several tutorial, I see that people create sprite sheet which abviously 2d game, they put all frame (for ex : run frames, jump, etc) into one single PNG files.. but what I have when using after effect, that you can simply export the animation into PNG RGB + Alpha sequence which I found it lot more easier that put all the images again into one single PNG file that export them as single sprites, you can animate them as well as the one PNG file one... Did I do wrong ?

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