Changing a sprite's appearance in Scratch is done by changing its costume. This allows sprites to animate, represent different objects, or change their look throughout a project.
Step-by-Step Guide to Changing a Sprite's Costume
Here's how you can easily change the costume of a sprite, including selecting new ones from the built-in library.
Using the Scratch Costume Library
The Scratch Costume Library offers a wide variety of pre-made images you can use for your sprites. To add or change to a costume from this library, follow these steps:
- Select the sprite from the list of sprites on the Scratch window. This list is typically found in the bottom-right section of the editor. Clicking on a sprite here makes it the active sprite you are currently working with.
- Click the "Costumes" tab. This tab is usually located near the top-left corner of the Scratch editor interface, next to the "Code" and "Sounds" tabs. Clicking this tab switches your view to the costume editor for the selected sprite.
- Add a new costume. In the bottom-left corner of the costume editor area, you'll find buttons to add new costumes. To choose one from the library, click the button that looks like a cat head with a plus sign, and then select "Choose a Costume" (often represented by the magnifying glass icon or a simple hover action).
- Browse the library. A window will pop up showing the Costume Library. You can select a Category or Theme (like Animals, People, Fantasy, etc.) using the options on the left. A list of various costumes will appear in the right pane.
- Choose your costume. Click on the costume you want to add to your sprite. It will be added to your sprite's list of costumes.
Once a costume is added, you can switch between your sprite's available costumes using the "switch costume to [costume name]" block or the "next costume" block in the Code tab.
Other Ways to Change Costumes
Besides using the library, you can also change a sprite's costume by:
- Painting New Costumes: Use the built-in editor to draw your own unique costumes from scratch.
- Uploading Costumes: Import image files (like PNG, JPG, or GIFs) from your computer to use as costumes.
- Surprising: Let Scratch pick a random costume for you from the library.
Understanding Scratch Costumes
A sprite in Scratch is essentially an object that performs actions on the Stage. Each sprite can have one or more costumes. A costume is simply an image that represents the sprite at any given moment. By changing costumes, you can make characters walk, talk, or transform their appearance, bringing your projects to life.
