How to make animated sprites in GRFMaker?

[Purno]

Eh... title should be clear enough

How to make animated sprites in GRFMaker?

A simple line of NFO code which I can input in GRFMaker would be sufficient too I guess.

[PikkaBird]

There's no such thing as an "animated sprite". You need to be more specific about what you're trying to do.

[Villem]

I think he is meaning something akin to animated steamers?

[Purno]

I think he is meaning something akin to animated steamers?

Yes. Thanks.

[AndersI]

I'd guess this part of the screen has something to do with it, but I don't know for sure. I'd suggest you set up a test sprite and see what happens...

Example21.png (7.62 KiB) Viewed 2395 times

[jvassie]

Purno, if you around tomorrow, hit me up on it and ill show you how to do it

Got an example i can give you too

[dev|ant]

I just pulled this from one of my projects...

02 00 25 82 46 08 03 03 22 00 01 01 23 00 02 02 24 00 03 03 21 00

The bold IDs are for each frame. I don't remember any other details because I haven't coded nfo for about 5 months.

[DaleStan]

I'd guess this part of the screen has something to do with it, but I don't know for sure. I'd suggest you set up a test sprite and see what happens...

I'd be exceedingly surprised if that works. Unless I miss my guess, that modifies the <nument-1> or <nument-2> portion of a standard action 2, which cannot be used for animation. Variationals (usually on variable 46) are required for steamer animations.

[AndersI]

It was just a guess... Looking at the GrfMaker source, I can't find anything that substantiates that guess. Oh, well...

Why variable 46? What's variable 0A (Animation counter)? [...reading Wiki...] OK, now I get it. The Animation counter is not connected to the speed of the train, it's always ticking.

[jvassie]

Heres the thing you should use in GRFMaker

[Purno]

It works, but it's terribly slow. Is there a specific value I gotta change to speed it up?

[AndersI]

Note that DaleStan mentioned variable 46, not 0A.

You can make it twice as fast by anding with 7F instead, and have the ranges 0-31, 32-63, 64-95, 96-127
Four times as fast by anding with 3F, ranges 0-15, 16-31, 32-47, 48-63
and so on.

And you can have more ranges for smother animation.

(If I have understood how it works)

[Purno]

Aye, but variable 46 isn't in the list, can I savely assume that means GRFMaker doesn't support var46 yet?

[AndersI]

Aye, but variable 46 isn't in the list, can I savely assume that means GRFMaker doesn't support var46 yet?

Yes, so it seems. You could always look at the NFO to find the offset to the 0A byte, and insert a 'modify next sprite' instruction before the varaction2. This can be done with GrfMaker.

Or simpler, you could let GrfMaker produce the NFO, edit that byte manually and use grfcodec in the normal way.

(I might be able to add the var46 before Christmas, but no guarantee)

[jvassie]

Purno, the best way to increase the speed of the graphics is to have more frames, 2 ways you can do that.

a.) The harder way, is to draw more stages, IIRC, it has to be 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 etc stages.
b.) The easier way is to just use the first for example four stages and repeat them. So for example instead of splitting 0-255 into 4 sections, split it into 8 sections and run the GFX IDs in the order like 01,02,03,04,01,02,03,04.

Hope that improves it

(PS sorry i wasnt around today like i said i would be )

[DaleStan]

Purno, the best way to increase the speed of the graphics is to have more frames,

Why does more frames increase the speed? The counter will always count at the same rate, regardless of the number of frames (or even if it's zero.)

IIRC, it has to be 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 etc stages.

No, it doesn't.

And make sure you read the description of variable 46. Most notably, the useful portions thereof.

[Purno]

Purno, the best way to increase the speed of the graphics is to have more frames,

Why does more frames increase the speed? The counter will always count at the same rate, regardless of the number of frames (or even if it's zero.)

Making more frames differientating from each previous one does visually speed it up. Though, does this counter speed depend on vehicle speed?

IIRC, it has to be 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 etc stages.

No, it doesn't.

And make sure you read the description of variable 46. Most notably, the useful portions thereof.

Var46 doesn't seem to be supported by GRFMaker (yet).

[DaleStan]

Though, does this counter speed depend on vehicle speed?

Did you read the documentation? What does it say?

Var46 doesn't seem to be supported by GRFMaker (yet).

GRFMaker is not the only program that can be used to make GRFs. *gasp*

[Purno]

Var46 doesn't seem to be supported by GRFMaker (yet).

GRFMaker is not the only program that can be used to make GRFs. *gasp*

But it's the simplest tool to code GRFs out there on the internet, AFAIK. The only alternative I know is coding NFO, which is not an option for me. (Tried it, been there, gave up).

[AndersI]

But it's not very complicated to code with variable 0A in GrfMaker, adding a comment before each of the lines (make the comment appear in the NFO), produce the NFO, open Notepad, locate the comments and change 0A to 46 in the next line, finally create the GRF with grfcodec.

OK, it's more complicated than having a GrfMaker that could do it right now, but we don't.