RaRa_SpriteSystem - robblofield/Tomebound-Docs GitHub Wiki

Sprite System Guide for Designers

Overview

The RaRa Character Sprite System is a streamlined, editor-integrated toolset that lets designers quickly prepare 2-, 4-, or 8-directional character sprites for gameplay. The system is built around three purpose-specific tools:

Tool Purpose
Renamer Standardizes incoming spritesheet names into a consistent format.
Slicer Automatically slices horizontal-row spritesheets into individual frames.
Editor Maps animation frames to directional action slots in character profiles.

Each tool is designed to reduce manual work, enforce naming and slicing standards, and support batch processing wherever possible. A walkthrough guide continues via the link at the end of this page.


Workflow Diagram

flowchart TD
    A["๐ŸŽจ Artist-Provided Spritesheets (.png)<br>(2/4/8 directional)"] --> B["๐Ÿงพ RaRa Sprite Renamer Tool<br>(1 character, multi-action/direction)"]
    B --> C["โœ‚๏ธ RaRa Sprite Slicing Tool<br>(multi-character/action/direction)"]
    C --> D["๐ŸŽ›๏ธ RaRa Sprite Profile Editor<br>(1 character, multi-action/direction)"]
    D --> E["๐ŸŽฏ Character Profile (ScriptableObject)"]
    E --> F["๐ŸŽฎ Runtime Animation System"]

    style A fill:#f3f3f3,stroke:#222,stroke-width:1px,color:#111
    style B fill:#e0f7fa,stroke:#222,stroke-width:1px,color:#111
    style C fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#222,stroke-width:1px,color:#111
    style D fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#222,stroke-width:1px,color:#111
    style E fill:#ede7f6,stroke:#222,stroke-width:1px,color:#111
    style F fill:#d1c4e9,stroke:#222,stroke-width:1px,color:#111


Supported Formats

The RaRa system supports sprite setups for 2-way, 4-way, and 8-way directional animation. Each format corresponds to a set of expected directional labels, which must match the system's naming convention:

Format Directions Included
2-Way Left, Right
4-Way Up, Down, Left, Right
8-Way Up, UpRight, Right, DownRight, Down, DownLeft, Left, UpLeft

Designers can mix and match formats per character based on gameplay needs. For example:

  • An NPC may only use Down, Left, Right, Up
  • A player character might use the full 8-directional set
  • A simple trap or object could use just Left and Right

๐Ÿ” Batch Processing Support

The RaRa system supports batch processing for large sets of sprites โ€” across multiple directions, actions, or even characters (where allowed). Here's whatโ€™s supported at each phase:

Tool Supports Multiple Characters Multiple Actions Multiple Directions Notes
Renamer โŒ One character at a time โœ… Yes โœ… Yes Enforces a single character name input; all selected sheets are renamed accordingly.
Slicer โœ… Yes โœ… Yes โœ… Yes Processes any number of correctly named spritesheets.
Editor โŒ One character at a time โœ… Yes โœ… Yes Edits the profile for one character, but supports assigning many actions/directions.

This flexibility allows desginers to:

  • Rename an entire set of animations (e.g., all Run, Idle, Jump directions) in one go.
  • Slice entire folders of sprite sheets, even across characters.
  • Assign dozens of animations in one session via the Editor.

โžก๏ธ Proceed to the RaRa_SpriteSystem - RaRa Sprite Renamer User Guide