Hello, everyone.
So, i just started using unity and planning my game(which started in game maker).
i decided to use this type of animation because i have multiple characters and i want to customize them, the problem that i’m foreseeing lays within the skateboard itself, and that is flip tricks, here’s a real life vido example, one of the many tricks i’ll have to implement.
You can probably see the issue already, since the animations will be smooth, i can’t justredraw the board as many times as i’ll have to, so my question is, will i have to make this game 3d with a 2d view?
and if so, do i have to set up the bone structure, texture mapping, etc. on blender and actually make a 3d game? or is there a workaround?
If the action happens fast you can get away with less drawn frames, I’m guessing you could probably get by with as few as 4 drawn frames of (2D) animation.
Start with 4 frames - if that isn’t smooth enough - go with 6 or 8. It all depends upon how clear the animation has to be - and how smooth you want it. If the game never plays slow motion like the clip above - you can get away with less frames of animation.
But if this is not the process you prefer - yes - you can create a 3D animated skateboard and animate however you wish, and yes - the 3D animated skateboard can be in a 2D game.
I’ve not worked on a skateboard game, but I suspect the board and wheels would have to be parented to a control object that is animated. And this control object is what the character is parented to in game (I’m guessing).
Most likely a simple hierarchy (bones are not needed but can be used) of null objects parented together. One master in the center of the board, and two child bones at either end of the board, so the pivot point of the skateboard can be modified when certain tricks happen. This hierarchy can even be set up in Unity, not in 3D.
Then the wheels will be parented to the master control null and they can be rotated as needed.
You will need to perform some hierarchy tests - to see what best fits your requirements. But if I were doing this I would first attempt a couple 2D tests to see how few frames I could get away with.
The first method you propose is the one i was thinking of using, making the board “thinner” in the animation and then changing the sprite somehow to one where the board is flipped 90 degrees and repeat(im barely getting to learn he ropes here), now, by 3d animation, you mean making the animation in blender, then importing the anim file? because, according to what i read so far, i’d have to make everything 3d if the board is a 3d body (specially since im planning on using the physics engine)like the ground, ramps and chars, but im not sure about that.
As for the bones thing, i’m using the technique to animate my characters smoothly, and i figured that the board should be a single object, and be animated along with the rest of my chars body.
Thank you!
EDIT: just to make my self clear, this is how i’m trying to do it
Wow, Im re-reading my previous reply, and it was pretty obvious i had no idea of what you were talking about regarding the 3d method, i kind of do now, as long as by “null objects” you mean empty parents, either way, i like how the 2D way turned out, though,now, i have to do a 360 flip, where the board does a horizontal 360° spin while doing the flip from the gif/video, but thats a rabbit hole i’ll deal with in a day or two.
so, now i have to redo this for every board, and by naming the sprite sheet/subsprites the same way and adding them as “brothers” to the original, i can switch them in the game to have board customization, is that correct?
and if i want wheel customization too, i have to rip the off from the sheet and make a new one, then sync them both?
also, the vertical scaling didn’t turn out OK so i just went with sprite changes (see the terrible GIF below)
