[Add-ons] The All Animations Project

[Andyman409]

I am working on a game of my own in essentials, and would really like it to have attack animations. Pokemon essentials doesn't have any built in, and the process of making them alone is long and tedious. Plus, from what I've read, the few attempts to add attack animations to essentials have ended prematurely. I cannot provide examples because I've posted less than 15 times, and so cannot post URL's.

So, I had an idea. Surely, there are other developers in need of attack animations. So, why don't we just work together and split the work? All we need to do is agree which tileset to use (D/P/P, R/S/E/,etc) and which attacks each of us should make. Is anyone interested?

[AmethystRain]

Definitely. I might be able to get a few members from my community to help out too. I assigned the task to one of my mods, but so far it seems to have been forgotten. It might be encouraging if we're not alone. c:

First step- Outline everything that still needs animations. For the most part this is just going to be every attack, but there are some extraneous ones as well, for instance the Shiny animation, and I don't know what else.

Second step- decide on and find resources. Personally I'm in favor of using BW animations if we can get our hands on them, only because there are likely to be some newer moves that may not graphics in the RSE/DPP styles.

The other issue is going to be sounds. Does anyone have an idea of where we can find attack sound effects?

[IceGod64]

Since the new GUI for Essentials is based on HG/SS, I would recommend seeing about using the attack graphics from that.

The attack sounds aren't going to be hard to necessarily GET, there will just be a lot of them. My immediate idea would be to do it manually if we can't find anything already ripped.
1: Replace the game's battle music with a short, unlooped MIDI or a completely blank one. It's already possible to replace the music tracks in DS games.
2: Use a hacking tool to edit the first trainer's Pokemon in the game to know whichever attack we need SFX for.
3: Save before battle.
4:Record the sound, and recompile the nds with a new attack.

If you're able to distinguish between hundreds of unnamed sound files that don't include the 8-bit instruments, you can also try using VGMTrans.

[Andyman409]

Happy to see people on board so soon. Anyways, I was gonna use the 4th gen attack animations, since they would match the 4th gen battle sprites better. However, I haven't played Black and white for a while now, so for all I know, they could look just as good. Once more people are on board, we can vote on it. I also agree that shiny animations are needed. We could also create sand/snow footprints animations, although I do not know how to apply animations to overworld maps. I'll have to check out the wikia to find out.

I have no ideas specifically on how to get sound effects. I was gonna get the tilesets from spriters resource. Any ideas anyone?

[Maruno]

If you need any new features in Essentials to help you create the animations, let me know and I'll try to invent something suitable. I've listed some of them in my To Do list already.

The good thing about animations nowadays is that you can export individual ones to a text file, allowing easy sharing. So long as you include the graphics alongside it, it'll work fine. A new PkmnAnimations.rxdata can be created every so often with all the new animations, but not too frequently.

Be sure to use the latest Essentials!

Originally Posted by Andyman409

We could also create sand/snow footprints animations

Pointless, as animations can't be shown underneath anything else (i.e. the player). I don't know how to overcome that, otherwise I already would have.

[Seth Pegasus]

I'm willing to help rip the attack animations, I just need to know how to do it. I have plenty of time on my hands, so I can help quite a lot.

Also, I have to agree with AmethystRain with using BW animations.

[pkmn.master]

I posted a thread in resorces not too far back including multiple animation graphics that I converted to RMXP format that I decided to share. They were all obtained on Spriter's Resource from a ripper, but required much editing, so I worked on them. I have already compiled some of them into my game and finished some, and they work fine. As for the sound thing, I have been ripping them from a video posted on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hXl2r3_Cts. This video includes all sounds in relatively good quality that I have been using in my completed attack animations. I am pretty sure that the attatchment on my thread no longer works, so I uploaded the file again: http://depositfiles.com/files/ktycoosby. I can turn more rips into RMXP format, but I need more rips, so anything that I haven't included in this file is needed. I can also compile them into complete animations.

Maruno, is there a method for animation backgrounds in essentials animation editor? Like surf or fire blast in the games, is there a way to include the backgrounds behind the battlers for the duration of the animation?

[zingzags]

Poklemon images are also distorted in the official games when some moves are used, There are ways to overlay a color to an image, but I don't know much about distortions.

[P-Sign]

I might want to help too. I haven't got too much time on my hands, but I don't think that's a big problem.

[Maruno]

Originally Posted by pkmn.master

Maruno, is there a method for animation backgrounds in essentials animation editor? Like surf or fire blast in the games, is there a way to include the backgrounds behind the battlers for the duration of the animation?

Not at the moment. Such a feature would only be possible for animation positions which include the battlers (i.e. just "Both battlers").

Animations can only show a maximum of one attacker and one target. Showing a background behind all battlers at the same time in a double battle is not possible (e.g. for Surf and end-of-round weather).

[khkramer]

I just wanted to say that the animations graphics from rmxp, rmvx(ace) work perfect for pokemon attack animations.

[Rayquaza.]

Count me in on this one. Yes, RMVX/Ace has compatible attack animations with RMXP but where are the marks for originality if you use them?

[AmethystRain]

Coming from deeper in the RM community, I strongly symapthise with the lack-of-originality in using RTP graphics. I would rather avoid that if given an option. I think spriters' resource and the pack pkmn.master posted are going to be good places to start, and then we see what we can do to patch in the holes.

[Andyman409]

Originally Posted by Rayquaza.

Count me in on this one. Yes, RMVX/Ace has compatible attack animations with RMXP but where are the marks for originality if you use them?

Than again, where are the marks of originality in many new pokemon attacks

Anyways, before we start assigning homework to everybody, I figure we might as well increase our numbers. I'm aiming for at least ten people.
Also, I think we need to organize what has been done and what hasn't. If anyone has finished any attack animations, it would be great if they could send me a list of them. Also, it would be nice to know if anyone has started any animations. I'll use this information to determine who should do what.

Here is the list of volunteers so far. If you don't wish to contribute anything, just say so and I'll remove your name.

Amethyst rain
Rayquaza
P-sign
pkmn.master
IceGod64

One last point. Even If you can only contribute 1 attack, that's still one less attack we have to make. Every little bit counts.

[Maruno]

I find a wiki page is remarkably useful for coordinating this kind of thing. Just have a list of moves, and people can "claim" animations they want to make.

The list of moves could instead be a table, which includes information such as what the best way of making each animation would be (e.g. which position it needed), whether it can't currently be made properly due to inadequate scripts, and whether the current version could be improved. The page can also list other things, such as locations of resources and a "features wish list". Contributors can also work on the upkeep of this page, if they don't/can't make animations themselves.

[Rayd12smitty]

Originally Posted by khkramer

I just wanted to say that the animations graphics from rmxp, rmvx(ace) work perfect for pokemon attack animations.

I was thinking the same thing.

BTW: your signature just made my day. Thank you

[Seth Pegasus]

Originally Posted by Andyman409

Than again, where are the marks of originality in many new pokemon attacks

Anyways, before we start assigning homework to everybody, I figure we might as well increase our numbers. I'm aiming for at least ten people.
Also, I think we need to organize what has been done and what hasn't. If anyone has finished any attack animations, it would be great if they could send me a list of them. Also, it would be nice to know if anyone has started any animations. I'll use this information to determine who should do what.

Here is the list of volunteers so far. If you don't wish to contribute anything, just say so and I'll remove your name.

Amethyst rain
Rayquaza
P-sign
pkmn.master
IceGod64

One last point. Even If you can only contribute 1 attack, that's still one less attack we have to make. Every little bit counts.

I want to help make the attack animations, sign me up.

[Andyman409]

Good idea Maruno. I have a list of every attack from gen 1-5 in a word document, and I was gonna assign people attacks to animate alabetically (except for those who already have attacks done). A wikia strikes me as a better idea, since everyone can contribute to it directly, without using me as a go between.

And Seth Pegasus, I'll add your name to the list.

[Maruno]

You can use this wiki page for it. Pop your list in there and we can start.

[pkmn.master]

Well, it looks like this project might turn into a big one since I posted the other day. I am willing to RMXP-alize more raw rips as they are made available, so if we have a ripper, they should post them here (or somewhere noticeable). Also, I think a progress bar should be made on the first post, and the wiki page, with resources useful to anyone who decides to begin work on a specific animation. Also, I believe that http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=286879 included a file with many rips of sound effects from various Pokemon games, and could include several of the move sounds. I haven't had time to go through all of the sounds yet, and they aren't named either, but still could be useful.

[Andyman409]

Originally Posted by Maruno

You can use this wiki page for it. Pop your list in there and we can start.

Can't access it. Is the link broken?

[Maruno]

There's nothing wrong with it, other than that the page needed to be created. I've created it for you, in case that makes any difference.

[Andyman409]

Changed to Google chrome and can access link now. I posted the list. Hope you don't mind that it's somewhat rough looking

[AmethystRain]

No 4th/5th gen moves? o.o
Also, what is the 'tips' column?

[Maruno]

I've improved the page. All animations are currently listed as "Not done", even though some can be considered completed already (e.g. the grass rustling). It's up to the users to decide - if you think an existing animation needs improving, mark it as "Incomplete".

When editing the page, I strongly recommend that you do so using the "Source" editor rather than the "Visual" editor. This allows you to see the basic code behind the page, rather than give you a WYSIWYG view which can majorly mess up the page (particularly in Chrome).