willibrandon/pixel-plugin/pixel-art-exporter

Pixel Art Exporter

Overview

The Pixel Art Exporter Skill enables exporting pixel art sprites from Aseprite to various formats optimized for different use cases. This includes single images (PNG), animated GIFs, spritesheets, and JSON metadata for game engines.

Core Capabilities:

• Export single frames or entire animations as PNG images
• Generate animated GIFs with customizable timing and looping
• Create spritesheets in multiple layouts (horizontal, vertical, grid, packed)
• Generate JSON metadata for game engines (Unity, Godot, Phaser, generic)
• Scale exports with pixel-perfect upscaling (1x, 2x, 4x, etc.)
• Handle transparency, background colors, and frame-specific exports

Export Formats Supported:

• PNG: Single images or frame sequences with transparency
• GIF: Animated GIFs with frame timing and loop control
• Spritesheet: Texture atlases with various packing algorithms
• JSON: Frame metadata, animation tags, layer information

This Skill works with the pixel-mcp server tools to produce production-ready assets for web, games, and applications.

When to Use

Invoke this Skill when the user:

• Wants to export or save: "export this sprite", "save as PNG", "generate a spritesheet"
• Mentions file formats: "PNG", "GIF", "spritesheet", "sprite sheet", "texture atlas", "JSON"
• Prepares for game engines: "export for Unity", "Godot spritesheet", "Phaser animation"
• Needs specific outputs: "export just frame 3", "create a tileset", "save each layer separately"
• Requests scaling: "export at 2x size", "scale up 4x", "upscale for retina displays"
• Wants animation exports: "make this into a GIF", "export the animation", "save all frames"
• Needs metadata: "include JSON data", "export with coordinates", "frame information"

Example Triggers:

• "Can you export this character sprite as a PNG?"
• "I need a spritesheet for my game engine"
• "Save this animation as an animated GIF"
• "Export at 4x scale for high-resolution displays"
• "Generate a texture atlas with JSON metadata"
• "Export just the 'run' animation tag"

Instructions

1. Exporting Single Images (PNG)

For static sprites or single frames:

1. Get Sprite Information First

``` Use mcp__aseprite__get_sprite_info to understand:

• Current dimensions
• Number of frames
• Available layers
• Color mode and transparency settings

```

1. Export PNG with Transparency

``` Use mcp__aseprite__export_png:

• file_path: Absolute path (e.g., "/path/to/output/sprite.png")
• frame_number: Specific frame (0-indexed) or omit for current frame
• layer: Specific layer name or omit for merged output
• scale: Scaling factor (1, 2, 4, etc.) - default is 1

```

1. Export Options

• Transparent background: Default behavior, preserves alpha channel
• Specific background: Use layer visibility or flatten before export
• Single frame from animation: Specify frame_number parameter
• Specific layer only: Provide layer name to export just that layer

Example Workflow:

1. Get sprite info to verify dimensions and frame count
2. Export PNG: mcp__aseprite__export_png with desired frame and scale
3. Confirm file creation and report dimensions to user

2. Exporting Animated GIFs

For animations intended for web or presentations:

1. Verify Animation Setup

``` Use mcp__aseprite__get_sprite_info to check:

• Frame count (needs 2+ frames)
• Frame durations (timing information)
• Animation tags (if specific tag requested)
• Sprite dimensions

```

1. Export GIF

``` Use mcp__aseprite__export_gif:

• file_path: Output path (e.g., "/path/to/animation.gif")
• animation_tag: Optional - specific tag name to export
• loop: true (infinite loop) or false (play once)
• scale: Upscaling factor if needed

```

1. GIF Optimization Considerations

• GIF format has 256-color limit - ensure palette is optimized
• Frame timing is preserved from Aseprite frame durations
• Transparency is supported but may have edge artifacts
• File size increases with dimensions and frame count

Example Workflow:

1. Verify sprite has multiple frames
2. Export GIF with appropriate loop setting
3. Report file size and frame count to user
4. Suggest optimization if file is large (>1MB)

3. Creating Spritesheets

For game engines and texture atlases:

1. Understand Layout Requirements

Layout Types:

• Horizontal: All frames in a single row (good for scrolling animations)
• Vertical: All frames in a single column (good for CSS animations)
• Grid: Frames arranged in rows and columns (balanced dimensions)
• Packed: Optimized packing to minimize texture size (engine-specific)

1. Export Spritesheet

``` Use mcp__aseprite__export_spritesheet:

• file_path: Output PNG path (e.g., "/path/to/spritesheet.png")
• layout: "horizontal", "vertical", "grid", or "packed"
• animation_tag: Optional - export specific animation only
• scale: Upscaling factor
• padding: Pixels between frames (default 0, common: 1-2)
• include_json: true to generate metadata file

```

1. JSON Metadata Structure

When include_json: true, creates a .json file with: ``json { "frames": [ { "filename": "frame_0.png", "frame": {"x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 32, "h": 32}, "spriteSourceSize": {"x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 32, "h": 32}, "sourceSize": {"w": 32, "h": 32}, "duration": 100 } ], "meta": { "app": "Aseprite", "version": "1.3.x", "format": "RGBA8888", "size": {"w": 256, "h": 32}, "scale": "1" } } ``

1. Layout Selection Guidelines

• Horizontal: Best for web/CSS sprite animations, simple scrolling
• Vertical: Mobile-friendly, vertical scrolling animations
• Grid: Unity, Godot - balanced texture dimensions (power-of-2)
• Packed: Advanced engines with atlas support (Phaser, LibGDX)

Example Workflow:

1. Ask user about target platform if not specified
2. Recommend layout based on use case
3. Export spritesheet with JSON metadata
4. Report texture dimensions and frame count
5. Provide integration code sample for their engine

4. Generating JSON Metadata

For game engine integration:

1. Metadata Formats by Engine

Unity:

• Use "grid" layout for Unity's Sprite Editor
• JSON provides frame coordinates for slicing
• Include padding to prevent texture bleeding

Godot:

• Use "horizontal" or "grid" layout
• JSON maps to AnimatedSprite frames
• Frame duration converts to FPS

Phaser:

• Use "packed" layout for optimal performance
• JSON follows Texture Packer format
• Supports trimmed sprites and rotation

Generic/Custom:

• Standard frame array with x, y, w, h coordinates
• Duration in milliseconds per frame
• Animation tag groupings

1. Export with Metadata

``` Always include JSON when exporting for game engines:

• Set include_json: true in export_spritesheet
• JSON file created with same name as PNG (different extension)
• Contains frame positions, durations, and sprite metadata

```

1. Metadata Usage Examples

Parsing in JavaScript (Phaser): ``javascript this.load.atlas('sprite', 'spritesheet.png', 'spritesheet.json'); this.add.sprite(x, y, 'sprite', 'frame_0.png'); ``

Parsing in C# (Unity): ``csharp // Import spritesheet.png with Multiple sprite mode // Use JSON to set sprite rectangles in Sprite Editor ``

5. Scaling Exports

Pixel-perfect upscaling for high-resolution displays:

1. When to Scale

• Retina/HiDPI displays: Use 2x or 4x
• Modern game engines: Export at native size, let engine scale
• Web: Export 2x and use CSS to scale down (sharper rendering)
• Print/marketing: Use 4x or higher

1. Scaling Best Practices

• Always use integer scaling (1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, not 1.5x)
• Maintain pixel-perfect sharpness with nearest-neighbor
• Scale before export, not after (prevents blurring)
• Consider file size vs. quality tradeoffs

1. Apply Scaling

``` Add scale parameter to any export:

• mcp__aseprite__export_png: scale: 2
• mcp__aseprite__export_gif: scale: 4
• mcp__aseprite__export_spritesheet: scale: 2

```

1. Resolution Recommendations

• 1x: Original pixel art size, retro aesthetic
• 2x: Standard for modern displays, good balance
• 4x: High-resolution, marketing materials
• 8x+: Ultra-high-resolution, print, large displays

Export Workflows for Different Use Cases

Static Sprite for Web

1. Get sprite info to verify single frame
2. Export PNG at 2x scale with transparency
3. Optimize PNG with compression tools if needed
4. Provide HTML/CSS example for display

Character Animation for Game

1. Verify animation has multiple frames and tags
2. Export spritesheet with "grid" layout
3. Include JSON metadata (include_json: true)
4. Set appropriate padding (1-2 pixels)
5. Scale if needed (typically 1x for engines)
6. Provide code snippet for target engine

Icon Set Export

1. If multiple layers, export each separately
2. Use PNG format with transparency
3. Scale to multiple sizes (16x16, 32x32, 64x64)
4. Batch export all sizes
5. Organize in output directory structure

Social Media GIF

1. Verify frame timing is appropriate (100-200ms typical)
2. Export GIF with loop: true
3. Scale to 2x or 4x for visibility
4. Check file size (optimize if >2MB)
5. Suggest hosting platforms if needed

Tileset for Game Engine

1. Verify tiles are uniform size (e.g., 16x16, 32x32)
2. Export as grid spritesheet
3. Set padding to 0 or 1 (depends on engine)
4. Include JSON for tile coordinates
5. Provide tile size and grid dimensions

Game Engine Integration

Unity Integration

Export Settings:

• Layout: "grid"
• Include JSON: true
• Padding: 1-2 pixels (prevents bleeding)
• Scale: 1x (Unity handles scaling)

Import Steps:

1. Import spritesheet.png into Assets
2. Set Texture Type to "Sprite (2D and UI)"
3. Set Sprite Mode to "Multiple"
4. Open Sprite Editor and use JSON coordinates to slice
5. Create Animator Controller with sprite animation

Code Example:

SpriteRenderer renderer = GetComponent<SpriteRenderer>();
renderer.sprite = sprites[frameIndex];

Godot Integration

Export Settings:

• Layout: "horizontal" or "grid"
• Include JSON: true
• Scale: 1x
• Padding: 0-1 pixels

Import Steps:

1. Import spritesheet.png to project
2. Create AnimatedSprite node
3. Create SpriteFrames resource
4. Add frames from spritesheet
5. Use JSON durations to set FPS

Code Example:

$AnimatedSprite.play("run")
$AnimatedSprite.speed_scale = 1.0

Phaser Integration

Export Settings:

• Layout: "packed" or "horizontal"
• Include JSON: true (Texture Packer format)
• Scale: 1x or 2x depending on game resolution

Import Steps:

1. Place spritesheet.png and .json in assets
2. Load as atlas in preload()
3. Create sprite with atlas key
4. Create animations from frame names

Code Example:

this.load.atlas('player', 'spritesheet.png', 'spritesheet.json');
this.anims.create({
  key: 'run',
  frames: this.anims.generateFrameNames('player', {
    prefix: 'frame_',
    suffix: '.png',
    start: 0,
    end: 7
  }),
  frameRate: 10,
  repeat: -1
});

Generic/Custom Engine

Export Settings:

• Layout: Based on engine capabilities
• Include JSON: true
• Provide simple frame array format

JSON Structure:

{
  "frames": [
    {"x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 32, "h": 32, "duration": 100}
  ],
  "meta": {
    "frameWidth": 32,
    "frameHeight": 32,
    "frameCount": 8
  }
}