Animation Guide

Due to the large number of different combinations it is almost crazy to create attack animations. 
But I thought I'd give some advice for those who want to take advantage of creating their own animations.

This is a little guide or rather some tips on how to combine sprites to create animations.
These notes are accompanied by images that will useful as a visual reference, so do not forget to check them.

It is important to know that I have created these animations thinking that you will be able to perform certain functions with your game engine such as: 

linking or attaching objects to each other and rotating, scaling and positioning objects.

Anyway, these are just a few examples, the possibilities are many, it just requires a good knowledge of your tools and some creativity.

	attack_sample_01:

1- the hand sprite must be linked or attached to the weapon sprite, so that both move at the same time.
2- The weapon is rotated 90º backwards to create an anticipation
3,4,5- The hand and weapon object are removed or hidden, and is exchanged for the hit effect animation.
6- the weapon is rotated 90º forward
7- the weapon is rotated 90º back to its original position

I'm also going to include some samples to give you ideas on how to move the head and body to emphasize the animations.

	attack_sample_02:

To make this animation, what I did was stretch the body in frame 2 (the head must move upwards, still aligned with the body), in frame 3 the body shrink, and in frame 4 it returns to its original size.
This trick is widely used in animation with the squash and stretch technique and greatly improves animation. 

Another thing you can do is to use walk and jump sprites in attack animations. As you can see in examples 3 and 4. Interesting things can come out.

	attack_sample_3

- In frame 2 of the attack animation I replaced the body with that of frame 4 of the walk animation. (repeat it 2 times)
- In frame 4 of the attack animation I replaced the body with that of frame 1 of the walk animation. (repeat it 2 times)

attack_sample_4

- In frame 2 of the attack animation I replaced the body with that of frame 3 of the jump animation. (repeat it 2 times)
- In frame 4 of the attack animation I replaced the body with that of frame 2 of the jump animation. (repeat it 2 times)

This part is a reference to know how the idle, walk and jump animations work, to have a better location of where to place the different parts of the character (head, hands, weapons) in relation to the body.

idle animation:                 
first frame = no motion
second frame = 1 px down
third frame = 1 px down
fourth frame = 1 px up
When using the animation in a loop, remember that from frame 4 to 1 the body rises 1 px to return to the original position

walk animation:
first frame = no motion
second frame = 1 px down
third frame = 1 px up
fourth frame = 1 px up
For the following frames the movement is the same, with the other foot. Just remember that from frame 4 to 5 the body down 1 px to return to the original position like in frame 1.

run animation:
The movement is exactly the same as in the walk animation.

jump animation:
first frame = no motion
second frame = 1 px down
third frame = 3 px up