Use MEL Scripting to Create Fun Sprite Animations

Brent Forrest shares a fun experiment. Brent created a small MEL script in Maya that stores spite animations as integers in a matrix. This is much like how games ran in the mid 80’s.

Using this script you can create sprite animations and store them as integers in a matrix. Brent’s script will playback the sprite animation as shown with his simple little NES example. Brent makes the script available if anyone wants to play around with it.

//I’ll just leave this here

//run “animate” for the magic

global int $cSprite[64];

global int $tSprite[144];

//5 animation frames, 64 pixels stored

global matrix $coinAn [5] [64];

//6 animation frames, 144 pixels stored

global matrix $turtleAn [6] [144];

global int $cT, $tT;

global string $shaders[];

global string $cPlane[], $tPlane[];


//assign names to new palette


$shaders = {

“red”,”orange”, “yellow”, “green”, “blue”, “purple”, “brown”, “black”, “white”, “grey”, “trans”, “hilite”

};

//assign rgba values to the new palette


float $r[] = {float(1),(1.0),(1.0),(0.0),(0.0),(0.5),(0.2),(0.0 ),(1.0),(0.5),(0.5),(1.0)};

float $g[] = {float(0),(0.5),(1.0),(1.0),(0.0),(0.0),(0.3),(0.0 ),(1.0),(0.5),(0.5),(1.0)};

float $b[] = {float(0),(0.0),(0.0),(0.0),(1.0),(1.0),(0.1),(0.0 ),(1.0),(0.5),(0.5),(1.0)};

float $a[] = {float(0),(0.0),(0.0),(0.0),(0.0),(0.0),(0.0),(0.0 ),(0.0),(0.0),(1.0),(0.0)};


//create the shaders


$i = 0;

for ($one in $shaders)

{

shadingNode -n $one -asShader lambert;

sets -renderable true -noSurfaceShader true -empty -name ($one + “SG”);

connectAttr -f ($one + “.outColor”) ($one + “SG.surfaceShader”);

setAttr ($one+”.colorR”) ($r[$i]) ;

setAttr ($one+”.colorG”) ($g[$i]) ;

setAttr ($one+”.colorB”) ($b[$i]) ;

addAttr -keyable true -ln “index” -at long -dv ($i) $one;

for ($rgb in {“R”,”G”,”B”}){

setAttr ($one+”.transparency”+$rgb) ($a[$i]) ;

}

$i++ ;

}

//create an 8 x 8 sprite as a polyPlane


$cPlane = `polyPlane -ch on -o on -w 8 -h 8 -sw 8 -sh 8 -cuv 2 -n “coinPlane”`;

move 0 4 0;

rotate -x -90;

$tPlane = `polyPlane -ch on -o on -w 12 -h 12 -sw 12 -sh 12 -cuv 2 -n “turtlePlane”`;

move 10 4 0;

rotate -x -90;


//the default animation cycles


$coinAn = << 10, 10, 11, 2, 2, 1, 10, 10, 10, 11, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 10, 10, 2, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 10, 10, 2, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 10, 10, 2, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 10, 10, 2, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 10, 10, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 10, 10, 10, 2, 2, 2, 1, 10, 10;

10, 10, 10, 2, 1, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 2, 2, 2, 1, 10, 10, 10, 10, 2, 1, 2, 1, 10, 10, 10, 10, 2, 1, 2, 1, 10, 10, 10, 10, 2, 1, 2, 1, 10, 10, 10, 10, 2, 1, 2, 1, 10, 10, 10, 10, 2, 2, 2, 1, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 2, 1, 10, 10, 10;

10, 10, 10, 2, 2, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 2, 2, 10, 10, 10;

10, 10, 10, 11, 2, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 11, 2, 2, 2, 10, 10, 10, 10, 11, 2, 11, 2, 10, 10, 10, 10, 11, 2, 11, 2, 10, 10, 10, 10, 11, 2, 11, 2, 10, 10, 10, 10, 11, 2, 11, 2, 10, 10, 10, 10, 11, 2, 2, 2, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 11, 2, 10, 10, 10;

10, 10, 8, 2, 2, 2, 10, 10, 10, 8, 2, 2, 8, 2, 2, 10, 10, 8, 2, 1, 2, 8, 2, 10, 10, 8, 2, 1, 2, 8, 2, 10, 10, 8, 2, 1, 2, 8, 2, 10, 10, 8, 2, 1, 2, 8, 2, 10, 10, 8, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 10, 10, 10, 8, 2, 2, 2, 10, 10>>;


$turtleAn = << 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 3, 3, 10, 10, 1, 8, 8, 1, 10, 10, 10, 3, 11, 6, 3, 10, 1, 8, 7, 1, 10, 10, 3, 11, 11, 6, 6, 3, 1, 8, 7, 1, 1, 10, 3, 11, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 8, 1, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 0, 10, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 10, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 10, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 10, 10, 7, 7, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7, 10, 10, 10, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 10, 10;

10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 3, 3, 10, 10, 1, 8, 8, 1, 10, 10, 10, 3, 11, 6, 3, 10, 1, 8, 7, 1, 10, 10, 3, 11, 11, 6, 6, 3, 1, 8, 7, 1, 1, 10, 3, 11, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 8, 1, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 0, 10, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 10, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 10, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 10, 10, 7, 7, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7, 10, 10, 10, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 10, 10;

10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 3, 3, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10, 3, 11, 6, 3, 10, 1, 8, 11, 1, 10, 10, 3, 11, 11, 6, 6, 3, 1, 8, 7, 1, 1, 10, 3, 11, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 11, 7, 1, 1, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 8, 1, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 0, 10, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 10, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 10, 10, 7, 7, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7, 10, 10, 10, 10, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 10, 10, 10;

10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 3, 3, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10, 10, 3, 11, 6, 3, 10, 1, 8, 11, 1, 10, 10, 3, 11, 11, 6, 6, 3, 1, 8, 7, 1, 1, 10, 3, 11, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 11, 7, 1, 1, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 0, 10, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 10, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 10, 10, 7, 7, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7, 10, 10, 10, 10, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 10, 10, 10;

10, 10, 10, 3, 3, 10, 10, 10, 11, 11, 10, 10, 10, 10, 3, 11, 6, 3, 10, 1, 8, 8, 1, 10, 10, 3, 11, 11, 6, 6, 3, 1, 8, 7, 1, 1, 10, 3, 11, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 8, 7, 1, 1, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 0, 10, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 10, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 10, 10, 7, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7, 6, 3, 10, 10, 10, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 10, 10, 10, 10, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 10, 10;

10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 11, 11, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 3, 3, 10, 10, 1, 8, 8, 1, 10, 10, 10, 3, 11, 6, 3, 10, 1, 8, 7, 1, 1, 10, 3, 11, 8, 6, 6, 3, 1, 8, 7, 1, 1, 10, 3, 8, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 0, 1, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 10, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 1, 10, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 1, 10, 10, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, 10, 10, 10, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 6, 3, 10, 10, 10, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 10, 10>>;


//save the animation frame


proc saveFrame(){

int $getIndex;

global string $cPlane[], $tPlane[];

global matrix $turtleAn [6] [144];

global matrix $coinAn [5] [64];

for ($i=0;$i<144;$i++){

select -r ($tPlane[0]+”.f[“+$i+”]”);

hyperShade -smn;

$obj = `ls – sl`;

$getIndex = `getAttr ($obj[0]+”.index”)`;

$turtleAn [3] [$i] = $getIndex;

}

}


global proc animGo(){

global string $shaders[];

global string $sPlane[];

global string $tPlane[], $cPlane[];

global int $cSprite[], $tSprite[];

global matrix $coinAn [5] [64];

global matrix $turtleAn [6] [144];

global int $cT, $tT, $i;

if (timerquery() > 0.05) {

if ($cT > 4) $cT = 0;

if ($tT > 5) $tT=0;

for ($i=0;$i<64;$i++){

$cSprite[$i] = $coinAn [$cT] [$i];

}

for ($it=0;$it<144;$it++){

$tSprite[$it] = $turtleAn [$tT] [$it];

}

for ($i=0;$i<(size($cSprite));$i++){

sets -e -forceElement ($shaders[($cSprite[$i])]+”SG”) ($cPlane[0]+”.f[“+$i+”]”);

}

for ($it=0;$it<(size($tSprite));$it++){

sets -e -forceElement ($shaders[($tSprite[$it])]+”SG”) ($tPlane[0]+”.f[“+$it+”]”);

}

$cT++;

$tT++;

timerstart;

}

}


global proc timerstart()

{

global float $GstartTime;

$GstartTime = `timerX`;

}

global proc float timerquery()

{

global float $GstartTime;

return (`timerX -startTime $GstartTime`);

}


global proc animate()

{

global int $anIndex;

if ($anIndex == 0)

$anIndex = -1;

if (!`scriptJob -ex $anIndex`)

{

$anIndex = `scriptJob -kws -e idle animGo`;

}else{

scriptJob -k $anIndex -f;

}

}


// animate;
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