Ubisoft's Art Engine (question)

I see some people saying how it's an "impressive engine.

What makes the Ubisoft Art engine so special?

Are they talking about the art style or what?

Because I thought the styles of games they made with it (Rayman Child of Light) that's all effected by art direction, texture work, and all that stuff

While the engine is there just to build the game to it

 

Edit, talking rubbish.. It's just a set of 2D tools..

 

What would be wrong? Is it something I said in my post? Need to check what you were talking about

 

I'm talking engines in general, as to your specific question it's nothing but the assets that give 2D a great looking kick but even then shaders / post apply to certain extents.. It just seems like a fluid toolset.

 

@VataRaven - have you ever seen this video about the making of Rayman Legends? http://youtu.be/y-chi097uV4

I think the thing that impressed people was the artist friendly and rapid workflow. I find the animation in Rayman Legends outstanding, almost like a cartoon but games like Vanillaware's Muramasa or Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet are achieving similar things without using the UbiArt engine.

 

No, I haven't seen it, I'll look at it when I can

 

The engine itself isnt making the good games, and as for what the engine GIVES u, theres already alot of good alternatives. Rayman looks good because they have some of the best artists and animators in the 2D field, france is VERY good at this.

Using Unity 2D and Ferr2D and u already have a decent workflow. Ive completely stopped using animation assets because Unity is the most stable one sofar. Smoothmoves, Uni2D,Spriter and all those other ones are not necessary for good animation, a good animator is.

The only thing i would love to have form rayman is their lighting, saves time for artists not having to paint light into the textures. Everything else, well, we already have.

 

Well, yes, I do know that much

Though, I'm curious about the 2-d animation, the video showed it had bones.

It seems close to that 2-d Spine animation program, by Esoteric Software

 

Yes its a skeletal system that MIGHT improve workflow for some. Spine and Spriter is basicly the same thing, ive tried them both and ive ended up abandoning them becasue they arent necessary for my style. Id imagine using them for larger characters is better, but i tend to stick to short characters where u can basicly get what u need,and more, in just using unity.

It really just depends on what u are trying to achieve with it, Rayman uses ALOT of separate poses for their characters wich is a good thing with a skeleton because u can just swap them out fast and they will follow the movement of the bone. In unity this is also possible but it takes more manual tweaking, wich i actually prefer, gives me a feeling of control.

Just try em out, they both have free versions i think.