Possible to have more then 4 direction unit textures?

[PRiME]

This is most noticeable with the tank vehicle where you move it around and it seems quite unrealistic the way it turns instantly in direction, this happens with soldiers as well. Is it possible to render in maybe 8 directional animation files (used only for changing unit direction) for when units move around and add in some short transition with turning etc.. 12 would be even better.

I'm going to try and answer my own question and say the engine simply can't do it! is this correct?

[Gauddlike]

Either that or the 'too much time and cost rendering all of those frames' answer.

Might even get both.

[Max_Caine]

That's odd. Looking at the animation files, there are N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW directions. Which 4 directions are you experiencing?

[PRiME]

I thought the characters in game where from 3D models originally so it would not be too hard to slot in 4 or so more? Render 3D to sprite? I assumed that's whats going on rather then someone hand drawing each one?

EDIT: Pretty sure all I see is N E S W at least when units turn around to move etc, maybe other directions are only being used for right clicking for looking?

[GizmoGomez]

Those directions may just be getting passed really quickly.

[a333]

Secondary directions are used in turning, else it would be even more choppy.

Yes, sprites are rendered from 3D, but it's not as easy as it looks. This question was discussed many times, and if i remember right, you can even find the whole content processing line from 3d to sprites around here somewhere.

There are 18000 png files for xenonauts and each contains from 1 to 80 frames. And these are rendered first in big size (17.90 contained some unreduced files, dont' know about 17.91 though).

To use 12 angles, you need to render additional 18000 files, and remove existing NE, NW,... because of uniformity.

This would greatly delay the release. As far as i know, devs are still rendering what's planned, and don't have a window for such task.

Edited March 23, 2013 by a333

[Chris]

It would take more time, but more than that it's just a bit annoying and time consuming. It's possible to force the units to rotate through all of the intervening directions when they turn, so a North to South turn would be N, NE, E, SE, S rather than an instant turn, but it takes longer and it gets a bit irritating because it slows down gameplay. That's why we made turning instant.

[Gauddlike]

Could it be done differently for vehicles?

They could show the other directions and if it looks a bit ponderous that would be because it is a heavy vehicle, not a nimble soldier.

[PRiME]

Mostly its the vehicles that look weird when turning, perhaps a small 0.15s delay between each direction change would do. And some vehicle motor moving animations would help. Atm the vehicles look un-lively (for a motorized tank) and change direction in a way that is odd, having wheels animate as they turn would help allot as well.

Just my 2 cents.

[Gauddlike]

Don't forget that the wheeled Ferret shouldn't be able to turn on the spot at all so having any kind of realistic animation would be impossible.

Having to do a 3 point turn when you wanted to reverse direction would be a little bit annoying