Torque 2d - 3d... ?

#21 Ah, well for me it depends on a lot of factors but I'll freehand some things completely, others I'll render in 3D and touch up in Photoshop. Still others I'll take pictures/video and either use the images from that directly with some Photoshop manipulation, or at least use them as an example of the motion and/or angle I'm trying to capture and basically rotoscope my stuff over it. I've even used clay materials to create rough character likenesses and photgraphed that as a starting point inside Photoshop.

As art isn't my strongest area I tend to reach for any tool or method that'll let me get what's in my head down onto the screen as something that won't totally embarass me. :)

#22 Im trying to start learning some pixel art for my creation
plus I will use the render option for static object (ships, building ect).

I do have a question for you.
I want to buy T2D so I would be able to create those old games
the thing is in those games you could always feel like there is an invisible grid
since all the blocks were exacly one above another and some jumps were very accurate
I don't really know how to explain this but I hope you got it. My question is there
a grid in T2D? and can I create/remove it?

@Luke D
You siad that "Images should be sized in powers of 2 (64, 128, 256, 512, etc.)"
can I do 64x512 or the image must be a square (64x64, 256x256 ect)?

#23 There is no existing way to auto-constrain sprite positions to a grid that I know of. All objects' positions (at least when being positioned by the physics engine) are calculated to a very fine precision without a way to snap to such a grid.

There are a ton of creative ways to simulate this, ranging from modifying the core engine to round positioning precisions more coarsely to having invisible objects that move freely that you use as a reference location for manually positioning visible sprites yourself in a per-frame update callback.

Now if you're not using the engine's movement code at all you can of course do anything you like. Take checkers as an example, you very likely won't use the physics/movement stuff to move the pieces, you'd just have a grid of locations calculated and when a player 'moves' a piece you're just immediately relocating it to the new point on this grid. Lots of approaches here are possible.

You can make images non-square, so a 64 x 512 is valid, as long as each axis itself is some power of two. In truth you can make your images any size you want and the engine will pad it internally, but it's just best to size them yourself since that gives you more control over it.

#24 So what is the best way to put all the images in the same line (vertical or horizontal)?

and how can we do animations?
Is it a image file with all the frames and T2D just go though it?
the image I mean is something like this
*This image is from the game Little Fighters 2 if anyone is interested.

#25 Yes, that's exactly how you'd do it. There are a few utils around for creating those image strips. A couple of forum members have released their own in the private forums.

You can create multiple animations from the same image file, so for example with the image you posted, you could set:

idle = frames 0-3
walk = frames 4-7

and so-on. In addition, there is a built in command to flip the sprites so you don't need to double up you artwork in order to make the character move in the other direction.

#26 Thank you philip for the posts
Im currently thinking about buying T2D because I can't do much
with TGE, you all were very helpful even though it's not my thread :P

#27 I'd just like to add that this thread was also very helpful for me, I am in the same boat as many here. TGE is just a little overwhelming and I don't have the resources for the art. Thanks a ton, this community is great as always.