Managing different facial expressions during events

How do you manage your graphics for different facial expressions (if you use them)?


Ace supports 8 faces per image for example, but it is pretty reasonable for someone to have more than 8 expressions.


Do you have one face per image? Or maybe split them up across multiple sheets with some organized naming pattern so it's easy to find stuff?

I actually have around 30 something expressions and I named them kinda like:
Twilight Sparkle 1
Twilight Sparkle 2...

Then I made an editor file, where I listed all the emotions for each face. Only to be sure I get the right one. ;)
But after I have them put to number, kinda easy for me to memorize. :)
Did it like:
1. Laughing

2. Sad

3. Angry

4. Smiling
And allways made the positive, negative pattern. :) (\s/)

I use 1 image for 1 face, with a descriptive filename (actor-facial_expression)

I find it easier to use when browsing to pick up one for a sentence. This way I'm not distracted by all the other faces.

So if you had to write something like

actor1-1actor1-2actor1-3Or, if numbers aren't too useful, maybe using words

They aren't too different from what you're already doing.Granted, this assumes that expressions share a common prefix to denote which actor it's for, for example, using the actor name instead of just writing "actor1".

Anyone use a method that's different from using patterns in filenames?

Why would you need more than 8 expressions? I guess if the resource is already available out there, then sure, but otherwise, there's not much need to pile so much work onto yourself. You only need all the basic expressions really - normal, happy, sad, crying (possibly), angry, and maybe a couple of unique ones to your character like tired or stern or surprised.

But if you do have several facesheets, I find it easiest to name them after character's name first and then whatever you prefer. So you might do for example "Ralph 1" and "Ralph 2", etc. It's easier to find them when they're all together.

Cabfe: Wow, individual image per each emotion? Do you not end up having to scroll through a lot of filenames? That's one of the reasons why I tend to put them into 8s. Less stuff to scroll through when eventing. :D

Fun fact: RMVXA actually accepts more than 8 faces per faceset.

But the faceset cursor (for when choosing the faceset) bugs if you go to another faceset while the cursor is on a face higher than the base 8.

proof:



bug:



(and yeah, since it's technically empty, you can't click out of that selection. If you return to the big faceset, though, you can. So it isn't that bad of a bug, at all.)

As a bonus, the way I create and organize my facesets is easy to see by those screens! :D

I have less than 8, but even if I had more, it wouldn't change how I do things. I use a message script that allows me to enter an escape code for the character and expression, and it chooses the right frame from the right file. I don't need to select a face in my Show Text box at all.


VERY interesting that Ace will accept > 8 frames by default.

Even if I would do that, I will end up with more then 8, because of two different races each. ;) (\s/)

I tried that too, because I was curious, but if you chose one, they might don't show up in the message box. ;)

Especially, you do for example a 8x8 pattern face set. It shows up in the editor you can use even the 5th picture of the line, but it wouldn't show up in the message box, when you testplay. ;) /)

An other way to do it would be names like:

Twilight Sparkle Happy Moods

Twilight Sparkle Sad Moods

Twilight Sparke Strange Moods

Guess there are many possibilities. :D (\s/)

Aaaawkward, because when I tested it, it worked

But I guess if it's bugged, probably RGSS can fix it xD

The large faces sheet is pretty nice.


There shouldn't be an issue with in the engine if you can select it and it shows up in your editor.

Sounds like it would still require some structured way to organize your images so that the script is able to choose the right frame from the right file.

It's all in the script that handles the escape codes/strings. But yes, I have all similar expressions at the same index in each faceset. That isn't really necessary - they could be all over the place - it just means I can set the script up using a couple of nested loops instead of one line per character/expression.

At the moment, I have 884 faces and my game is not finished. I think it'll end up to near 1000 with the NPCs and other characters that'll come in game.

(That's certainly overkill, I know. First game, silly ideas, mistakes... although my game is a story more like a visual novel than a RPG).

Also, I don't use the internal tool of the maker for the selection.

I choose which face to show with an external image browsing program.

Similarly to Shaz, I use a script for all my dialogues (since it's multilanguage) and I put the face's filename for each text box.

It looks complicated but when you're used to it, it goes quickly.

To keep my work down, I only (now) do faces for the PCs, and even there I have no more than maybe 4 expressions for each PC:

Happy, sad, neutral, angry.   Also, it makes it very clear when a PC is talking versus an NPC.

With a few basic expressions added in, I assume the text carries the emotion, especially because you can change the text's size and/or color.