Good day CC2D Devs,
I was wondering how hard it would be for you to make a spine compatible export for Esoteric Spine JSON files?
It would be pretty awesome if you could make that happen, but I can understand if you can't. Seeing as it supports JSON export already, it might be possible? Preferably version 3.7.XX as this is the only version that works with game maker at the moment.
Hi, Kombowz!
It's not that simple, I'm afraid. JSON is just a format for a data, but the actual data and data structure that is stored varies wildly between software/tools/etc. In Unity version of CC2D, the JSON only saves what parts are used for said character, so that you can load it again anytime with CC2D or save any character data during runtime. I imagine the Spine JSON would contain animation data and a bunch of other things that are specific to Spine and its runtime implementation.
Is it possible to have a Atlas-File, or Spriter JSON / XML-File? Spriter has an open documented format, but Spine also. There are plugIns for Photoshop and Affinity Designer, that could setup the JSON for Spine, but we would need to have seperate PNGs for the limbs on the bones and so on.
The PNG export does only export the complete image? We don't get the scaled parts of the body? If you would export the parts of the body, your CC2D could be the Reallusion Character Creator 3 and Spine / Spriter would be the Reallusion iClone. Also it could make more sense for body-part-export+JSON Atlas for Blender-Animations or any other 2D animation tool. DragenBones, Godot, Kestrelmoon Creatur
Kestrelmoon Creatur: https://www.kestrelmoon.com/creaturedocs/Rigging/Rigging_Description.html
Spine: http://de.esotericsoftware.com/spine-api-reference
Spriter: http://www.brashmonkey.com/spriter_manual/creating%20and%20assigning%20bones.htm
Godot: https://docs.godotengine.org/de/stable/tutorials/animation/2d_skeletons.html
DragonBones API Docs: http://docs.egret.com/dragonbones/en/docs/api/dragonBones.Animation
DragenBones is Part of Egret Game Engine: https://developer.egret.com/en/list/example/id/13
Also there a many game engines, that are not Unity, that support Skeletton animations, App Game Kit e.g. supports FBX, Spriter, Spine. Creatur can import Spine files and export as FBX.
If you could create layered photoshop files, you people could use scripts to build up on that: https://github.com/EsotericSoftware/spine-scripts/tree/master/photoshop
The potential for your CharacterCreator2D is great, but most animators, visual designers, artists, are not in the Unity ecosystem. And if we only can export as a complete Sprite-Sheet, a game creator, artist or any person in the pipeline would have to start from scratch again. If you would provide a bunch of skeletton animations, maybe it is not as complecated, the steps would be as following:
- pre-created Spine or Spriter animation, maybe both. That is some work, but would be possible.
- scale the sekelloton with a procedure in the Setup pose and you are done.
- export your created and scaled parts fixed to an texture Atlas or as seperate sprites.
there are also Atlas tools around.
TexturePacker: https://www.codeandweb.com/texturepacker
ShoeBox: https://renderhjs.net/shoebox/
SpriteUV2: https://www.spriteuv.com/
First thing would be, is it possible, that you could export only one limb / body part as PNG?
If that is possible, the rest is "easy". A texture Atlas is only a simple file, where X, Y, and the size of the Sprite are written in text-format
What Game Maker Studio 2 and other programs can do, is import a Standard-Skeletton with Animation and use e.g. Spines Attachment or Skinning functions to swap the body-parts out. But we would need to have the before created bodyparts from your CC2D to make that happen.
Hey Xabyn, thanks for the feedback!
So CC2D wasn't really made for creating animations on other tools. It was more aimed for people with no artistic skill, so they can create and use the resulting characters for their game. Think of it like the character generator within RPG Maker.
It was originally made as Unity plugin, because that is the tool that we use and that we are most familiar with. Only later, due to popular request, we bring it as standalone version, where user can export the characters and animations as png sequences.
That said, exporting to Atlas is currently in the work, and it will be coming on the next update. But it will be just a simple atlas with all the body parts separated. No JSON accompanying them, and it will be up to the user if they want to bring it to other animation software.
Generating a ready to use file for other animation software, won't be coming any time soon, unfortunately. As it is not the main purpose and focus of CC2D right now.
PS.
Thanks for mentioning SpriteUV2, never heard of it before!
I think you should work on it. You can bring more business with it. Try making it as much universal you can. If i was you i would work long time to make it happen and since I am getting more customers with some marketing I will profit more. You can also make it open source with patreon or something like that to fasten it up. Maybe only patreon for feature request and patreon gets the tool for discount or free depending on pledge.
Having different body shapes style and such will also be great.
