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Sprite Generator + Top-Down Animations Tool - UI & Features Feedback (Web, Free)

A topic by KingBell🗡️ created 20 days ago Views: 209 Replies: 18
Viewing posts 1 to 8
(5 edits) (+9)

Animated Pixel Art Sprite Builder 2.0 lets you generate characters and export sprites to use in your games, a royalty-free creation tool for everyone.

Need FEEDBACK On:

1) Overall experience - 2) Utility of Export options - 3) UX/UI order/usage/interaction - 4) Usability for different Game Genres - 5) Value of Color options and Hero Type section to Devs

It was designed for devs, artists and indies who may not art skills---so it has over 100 animations and 300 Items to fit many games. In addition, multiple export options help fit many engines. I'd like new eyes on it to see any strengths, flaws and improvements.

Pixel Art Sprite Mixer Character Creator and Sprite Generator

 

Pixel Art Sprite Mixer Character Creator and Sprite Generator

UI / Layout Screenshot:

https://kingbell.itch.io/pixel-sprite-mixer/

(+1)

This project overall is excellent and IMO deserves wider recognition. I almost want to create a new game just to use it :)

To answers your questions:
1) A few words of description (maybe onmouseover titles?) in UI would help. For example, I was initially confused by the fact that buttons on animation preview pages do not change their images when I pick different hero (i.e. I thought that buttons themselves were preview while in fact you must press them to change preview animation).

2) Export options are just fine. Since target audience is programmers, it is relatively easy to convert between spritesheet and list-of-sprites, so IMO you could even get away with fewer options. If you still want to add more, one idea is to export each animation as a single animated png (or gif).

3) As I said, UI is a little bit confusing at first, but honestly it is quite a minor hurdle compared to the value of the project.

4) The only real improvement I see for this project is GIVE ME MORE :) In particular, I think melee attacks are obvious missing element

5) They are nice as "inspiration generators", basically a more consistent version of generative AI. As a dev, I would also be interested in exporting palettes as e.g. JSON to facilitate programmatic recoloring. Also, some 'effect applied' palettes like e.g. burning, frozen, etc. might be nice

Thanks @AlSoKnown! It was a labor of love over 6 months, so the response is motivating! I'll reply to your feedback below if you like.

1) RE: All parts of the UI have hover text EXCEPT for the buttons in the Styles Tab and Hero Types tab. Mainly because there's so many buttons. Seeing hover-text pop-up every time I wanted to pick animation interfered too much over time. The "idle" animation for example having a "click to use the idle animation" tooltip-----now imagine that text for 70 other animations. It grows redundant when the button itself says "idle".

2) RE: Glad you noticed the extra export options. It's for niche scenarios when you don't want to save all 100 animations. I think I covered enough edge cases for now :)

3) RE: On UI-----you should have seen Version 1.0 UI before there were any tabs lol. This 2.0 was a much-needed UX overhaul!

4) RE: MORE WILL COME!! In fact, Version 1.0 had only 5 Animations while this 2.0 has Over 100!! Others asked for more and so it is done. Melee Attacks and others I planned on placing in a separate Sprite Mixer. It'd be far overwhelming to have 100 attack animations added :)

5) RE: I'll accept "Inspiration Generator" for 500 Rupies! Lowers the barrier of entry for those without art skills, especially for new devs or game jammers. Check out Mythril2D RPG Top-Down Game Maker for Unity---all these sprites are compatible with it, if you want to create a new game just to use it :)

Anyone else have thoughts or Feedback? I’ve added additional tooltips, edited the order of animations and adjusted the export info.

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My initial thoughts are:

1). It’s an amazing tool. Stellar work.

2). (More an observation or thought than a complaint…) I have to use my laptop to use it. The resolution appears too big to run the online tool on my phone.

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Thanks @Metal! What would you like in a Mobile version? It was made to use on computer, yes.

A mobile version would have a much smaller screen. So would have to remove tabs. Maybe could be an idle game or clicker game? Any thoughts there?

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I think an idle/clicker game could be pretty cool. I hadn’t thought of that idea, but it sounds really neat.

@Metal, I'll experiment with a smaller screen size with less features and see how testers react. Thanks for the extra idea :)

(3 edits)

I've updated Pixel Art Sprite Mixer based on feedback and cool ideas!

People asked for a longer visual list so check it out below!  You can make knights, queens, kings, spies, ninjas, mages, aliens, summoners, dinos, animals, tamers, droids and more! Attack animations will be in a separate tool, since this already has 110 animations.

MORE FEEDBACK is welcome and I'm open to Trade a review-for-review & feedback.

I've updated the Sprite Mixer based on requests! Thanks to everyone who emailed with feedback.

NOW 330 ARMORS / ITEMS, Plus Updated UI & Hero Packs added for even faster jamming!

Rate it if you found it useful! Every Review helps as I want to build more free tools for everyone.

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Steady progress, rated it.
Would you consider adding a sword/staff melee attack animation? I think this is currently the only element lacking.
Also, maybe help text should include a few hints on proper integration of animations (for example, expected x-offset in pixels per frame of walking/running)?

(1 edit)

Thanks for Rating! Attack animations will be in a separate tool. Current already has 100 anims. 

Do you think it’d be overload to have even more for Attack anims for each weapon?

I can add that in help-text. But offset usually depends on your game genre, hero speed, platformer vs top-down, and even the 2D physics engine. Do you have a good recommendation?

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>Do you think it’d be overload to have even more for Attack anims for each weapon?
Maybe, but the current problem is the there is zero attack animations for melee, which is quite inconvenient.
So I think adding at least one is very valuable, after that of course you continue adding  or stop at any moment.

>Do you have a good recommendation?
Standard recommendation for moving/running offset is to avoid 'feet sliding effect', so that the point of contact between character and the ground does not move between frames. I have made a quick demo:
https://alsoknown.itch.io/pixelmixer-test
Password: 123
The password is just to avoid pollution of main itch.io feed.

Notice that for running the optimal offset is 10px, for walking it is 4 or 5px. It is actually quite independent of the physics and other aspects, objectively determined by the relative motion of feet between frames.

Thanks, I'll add that to the roadmap for the next set of animations! Good feedback

(2 edits)

@AlSoKnown, here's a draft "attack/melee item" animation that can apply to sword/staff/wand.

Is this along the lines of what you mean? A caveat is I'm staying within 16x24 frame, like all other anims.

           

(4 edits)

@AlSoKnown, here's a draft "attack/melee item" animation that can apply to sword/staff/wand.

Is this along the lines of what you mean?  A caveat is I'm staying in 16x24 frame, like all other anims.

            

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Yes, thanks. It may be possible to move weapon even further back in a 'wind-up' frame, but that is minor detail, the basic idea is exactly what I suggested.

Great! I’ll add this one in for the community.

>I'm open to Trade a review-for-review & feedback.
Can you review / give feedback on my game, please?
https://alsoknown.itch.io/way-to-crown 

If you do, you may prefer to post your feedback on our game page or our discord to avoid polluting your post with unrelated discussion.
Besides the gameplay feedback, in recent release we added lots of new sprites, so you may be interested to look at them from pixel artist's POV (check 'Settings / Unlock all content' and then browse all items / cards from the right-side menu).