AnimatedSprite

AnimatedSprite is a common component or object found in game development frameworks and engines, designed to display a sequence of images, creating the illusion of animation. It essentially allows developers to represent a character, object, or effect that changes its appearance over time.

The core functionality of an AnimatedSprite relies on a sprite sheet or a series of individual image files. A sprite sheet is a single image containing multiple frames of an animation laid out in a grid. The AnimatedSprite component then defines which portion of this sprite sheet to display at any given time. Alternatively, a sequence of separate image files can be used, with each file representing a distinct frame.

Developers typically configure an AnimatedSprite by specifying the animation frames, the order in which they should be displayed, and the duration each frame should be visible. This duration, often referred to as frame rate or delay, controls the speed of the animation. Many implementations also offer features like looping, where the animation repeats continuously, or playing specific sections of an animation. Some systems allow for multiple animations to be defined for a single AnimatedSprite, such as "idle," "walking," and "jumping," which can be switched between programmatically based on game logic.

The use of AnimatedSprite simplifies the process of creating dynamic visuals in games and other interactive applications, enabling fluid character movements, visual effects, and other time-based graphical changes without the need for complex manual frame management.