novafarma/docs/MASTER_ANIMATION_GUIDE.md

🎬 MASTER ANIMATION GUIDE - STYLE 32

Agent, slike v MASTER_REFS so zaklenjene.
Zdaj začni z izdelavo animacijskih listov (Spritesheets).
Vsaka animacija mora striktno upoštevati ta pravila:

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1️⃣ TEHNIČNI FORMAT (Stardew Valley Standard):

Grid Specs:

• Size: 64×64 pixels per sprite frame
• Background: Pure Chroma Green (#00FF00)
• File format: PNG with alpha channel
• Naming: [character]_[animation]_[direction]_[frame].png

Directions:

• 4-way movement: Down, Up, Right, (Left = mirror Right)
• Front-facing (Down): Main reference view
• Back-facing (Up): Hair/back visible
• Right-facing: Profile view
• Left-facing: ⚠️ MIRROR RIGHT (don't generate separately!)

Frame Organization:

Spritesheet layout (horizontal strip):
[Frame 1] [Frame 2] [Frame 3] [Frame 4] [Frame 5] [Frame 6]

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2️⃣ SEZNAM OSNOVNIH ANIMACIJ:

ALL CHARACTERS Need:

A. IDLE (Mirovanje) - 4 frames

Purpose: Character standing still, breathing
Duration: Loop seamlessly

Frame breakdown:

1. Frame 1: Neutral stance, start of breath IN
2. Frame 2: Slight chest rise, dreadlocks sway RIGHT
3. Frame 3: Peak breath, hold
4. Frame 4: Exhale, dreadlocks sway LEFT (return to Frame 1)

Key details:

• Dreadlocks (Kai, Gronk) must sway gently (2-3px movement)
• Body barely moves (subtle breathing only)
• Arms relaxed at sides
• Loop: 1→2→3→4→1 (infinite)

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B. WALK (Hoja) - 6 frames

Purpose: Normal walking speed
Style: Classic "hop-step" cozy RPG

Frame breakdown:

1. Frame 1: Contact (left foot forward, touching ground)
2. Frame 2: Down (weight shifts, body lowers slightly)
3. Frame 3: Passing (both feet together, mid-stride)
4. Frame 4: Up (body lifts, slight hop, right foot forward)
5. Frame 5: Contact (right foot forward, touching ground)
6. Frame 6: Return transition (back to Frame 1 position)

Key details:

• HOP motion: Body must lift slightly in air (Frame 4)
• Dreadlocks: Bounce UP när hop, DOWN när contact
• Arms: Swing opposite to legs (left arm forward when right leg forward)
• Speed: 10 FPS playback

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C. WORK (Delo) - 4-6 frames

Purpose: Using tools (axe, pickaxe, hoe)
Style: Kinetic energy, impactful

Frame breakdown (example: Axe chop):

1. Frame 1: Wind-up (axe behind head, body tension)
2. Frame 2: Mid-swing (axe arc, motion blur on outlines)
3. Frame 3: IMPACT (freeze frame, axe hits, screen shake cue)
4. Frame 4: Follow-through (axe embedded, body relaxes)
5. Frame 5: Pull back (axe lifts)
6. Frame 6: Return to idle stance

Key details:

• Thick black outlines (4-5px) "stretch" during swing (motion blur effect)
• Impact frame (3) should have visual emphasis (stars, wood chips as VFX)
• Different tools = different arcs (pickaxe = overhead, hoe = downward)

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D. TRANSFORM (Preobrazba - Zombies only) - 4 frames

Purpose: Zombie changes worker role
Style: Quick "poof" cloud

Frame breakdown:

1. Frame 1: Zombie idle stance (before)
2. Frame 2: "Poof" cloud appears (covers zombie completely)
3. Frame 3: Cloud at peak (zombie silhouette changing inside)
4. Frame 4: Cloud dissipates, zombie in new outfit (after)

Poof cloud details:

• Pastel smoke/dust color with dark gothic edges
• Completely obscures zombie during transformation
• Should be separate VFX layer (can overlay on any zombie)

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3️⃣ STYLE 32 SPECIFICS:

Movement Rules:

✅ DO:

• Sharp, clear movements (roguelike clarity)
• Distinct poses each frame (no in-betweens)
• Flat color fills stay clean (NO blurring edges)
• Thick outlines remain 4-5px throughout
• Hop motion for walk (classic cozy RPG feel)

❌ DON'T:

• No soft blurs or gradients
• No pixel confusion (muddy colors)
• No smooth tweening (motion should be choppy/charming)
• No outline thickness changes (keep 4-5px)

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Eye Rules:

NORMAL (alive, active):

• Eyes stay WITH PUPILS (like Kai reference - colored eyes)
• Pupils can shift slightly for direction changes
• Example: Kai looking down = pupils visible, centered

SPECIAL STATES:

• DEAD: X_X eyes (cross marks)
• STUNNED: Spiral eyes @_@
• SLEEPING: Closed eyes (horizontal lines)

NOT "empty cult eyes" - Style 32 HAS PUPILS! ✅

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Dreadlock Physics:

Kai & Gronk have dreadlocks = IMPORTANT!

Rules:

• Dreadlocks always lag behind head movement (delayed follow)
• Jump/hop: Dreads fly UP (gravity delayed)
• Land: Dreads fall DOWN (bounce)
• Turn: Dreads swing in opposite direction (momentum)
• Idle: Gentle side-to-side sway (breathing motion)

Amount of movement:

• Idle: 2-3px sway
• Walk: 5-8px swing
• Run: 10-15px dramatic swing
• Impact: Full swing 20px+

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4️⃣ SHRANJEVANJE IN POTRJEVANJE:

File Structure:

/assets/animations/
├── kai/
│   ├── idle_down.png       (4 frames horizontal strip)
│   ├── idle_up.png
│   ├── idle_right.png      (left = mirror this!)
│   ├── walk_down.png       (6 frames)
│   ├── walk_up.png
│   ├── walk_right.png
│   ├── work_axe.png        (6 frames)
│   ├── work_pickaxe.png
│   └── work_hoe.png
│
├── gronk/
│   ├── idle_front.png      (only front view for companion)
│   ├── walk_down.png
│   └── vape_exhale.png
│
├── ana/
│   ├── idle_front.png
│   └── portraits.png       (3 emotions side-by-side)
│
├── susi/
│   ├── idle_side.png
│   └── walk_side.png
│
└── zombiji/
    ├── gardener/
    │   ├── idle_front.png
    │   ├── walk_down.png
    │   └── work_till.png
    ├── miner/
    ├── lumberjack/
    ├── scavenger/
    └── poof_transform.png  (shared VFX)

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Quality Checklist (Before ✅):

Per animation, verify:

Visual Match:

• Colors match MASTER_REFS exactly (eyedropper test)
• Dreadlock color identical (Kai green, Gronk pink)
• Outline thickness 4-5px consistent
• Eyes have pupils (colored, like Kai)
• Chibi proportions maintained (big head, small body)
• Clothing details correct (patches, piercings, etc)

Technical:

• Chroma green background (#00FF00) clean
• 64×64px per frame
• Transparent PNG (alpha channel)
• No green fringing on edges
• Frames aligned properly (no jumping)

Animation:

• Loop smoothly (last frame → first frame seamless)
• Dreadlocks physics accurate (lag, bounce)
• Hop motion visible in walk (Frame 4 = up in air)
• Impact frame clear (tool work animations)

When ALL checks pass → Add ✅ to filename and commit!

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5️⃣ GENERATION WORKFLOW:

Step-by-step per animation:

1. PREPARE:

• Load MASTER_REF for character
• Extract exact colors (eyedropper)
• Note all details (piercings, patches, etc)

2. GENERATE FRAMES:

• Generate Frame 1 (key pose)
• Verify against MASTER_REF
• If match ✅ → continue to Frame 2
• If mismatch ❌ → regenerate Frame 1
• Repeat for all frames

3. ASSEMBLE SPRITESHEET:

• Combine frames into horizontal strip
• Verify spacing (64px per frame)
• Check alignment (no wobble)
• Test loop (last → first seamless?)

4. SAVE & MARK:

• Save to correct folder
• Add ✅ to commit message
• Update production checklist

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6️⃣ SPECIAL NOTES PER CHARACTER:

KAI:

• Green dreadlocks (exact shade from ref_kai.png)
• Multiple piercings visible in ALL frames
• Torn hoodie with patches
• Backpack visible from behind
• Most complex - do this character FIRST to set standard!

GRONK:

• Pink dreadlocks (exact shade from ref_gronk.png)
• Pastel green orc skin
• ALWAYS holding vape pen (not cigarette!)
• Wide baggy shirt (loose fit)
• ONLY 2 ARMS (common mistake - verify!)

ANA:

• TWIN of Kai (similar face structure!)
• Pink/magenta hair (not dreadlocks)
• Tactical vest always visible
• Less animations than Kai (only idle + portraits for demo)

SUSI:

• Dachshund-shaped (long body, short legs)
• Black & orange coloring
• Pink collar always visible
• Cute hop for walk (exaggerated chibi motion)

ZOMBIES:

• ALL use ref_zombie.png as base face/body
• ONLY outfit changes between roles
• Matted dirty dreadlocks on ALL zombie variants
• Gray-green decayed skin (consistent tone)
• Shambling walk (slower, heavier than alive characters)

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7️⃣ PRODUCTION START ORDER:

Priority sequence (from easiest to hardest):

1. ✅ SUSI (simplest, 2 animations) - Practice/warm-up
2. ✅ ANA (simple, mostly static) - Build confidence
3. ✅ GRONK (companion, 3 animations) - Moderate complexity
4. ✅ KAI (main character, MOST animations) - Full production
5. ✅ ZOMBIE ROLES (modular system, 4 roles) - Final push

Per character:

• Start with IDLE (establish baseline)
• Then WALK (verify motion works)
• Then specialized (WORK, VAPE, etc)

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8️⃣ TROUBLESHOOTING:

Common issues & fixes:

❌ Problem: Dreadlocks don't move
✅ Fix: Add 2-3px sway in idle, 5-8px in walk

❌ Problem: Walk looks like "slide"
✅ Fix: Add hop motion (Frame 4 = body UP)

❌ Problem: Colors don't match reference
✅ Fix: Use eyedropper on MASTER_REF, copy exact hex codes

❌ Problem: Outlines inconsistent thickness
✅ Fix: Regenerate with "very thick black outlines 4-5px" in prompt

❌ Problem: Green fringing on edges
✅ Fix: Ensure pure #00FF00 background, no anti-aliasing on edges

❌ Problem: Animation doesn't loop
✅ Fix: Last frame must transition smoothly back to Frame 1

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✅ FINAL CONFIRMATION:

Agent, kada završiš svaki spritesheet:

1. Verify against MASTER_REF (pixel-perfect check)
2. Test loop (play all frames, check seamless)
3. Save to /assets/animations/[character]/
4. Git commit with "✅ [Character] [Animation] COMPLETE"
5. Update DEMO_COMPLETE_ASSET_LIST.md checklist
6. Move to next animation

When zie totale animacije za en character = DONE:

• Mark character as ✅ in production tracker
• Celebrate! 🎉
• Move to next character

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🎯 SUCCESS CRITERIA:

Demo is shippable when ALL these have ✅:

• Susi (idle, walk)
• Ana (idle, portraits)
• Gronk (idle, walk, vape)
• Kai (idle, walk, work×3)
• Zombies (4 roles: idle, walk, work each)
• Poof transform effect (shared VFX)

When ALL ✅ → DEMO ANIMATIONS COMPLETE! 🎉🎮

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Ready to start with SUSI (warmup character)? 🦖✨