Main character animation completed!
The gif looks a bit clunky but it’s probably the acquisition software. The runtimes are based on LibGdx and render perfectly smooth on Mac, Window, Android and iOS.
Spine2D and LibGdx runtimes
The software used for the animations is Spine2D from Esoteric Software, it’s not free but it worth every penny! The UI is user-friendly and there is an awesome community behind in case of support.
The interpolations between every animation do the magic so the movements look always fluid and the spine-libgdx runtimes are stable and easy to use.
The character belongs to a game we’re working on at the moment, while the credit for the drawings goes to Yaara! A talented artist I have the pleasure to work with.
Even if the black background is just a placeholder, the environment will be intentionally dark.
The character is androgynous. It can be imagined as a boy or a girl, depending on the player, and I have to thank Yaara for this. The name of the character is still under discussion. I like Dexter, but suggestions are much appreciated 🙂
Character animation follows the pose-to-pose principle and this video provides a good explanation about it.
The final outcome will be post-processed with a shader effect for antialiasing so it will be even better in terms of quality.
I learnt a lot from this deep-dive into Spine2D but most of all I had loads of fun!
I’m proud of my main character but I’m sure this is just the first step of a long journey. I’m sure some minor tweaks will follow along the way and during the testing phase this week.
I need to make sure animation and antialiasing together are not too heavy on mobile devices.
Also, I want to put more effort on publishing content more often. New updates will come soon !!!
