Playable Character From Scratch

Build a playable character from your own sprites.

Goal

Create a new fighter, import sprites, build animations, tune combat boxes, and test the character in-game.

Prerequisites

  • A source mod under Editor.
  • Character sprites as PNG files or an animated GIF.
  • A plan for the character's core moves: idle, walk, jump, basic attacks, special attacks, grabs, being hit, knockdown, and death.

Steps

  1. Open the mod in the in-game editor menu.
  2. Launch the Character Editor.
  3. Drop the mod folder into the Character Editor if prompted.
  4. Choose Mod mode and the Players filter.
  5. Choose Create New or drop your first sprite set into the editor.
  6. Name the character.
  7. Import all sprite frames into the character.
  8. Create the required animations and assign frames to each animation.
  9. Set pivots so the character's feet stay planted across idle, walk, attack, and hit reactions.
  10. Add body boxes for vulnerable frames.
  11. Add hitboxes for active attack frames.
  12. Add throw offsets, grab offsets, weapon points, projectile points, sound events, or scripts where the move needs them.
  13. Add a portrait and preview image if the editor does not generate the result you want.
  14. Save the character.

Testing

Test the character in a simple level before building the whole move set.

  • Confirm the character appears on character select.
  • Check idle, walk, jump, attack, hit, knockdown, and death animations.
  • Verify that attacks connect only on the intended frames.
  • Verify the character can be hit and grabbed.
  • Test facing left and right.
  • Test with two players if the character can be selected in multiplayer.

Common problems

  • Floating feet usually mean pivots are inconsistent between frames.
  • Attacks hitting too early or too late usually mean the hitbox is on the wrong frame.
  • A character that cannot be hit usually has missing or misplaced body boxes.
  • Throw glitches usually need grab offsets and release offsets tuned on both facing directions.