Transition between two images files have a slight delay and causes image to "blink". Please help!

[Beladrim]

Hello.

I am RPG maker ACE veteran, and i have used transitions between images files to create small animations (Exemple : Make an image of my character move it's lips or arms).

It looked something like this :

Show picture 1 : Arm position A

Wait 3 frames

Show picture 1 : Arm position B

Wait 3 frames

Show picture 1 : Arm position C

Wait 3 frames

Show picture 1 : Arm position D

Wait 3 frames

Show picture 1 : Arm position E

Wait 3 frames

I use the wait commands to control the speed of the animation. After 3 frames, The file assigned to picture 1 is replaced by an other image file that is the next animation frame.

In ace, this allowed me to create smooth animations, since RPG maker doesn't support animation GIFS. Still was very happy with the results I got. And all my games are based on this technic.

However... With MV, it's not really working anymore.

The problem is that each time the image files changes to an other, there is a brief but significant delay when Picture 1 becomes invisible. The result of this : The animation makes the whole thing "blink", kinda like a stomb light effect.

I have tried different solutions, like :

Show picture 1 : Arm position A

Wait 3 frames

Erase picture 1

Show picture 2 : Arm position B

Wait 3 frames

Erase picture 2

Show picture  3 : Arm position C

Wait 3 frames

Erase picture 3

Show picture 4 : Arm position D

Wait 3 frames

Erase picture 4

Show picture 5 : Arm position E

Wait 3 frames

Sadly, the same effect still occurs. I also tried the show all 5 pictures first with 0 opacity and use "Move image x" to 255 opacity in the animation in the hope that this would fix the problem... But again, same thing occures.

Strangely enough, If i trigger the same animation a second time, then it plays perfectly. It's like MV needs to load the image animation sequence a first time before it can do it smoothly a second time. So a possible work around would be to trigger all animation invisibly in the back ground before hand so that when they actually are triggered then they are supposed to, they play correctly. That is EXTREMLY unpratical... And I can't imagine making all of my games with such restrictions.

Can anymore save my poor brain from frying by giving a reasonable solution to this issue?

I read that some people had similar problems with sound files being delayed.

Many thanks in advance to anyone willing to help.

 

[Ramiro]

preload the bitmaps beforehand using the TPP preload manager this will preload your files at the start of your game, so they will be always smooth.

 

[Beladrim]

Praise the sun!

It works

Thank you!

 

[Shaz]

You could also just show them as 5 different pictures, all at 0 opacity except one, which has 255. Then after each wait, set the opacity of the visible one to 0 and the next one to 255.