Jawnsunn's WIP-fest

[Gors]

tl;dr subpixeling is a technique to represent very subtle movements such as breathing, or engine vibration, or even to make a common movement such as walking, even smoother than you could achieve with 'normal' animation.


that site showed some examples that fit with Jawnsunn's definition of subpixeling animated sprite, but I think that subpixeling is much more subtle.

those Metal Slug animations have lightings and colors shifting by 1 pxel, which increases its 'liveliness'; but for me, real subpixeling would be found in this animation here:



Notice Eri's shoulder. Its movement isn't defined by shape or color block in particular, but anti-aliasing. It's anti-aliasing that does most of the stuff. That's because anti-aliasing pixels are, in a way, half-pixels: it is a combination of two colors to create a third mid-tone that complements both shapes' lines. If you animate your sprite using those 'half-pixels', then you're subpixeling. At least that's what I think of it.

What matters more, though, isn't if it uses anti-aliasing or not, but how the animation looks after it's finished, and Jawnsunn's animation looks great.