Sprite Animation

Sprite animation is a computer graphics technique where a sequence of images (sprites) is displayed in rapid succession to create the illusion of motion or change. It is widely used in 2D video games, web animations, and interactive media to bring characters, objects, and effects to life. This method involves storing individual frames in a sprite sheet and cycling through them based on timing or user input.

Also known as: 2D Animation, Frame-by-Frame Animation, Sprite Sheet Animation, Cel Animation, Bitmap Animation

Why learn Sprite Animation?

Developers should learn sprite animation when creating 2D games, interactive web content, or mobile apps that require efficient, lightweight animations without 3D rendering overhead. It is essential for game development with engines like Unity or Godot, and for web animations using HTML5 Canvas or CSS, as it optimizes performance by reusing image assets and minimizing memory usage compared to video or complex vector graphics.

Learning Resources

• docs: MDN Web Docs: Sprite Animation with Canvas
• tutorial: Unity Learn: 2D Animation Tutorial
• tutorial: FreeCodeCamp: Sprite Animation in JavaScript
• video: YouTube: Sprite Animation Basics by The Coding Train
• book: Game Programming Patterns: Animation Chapter