[Tool] Sprite Editor for Mods

[Chad]

I've made a tool for Prison Architect Mods. The PA Sprite Editor. The current version is 1.0 (2015/03/22).

The Sprite Editor is a tool to visually add, delete and modify objects and sprites for your mod. You can load your mods sprites.png file and add objects and sprites to the file. The editor lets you export that data which you can copy to your materials.txt file.

I have tested the editor just with Safari on a Mac, but I took care not to use special CSS/Javascript features. So if you want to report a bug, always provide your browser, operating system and a small info how to reproduce the bug. The error message in the browser would be nice, but is not necessary.

Your comments and suggestions are highly appreciated!

Features:

• Load sprites.png
• Add, modify and delete objects with basic functionality (all non-sprite related parameters can be added by hand into a textfield for now)
• Add, resize, move, delete, modify sprites to your objects directly on your sprites.png file
• Additional sprites for rotate types and special sprites (stacks, entities) are displayed
• Add, move, delete modify markers (for slots) and the facing direction
• Import an existing materials.txt file to modify it
• Export your object/sprite/marker data to copy it to your materials.txt (previously imported and not used contents like rooms, equipment etc. will also be exported)
• Retrieve objects and sprites which are outside of the sprites bounds (when changing the dimensions of sprites.png)
• Save/load your progress on your browsers local storage
• Keyboard Shortcuts

Planned Features:

• Confirmation prompt when deleting (especially when erasing the local storage)
• History feature with undo and redo
• Better handling of additional parameters
• A standalone site (without wordpress frame, because it messes with the css)
• Copy and paste objects or sprites (I've to check what works better)
• Saving the sprite to the local storage

Future Features (hardly depending on the feedback and use in the community):

• Standalone program to download and use on the computer

I've made two preview videos of a version before 1.0:
Part 1:
http://youtu.be/5v9eDt8Adjk

Part 2:
https://youtu.be/wL8rQ4uwbk4

Changelog:

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v1.0 (2015/03/22) - Initial release


Original post:

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Hey everyone!

I’m currently working on a modding tool for Prison Architect, wich allows to visually work with your sprite file and create/modify the materials.txt file. Before I release it I wanted to give you a preview and ask what you think about it. I made a short video covering the basic functions of the tool and I'll make another video with additional functions and ask some of your questions (if you have some).

This is the very first time I recorded a video, so don't be too harsh, but feedback is highly appreciated!
Have fun!

[knoest26]

nice tool that I would definitely like to use. I don't really have any experience with sprites or Photoshop and this tool would be perfect for me, simple to use and clean.

Btw, love your accent, made me laugh to no end :p

[Sumurai8]

That looks cool!

[JASPer.Gamer.9.0]

I'd be interested too.

[Mercury002]

It looks like a good tool and the video provides a good guide, would be helpful to the people just starting out in PA modding.

I however like to mod in my own format using Notepad++ (ie using tab indentation rather than spacing ect), It would be cool if you could change the output of materials.txt so that it matches your own personal format, but that is not important as notepad++'s find and replace works well for that.

The one thing I would add, is the ability to compare objects, as I often have the original materials.txt file open in notepad++ alongside (using the "move to other view" option) so that I can quickly and easily compare the stats (price made of, research, properties and rotate type) of the existing game items to my modded items. If you could add a button that automatically brings a new popup window alongside the editing box (and minimises it again), that displays another materials.txt file (of your choosing) and a little search box too then it would be near enough perfect.

Good work, like I said it is perfect for beginners just getting used to the system, as it is at the moment.

[Chad]

First, I want to ask for questions for the next video. Currently I'm planning mid of the week for the video, so you've some time to think about questions The work I'll put into the tool will also depend on community feedback and use, if no one ever uses it, I'll stop when it's useable for my needs.

nice tool that I would definitely like to use. I don't really have any experience with sprites or Photoshop and this tool would be perfect for me, simple to use and clean.

Well that tool wouldn't help you with photoshop in and creating sprites, but more to get the sprites into the game with less pain (I hope)

Btw, love your accent, made me laugh to no end :p

Well that is not exactly what I wanted to archive, but thanks anyway (I think) .

(...) It would be cool if you could change the output of materials.txt so that it matches your own personal format, but that is not important as notepad++'s find and replace works well for that.

Actually tabs are used for the start of the lines, but not for the separation of the property lines, but I'll add that later.

The one thing I would add, is the ability to compare objects, as I often have the original materials.txt file open in notepad++ alongside (using the "move to other view" option) so that I can quickly and easily compare the stats (price made of, research, properties and rotate type) of the existing game items to my modded items. If you could add a button that automatically brings a new popup window alongside the editing box (and minimises it again), that displays another materials.txt file (of your choosing) and a little search box too then it would be near enough perfect.

At the moment I'm just focusing on sprites.png <-> materials.txt converting, because my initial idea was to make that easier. After that I'll work a bit on performance and than I'll be open for feature suggestions. That also depends on the actual use in the community

Good work, like I said it is perfect for beginners just getting used to the system, as it is at the moment.

[JASPer.Gamer.9.0]

Could you also separately make a sprite maker/creator?

First, I want to ask for questions for the next video.

And a question for the video:
Could you make the editor actually allow saving instead of copy/paste?

[knoest26]

nice tool that I would definitely like to use. I don't really have any experience with sprites or Photoshop and this tool would be perfect for me, simple to use and clean.

Well that tool wouldn't help you with photoshop in and creating sprites, but more to get the sprites into the game with less pain (I hope)

Btw, love your accent, made me laugh to no end :p

Well that is not exactly what I wanted to archive, but thanks anyway (I think) .

Currently I just stay away from the sprites all together so things could only improve. I either get someone to make sprites for me or I use existing sprites :p

And your accent is a compliment, you speak English quite well but with this awesome German accent. Besides, Germans are usually considered precise and good at what they do, and judging from the excellent mods you have delivered so far, it's true.

[Chad]

Currently I just stay away from the sprites all together so things could only improve. I either get someone to make sprites for me or I use existing sprites :p

That definitely qualifies you for using the tool

And your accent is a compliment, you speak English quite well but with this awesome German accent.

Haha thx. It's really strange to hear the own voice in another language. I would say I understand and write english quite well but I've not that much practice in actually speaking english. I think those videos may be a good training for future talks I've to make in english for university. So may I'll start a modding series or something similar.

Besides, Germans are usually considered precise and good at what they do, and judging from the excellent mods you have delivered so far, it's true.

Thanks again. Actually I've just made one mod yet, but there are several ideas, which are unfortunately not all realizable with the mod system yet.
But I've fun with it and I always try to do my best (like 1836428498 tries for the first video) ...

[Mercury002]

I have a painfully obvious solution to the multiple materials.txt files. Just open it in notepad and resize the windows or use dual monitors. Like I said none of the points raised are important, they can easily be worked around.

I don't think I hvae mentioned how good the instructional video is, in a couple of mins you cover everything.

[Chad]

Last chance for questions. I'll record tomorrow. (Let's say 12 hours from now).

[knoest26]

When can we use it?

[JASPer.Gamer.9.0]

When can we use it?

When is it gonna be released?

[Chad]

When can we use it?

When is it gonna be released?

Well, Jasper, you know that this is basically the same question? You are really not that creative, aren't you?

[JASPer.Gamer.9.0]

When can we use it?

When is it gonna be released?

Well, Jasper, you know that this is basically the same question? You are really not that creative, aren't you?

Sorry.
Could u answer my earlier questions pls?