Best method for creating sprite sheets?

Newbie & Debugging Questions
#1

Im not too sure where to put this so ill put it here :slight_smile:
But anyway what have you guys found the best method to make sprite sheets? Would you design each frame of the animation in photoshop? Or would you export a blender animation as some png files? Or other methods?

#2

If all of your other sprites are drawn I wouldn’t use blender, 3D-Model-screens + drawn scenery look weird most of the time. But that’s a matter of opinion/the game.
I used “paintings” because my tiles were also painted.
best regards

#3

Using paint.net or photoshop usually
just copy/paste some preexisting tile and modify it until its my own. Or use many references to start the sheet.
I’ve never done much with animation stuff though. I just usually make heavy derivatives of other stuff or find freely available stuff and modify that

#4

If you want a simple and straight forward one, google Pickle (air). But it seems to support retro style only.

#5

:smiley: :smiley:
Lol :slight_smile:

#6

I used to do that. I call it Patchwork Art.

But i think i’ve gotten better to a point where i can create my own art :stuck_out_tongue:

#7

Make sense, original doesnt mean to been come from scratch.

#8

Do you guys often find you self making “Patchwork Art” rather then making your own graphics?

#9

I always try to make my own. It’s not that hard when you pick retro style. Just prepare the grids and paint bucketing around ;D but ya sometime we just are lazy or run out of time like in LD compo.

#10

Essential tool:
https://code.google.com/p/libgdx-texturepacker-gui/

#11

Does that tool just turn images into sprite sheets or texture atlases?

#12

If you have a mac, Pixen is invaluable for pixel art and tilesheets. And it’s free.

#13

Maybe the GUI is good for noobs, but I never thought a GUI made sense for a texture packer. IMO people should use it from the command line or from a Java class main method. Configuration is (optionally) done via JSON files in each directory.
http://code.google.com/p/libgdx/wiki/TexturePacker

wreed12345, yes it just packs individual images into larger images.

#14

@nate
Speaking of sprite sheets…when do you think you will release spine? It looks AWESOME!! And do you have a twitter to follow the progress of it?

#15

Thanks! :smiley: Soon, hopefully within a week or so. Twitter is here. There will be a proper site with a blog too.