0xheycat Isometric Character Sprites
Overview
Characters move, so they need consistent proportions across 8 facing directions and a fixed feet-anchor (where the character touches the ground). Without this, characters appear to slide, jitter, or sort incorrectly when walking.
When to Use
- You need a player or NPC that faces multiple directions.
- Characters change size or proportion between directions.
- Movement looks like the sprite is sliding or floating.
Process
- Lock art direction and character height in pixels.
- Generate the same character in 8 directions (S, SW, W, NW, N, NE, E, SE) on a plain background.
- Keep proportions identical - same height line and feet baseline across all 8.
- Fix seed/settings; regenerate any direction that drifts in size or style.
- Clean alpha with
transparent-cutout-cleanup. - Define the feet-anchor (bottom-center) identically for every direction.
- Test by cycling directions in place - the feet must not jump between frames.
Rationalizations (Stop Lying to Yourself)
| Excuse | Reality |
|---|---|
| "4 directions is enough" | Diagonal movement looks broken with 4 directions in iso. Do 8. |
| "Slight height differences are fine" | A 3px height drift reads as bobbing. Align the baseline. |
Red Flags - STOP if you catch yourself:
- Inconsistent character height across directions.
- Feet-anchor differs per direction so the sprite slides.
- Only front-facing direction exists.
Verification
You are NOT done until every box is checked:
- 8 consistent directions exist for the character.
- Feet-anchor is identical across all directions.
- Cycling directions in place shows no jump or slide.