Sprite Editor FAQ / User Guide

Sprite Editor Frequently Asked Questions and User Guide » Here you will find a list of common questions and concerns regarding sprite editor.

• What are the requirements to run Sprite Editor?
  • .NET 4 Client Profile (http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17113)
  • Newtonsoft.Json.dll (Compact version, Included in zip)
  • Gif.Components.dll (Included in zip)
• Where are all the options?
  • Try right clicking the sprite tree to find all the goodies.
  • The context menus are different depending upon what is selected.
• Where can I find detailed documentation on the *.spr file format?
  • http://sprites.caustik.com/topic/356-how-to-create-your-own-spr-files/
• How do I perform a Quick Crop?
  1. Select a Valid State.

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  2. Click and drag on the displayed image / sprite sheet to select a rectangular area.

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  3. cropX, cropY, cropW, and cropH values are automatically set from your selection.

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• Where are the application settings stored on my PC?
  • They are stored in %AppData%LocalSpriteEditor
  • This folder is normally located in C:UsersYourUserNameAppDataLocalSpriteEditor
• Is there any other shortcuts for setting parameter values?
  • Right click a Parameter and go to “Set Current Value To”. Here you are given a few options:
    1. X or Y value. Useful for cropX,Y.
    2. Image color code. Useful for capturing the background color of a sprite sheet for transparency.
    3. Use Current Image Filename. Useful for easily setting URI parameter to currently displayed image’s filename.
• What does “Add Next Chain” do?
  • Check out the *.spr file format documentation for more details on how chains work.

  • For example, if you select SPRITE_STATE_WALK_LEFT_0 and click Add next Chain, it will add SPRITE_STATE_WALK_LEFT_1 for you.

  • If isChain: 1 is not set in the root parameter, it will automagically be set for you.

• Why can’t MegaMan.spr shoot Chicken.spr?
  • Because caustik sucks.
• What are “Dependencies”?
  • Any references to external files from inside of a *.spr are listed under Dependencies. These usually include images and *.spi spawn/death animations.
• Why is there a Green Checkmark / Red X on the bottom right corner?
  • Any time a change is made, the Validator automatically runs. If you get a Checkmark, all is fine. A red X means there is an error.
• How do I submit my character for usage on the sprite network?
  • http://sprites.caustik.com/topic/226-how-to-submit-your-own-characters/
  • Make sure your sprite validates before submitting or else it will not be accepted!
• I crashed the program or got some unexpected behavior!
  • Please e-mail me, report the problem on the google code issue tracker, or post a forum thread on the sprites.caustik.com website and I will fix it for you!

• What all does the error checking look for?

  1. States
     • Must be in all caps
     • SPRITE_META_DATA and SPRITE_STATE_DEFAULT are required.
     • Must be a known state name, matched from a list of possible states.
  2. Parameters
     • Must be a known parameter, action, or flag name.
  3. Values
     • Flags must be 0 or 1.
     • URIs must contain a valid filename.
     • HTML Hex color codes must be six digits.
     • Integers must be a parseable number.
     • Doubles must also parse.
     • URLs must be valid links.
     • Checks if param is listed without a corresponding value.
     • Checks if param is blank or whitepsace.
  4. Other
     • Array indices must be in the form [n] and have appropriate subnodes.
     • Chains must have isChain:1 set.
     • Checks if isChain:1 is set and there is no subsequent incremented state.
     • Chain numbers must be sequential.