Where should I use Sequences?

Petrik33

Member
So, as the open beta of GMS 2.3 has started recently I have explored it's new feautures and while the Great Useability of Animation Curves is at least slightly clear to me, the Sequences remain undiscovered Alien Technology. I mean, it's visible that it has a lot of potential, but I still don't know where should I use them and for what? The first thing coming to the mind is something like cutscenes, which seems to be very cool, but I think there are many more ways to apply them, that I don't know about. So, any suggestions and tips?
 

kburkhart84

Firehammer Games
Honestly, I'd say they could be used for anything at all that involves controlled movement animation type stuff. You see cutscenes...but I see GUI stuff, and even lower level stuff like neat bullet pattern movement. I also see enemy movement patterns(instead of using paths). I haven't dived into them yet, but I'm understanding they can also do many things like creating and destroying instances as part of it, so you could work out boss fight sequences, where the shielded part comes in and out, etc... and IIRC you can have it call scripts at certain points, so you could even do randomized parts as well.

I'm not advertising another engine per se...but Unity has had its animation system for years. You might be able to research uses of their system to get some actual use cases(since GMS2's is so new there isn't as much evidence yet).
 

Toque

Member
I’m trying to get my head around it as well. How could I use it more. But I need to get my head around the code.
 

Petrik33

Member
Honestly, I'd say they could be used for anything at all that involves controlled movement animation type stuff. You see cutscenes...but I see GUI stuff, and even lower level stuff like neat bullet pattern movement. I also see enemy movement patterns(instead of using paths). I haven't dived into them yet, but I'm understanding they can also do many things like creating and destroying instances as part of it, so you could work out boss fight sequences, where the shielded part comes in and out, etc... and IIRC you can have it call scripts at certain points, so you could even do randomized parts as well.

I'm not advertising another engine per se...but Unity has had its animation system for years. You might be able to research uses of their system to get some actual use cases(since GMS2's is so new there isn't as much evidence yet).
Thanks a lot! I also thought about something like GUI and else, but about Boss fights, I see sequence as a cool opportunity for making something like boss state change animation, but can you include instance into sequence inside the code during the runtime if it is already added to the sequence in the sequence Editor. I think you can, but how to assign the track of the instance included in sequence to the instance in game? If you can do this, the sequences will be priceless.
 

TheouAegis

Member
Thanks a lot! I also thought about something like GUI and else, but about Boss fights, I see sequence as a cool opportunity for making something like boss state change animation, but can you include instance into sequence inside the code during the runtime if it is already added to the sequence in the sequence Editor. I think you can, but how to assign the track of the instance included in sequence to the instance in game? If you can do this, the sequences will be priceless.
By the looks of it, your boss would create the sequence on a layer and then wait for the sequence to end before going to its next state. You wouldn't add the boss to the sequence because sequences are essentially objects. By the looks of the examples in the manual, you could probably design the whole boss around sequences and their broadcasts (or even just layer_sequence_is_finished). Your boss could essentially be an invisible instance with a mask for collisions, and brought "to life" with a series of sequences.
 

kburkhart84

Firehammer Games
Actually, if I'm not mistaken, you can have instances be part of sequences on their own. I think I saw a tutorial(Matharoo) about this exact thing. And I believe they can still run code, etc... all the same, so could still be used for collisions and stuff even when the sequence is acting on them.
 

Nocturne

Friendly Tyrant
Forum Staff
Admin
The video @kburkhart84 mentions from @matharoo is this one, and it's well worth watching. The subject matter is deceptively simple, but the underlying principles it illustrates are incredibly powerful:


As for things you can use sequences for... here's a brief list of things that immediately come to mind:

Timers: Use sprite masking to create cool-down timers like those in RTS games
GUI: Buttons and general interface elements (the broadcast message stuff is great for this)
Logos: Create animated intro logos and gameplay elements like Game Over, etc...
Gameplay: Make your player character use sequences for each different gameplay animation, running, fighting, etc... and use broadcast messages to trigger SFX at the appropriate times
Backgrounds: Use a sequence to create an animated background to your levels

There are surely an infinite number of things that sequences can be used for, and I'm sure that people will be discovering and posting about them over the course of time, especially when 2.3 goes stable. Personally I'm incredibly excited to see what people do with them, as it's such a deep tool that I'm sure there are many, many things that even the Devs haven't thought of that people will do. Not to mention the fact that with any tool like this people always find little "hacks" and workarounds to stuff that it was never intended to do!!!
 

Petrik33

Member
The video @kburkhart84 mentions from @matharoo is this one, and it's well worth watching. The subject matter is deceptively simple, but the underlying principles it illustrates are incredibly powerful:


As for things you can use sequences for... here's a brief list of things that immediately come to mind:

Timers: Use sprite masking to create cool-down timers like those in RTS games
GUI: Buttons and general interface elements (the broadcast message stuff is great for this)
Logos: Create animated intro logos and gameplay elements like Game Over, etc...
Gameplay: Make your player character use sequences for each different gameplay animation, running, fighting, etc... and use broadcast messages to trigger SFX at the appropriate times
Backgrounds: Use a sequence to create an animated background to your levels

There are surely an infinite number of things that sequences can be used for, and I'm sure that people will be discovering and posting about them over the course of time, especially when 2.3 goes stable. Personally I'm incredibly excited to see what people do with them, as it's such a deep tool that I'm sure there are many, many things that even the Devs haven't thought of that people will do. Not to mention the fact that with any tool like this people always find little "hacks" and workarounds to stuff that it was never intended to do!!!
That is very Great, but one question: I have seen something in Manual, that sprite will also have asset tracks and broadcast messages soon, if I am not mistaken, it will be a very good opportunity, am I right, and if yes, how soon can it appear?
Edit: after watching this tutorial, I can say sequences are COOL, that object override function is priceless, that is probably one of the most accurate answers on the question on my memory in GMC:)
 
Last edited:

kburkhart84

Firehammer Games
That is very Great, but one question: I have seen something in Manual, that sprite will also have asset tracks and broadcast messages soon, if I am not mistaken, it will be a very good opportunity, am I right, and if yes, how soon can it appear?
I hadn't heard that...but it makes sense honestly. Someone somewhere said that internally, sprites are actually working as sequences...so if that is accurate, then your thought is the next logical step from my point of view. Right now we only have the Animation End event and manually checking the frame we are on(or simple coded timers) if we want things to happen, so it would be a welcome step.
 

TheouAegis

Member
I hadn't heard that...but it makes sense honestly. Someone somewhere said that internally, sprites are actually working as sequences...so if that is accurate, then your thought is the next logical step from my point of view. Right now we only have the Animation End event and manually checking the frame we are on(or simple coded timers) if we want things to happen, so it would be a welcome step.
It's written in the manual itself under sequences.
 
Top