Godot Aseprite Wizard (Godot 4)

Godot plugin to help import Aseprite animations to AnimationPlayers, AnimatedSprites 2D/3D and SpriteFrames.

This branch supports Godot 4. For Godot 3 docs and code check the godot_3 branch. You can find more details about the differences between Godot 3 and Godot 4 on issue https://github.com/viniciusgerevini/godot-aseprite-wizard/issues/70.

Check the screenshots folder for more examples.

Features

• Godot importer and inspector docks for easy import and re-import.
• Adds automatic importers:
  • Aseprite SpriteFrames: Use aseprite files as SpriteFrames resources.
  • Aseprite Texture: Use aseprite files as static images (only first frame is imported)
  • Aseprite Tileset Texture: Use aseprite files with tilemap layers as AtlasTexture which can be added directly to Godot's tileset creator.
• Inspector docks to manually import animations to:
  • AnimationPlayer (Sprite2D, Sprite3D and TextureRect).
  • AnimatedSprite2D/3D.
  • As standalone SpritesFrames resource.
• Supports Aseprite animation directions (forward, reverse, ping-pong, ping-pong reverse).
• Supports loopable and non-loopable animations via Aseprite repeat or tags.
• Separates each Aseprite Tag into animations. In case no tags are defined, imports everything as default animation.
• Filters out layers you don't want in the final animation using regex.
• Supports slices. Import only a region from your file.
• For AnimatedSprite
  • Creates SpriteFrames with Atlas Texture to be used in AnimatedSprites.
  • Converts Aseprite frame duration (defined in milliseconds) to Godot's animation FPS. This way you can create your animation with the right timing in Aseprite and it should work the same way in Godot.
  • Choose to export the Aseprite file as a single SpriteFrames resource or separate each layer in different resources.
  • Adds Aseprite file importer to Godot.
• AnimationPlayer
  • Adds and removes animation tracks without removing other existing tracks.
  • You are free to import multiple files to the same AnimationPlayer or import each layer to their own Sprite/TextureRect and AnimationPlayer.
  • Supports animation libraries.

Aseprite Wizard is only required during development. If you decide to not use it anymore, you can remove the plugin and all animations previously imported should keep working as expected.

Installation and Configuration

Follow Godot installing plugins guide .

If you are using Windows, a portable version or if the aseprite command is not in your PATH, you need to set the right path on Editor -> Editor Settings -> Aseprite.

Configuration	Description
General > Command Path	Path to the aseprite executable. Default: aseprite

For project specific configurations check Project -> Project Settings -> General > Aseprite.

Configuration	Description
Animation > Layer > Exclusion Pattern	Exclude layers with names matching this pattern (regex). This is the default value for new nodes. It can be changed or removed during the import. Default: not set
Animation > Layer > Only Include Visible Layers By Default	Default configuration for "only visible" in the docks. Default: false
Animation > Loop > Enabled	Enables animation loop by default. Default: true
Animation > Loop > Exception Prefix	Animations with this prefix are imported with opposite loop configuration. For example, if your default configuration is Loop = true, animations starting with _ would have Loop = false. The prefix is removed from the animation name on import (i.e _death > death). Default: _
Animation > Storage > Use Metadata	(deprecated) Persist dock info in the scene metadata instead of editor description. Default: true
Animation > Storage > Enable Metadata Removal on Export	Removes dock metadata from scene when exporting the project. Ensures no local info is shipped with the app. Default: true
Import > Cleanup > Remove Json File	Remove temporary *.json files generated during import. Default: true
Import > Cleanup > Automatically Hide Sprites Not In Animation	Default configuration for AnimationPlayer option to hide Sprites when not in animation. Default: false
Import > Import Plugin > Default Automatic Importer	Which importer to use by default for aseprite files. Options: No Import, SpriteFrames, Static Texture, Tileset Texture. Default: No Import
Wizard > History > Cache File Path	Path to file where history data is stored. Default: res://.aseprite_wizard_history
Wizard > History > Keep One Entry Per Source File	When true, history does not show duplicates. Default: false

How to use

Check this video for usage examples: https://youtu.be/1W-CCbrzG_0

After activating the plugin, there are three different ways you can use it:

1. Using the automatic importers: Any file saved in the project will be automatically converted to the chosen resource. By default, the importer does not import anything. You can change the behaviour per file or choose the default importer via Project Settings.
2. Using the inspector docks: There will be a section called Aseprite in the inspector dock when selecting Sprite, TextureRect and AnimatedSprite nodes.
3. Using the wizard dock: You can open the wizard dock via Project -> Tools -> Aseprite Wizard -> Open Spritesheet Wizard Dock menu. In this dock you can generate standalone SpriteFrames files from anywhere in your system.

AnimationPlayer

Animations can be imported to AnimationPlayers via the Inspector dock.

• First, Create a Sprite or TextureRect node in your scene.
• With the node selected, look for the "Aseprite" section in the bottom part of the Inspector.
• Fill up the fields and click import.

Field	Description
Aseprite File	(*.aseprite or *.ase) source file.
Animation Player	AnimationPlayer node where animations should be added to.
Layer	Aseprite layer to be used in the animation. By default, all layers are included.
Exclude pattern	Do not export layers that match the pattern defined. i.e _draft$ excludes all layers ending with _draft. Uses Godot's Regex implementation
Only visible layers	If selected, it only includes in the image file the layers visible in Aseprite. If not selected, all layers are exported, regardless of visibility.
Slice	Aseprite Slice to be used in the animation. By default, the whole file is used.
Keep manual animation length	When this is active the animation length won't be adjusted if other properties were added and the resulting imported animation is shorter. Default: false.
Hide unused sprites	If selected, sprites that are present in the AnimationPlayer will be set as visible=false in any animation they are not part of.
Output folder	Folder to save the sprite sheet (png) file. Default: same as scene
Output file name	Output file name for the sprite sheet. In case the Layer option is used, this is used as file prefix (e.g prefix_layer_name.res). If not set, the source file basename is used.

Notes:

• The generated sprite sheet texture is set to the Sprite node and every tag in the Aseprite file will be inserted as an Animation into the selected AnimationPlayer.
• If the animation already exists in the AnimationPlayer, all existing tracks are kept. Only the required tracks for the Sprite animation will be changed.
• Loop configuration and animation length will be changed according to the Aseprite file. If you wish to keep a manually configured animation length, set the Keep manual animation length option.
• The plugin will never delete an Animation containing other tracks than the ones used by itself. In case the animation is removed from Aseprite, it will delete the track from the AnimationPlayer and only delete the animation in case there are no other tracks left.
• Animations are added to the global animation library by default. To define a library name, use the library_name/animation_name pattern on your Aseprite tags.

AnimatedSprite and SpriteFrames

There are a few different ways to import animations to be used in AnimatedSprites. All of them create a SpriteFrames resource with everything configured.

via Inspector dock

This is very similar to the AnimationPlayer option.

• First, select the AnimatedSprite in your scene.
• With the node selected, look for the "Aseprite" section in the bottom part of the Inspector.
• Fill up the fields and click import.

Field	Description
Aseprite File:	(*.aseprite or *.ase) source file.
Layer:	Aseprite layer to be used in the animation. By default, all layers are included.
Exclude pattern:	Do not export layers that match the pattern defined. i.e _draft$ excludes all layers ending with _draft. Uses Godot's Regex implementation
Only visible layers	If selected, it only includes in the image file the layers visible in Aseprite. If not selected, all layers are exported, regardless of visibility.
Slice	Aseprite Slice to be used in the animation. By default, the whole file is used.
Output folder:	Folder to save the sprite sheet (png) file. Default: same as scene
Output file name	Output file name for the sprite sheet. In case the Layer option is used, this is used as the file prefix (e.g prefix_layer_name.res). If not set, the source file basename is used.

Notes:

• A SpriteFrames resource will be generated and assigned to the AnimatedSprite. This resource is embedded in the scene. It does not require any external dependency.
• As opposed to the AnimationPlayer flow, a new SpriteFrames resource is generated on every import. This means any manual change will be lost after re-import.

Wizard (bottom dock)

The wizard screen allows you to import SpriteFrames resources without attaching them to a scene or node This can be used in cases where you would like to generate SpriteFrames independently and include them in different nodes manually or programmatically.

Field	Description
Aseprite File Location:	*.aseprite or *.ase source file containing animations.
Output folder:	Folder to save the output SpriteFrames resource(s).
Output filename / prefix	Defines output filename. In case layers are split into multiple files, this is used as the file prefix (e.g prefix_layer_name.res). If not set, the source file basename is used.
Exclude layers matching pattern:	Do not export layers that match the pattern defined. i.e _draft$ excludes all layers ending with _draft. Uses Godot's Regex implementation
Split layers in multiple resources:	If selected, each layer will be exported as a separated resource (e.g my_layer_1.res, layer_name_2.res, ...). If not selected, all layers will be merged and exported as a single resource file with the same base name as the source.
Only include visible layers	If selected, it only includes in the image file the layers visible in Aseprite. If not selected, all layers are exported, regardless of visibility.
Do not create resource file	Does not create SpriteFrames resource. Useful if you are only interested in the .json and .png output from Aseprite.

Notes:

• Overwrites any manual change done to previously imported resources.

Importer

If you use the importer flow, any *.ase or *.aseprite file saved in the project will be automatically imported as a SpriteFrames resource, which can be used in AnimatedSprite nodes. You can change import settings for each file in the Import dock.

By default, the automatic importer won´t generate any file. You can change the default importer behaviour via Project Settings.

SpriteFrames importer Options:

Field	Description
Output filename / prefix	Defines output filename. In case layers are split into multiple files, this is used as file prefix (e.g prefix_layer_name.res). If not set, the source filename is used.
Exclude layers matching pattern:	Do not export layers that match the pattern defined. i.e _draft$ excludes all layers ending with _draft. Uses Godot's Regex implementation
Split layers in multiple resources:	If selected, each layer will be exported as a separated resource (e.g my_layer_1.res, layer_name_2.res, ...). If not selected, all layers will be merged and exported as a single resource file with the same base name as the source.
Only include visible layers	If selected it only includes in the image file the layers visible in Aseprite. If not selected, all layers are exported, regardless of visibility.

Tilesets

Aseprite 1.3 added Tilemap support. You can create special layers which can then be exported as tilesets. Aseprite Wizard has an automatic importer which allows using asprite files directly in the Tileset editor in Godot.

You can select the "Aseprite Tileset Texture Importer" in the Import dock. You can also set it as the default importer via ProjectSettings.

Tileset importer options:

Field	Description
Exclude layers pattern:	Do not export layers that match the pattern defined. i.e _draft$ excludes all layers ending with _draft. Uses Godot's Regex implementation
Only include visible layers	If selected it only includes in the image file the layers visible in Aseprite. If not selected, all layers are exported, regardless of visibility.

Static image (AtlasTexture)

You can import your Aseprite file as a static image (first frame only, no animations) via the inspector dock or automatic importer.

For the inspector dock, after selecting a Sprite or TextureRect node, in the Aseprite section you can select "mode" as "Image".

Dock options:

Field	Description
Aseprite File	(*.aseprite or *.ase) source file.
Layer	Aseprite layer to be used in the animation. By default, all layers are included.
Exclude pattern	Do not export layers that match the pattern defined. i.e _draft$ excludes all layers ending with _draft. Uses Godot's Regex implementation
Only visible layers	If selected, it only includes in the image file the layers visible in Aseprite. If not selected, all layers are exported, regardless of visibility.
Slice	Aseprite Slice to be used in the animation. By default, the whole file is used.
Output folder	Folder to save the sprite sheet (png) file. Default: same as scene
Output file name	Output file name for the sprite sheet. In case the Layer option is used, this is used as file prefix (e.g prefix_layer_name.res). If not set, the source file basename is used.

You can also use Aseprite files directly as static images. For that you need to select the "Aseprite Texture" importer in the Import dock. You can also set it as the default importer via ProjectSettings.

Texture importer options:

Field	Description
Exclude layers pattern:	Do not export layers that match the pattern defined. i.e _draft$ excludes all layers ending with _draft. Uses Godot's Regex implementation
Only include visible layers	If selected it only includes in the image file the layers visible in Aseprite. If not selected, all layers are exported, regardless of visibility.

Imports Manager

Importing animations via the Inspector Docks are handy, but it makes it harder to re-import multiple animations at same time. For that you can use the Imports Manager.

You can find the manager under Project -> Tools -> Aseprite Wizard -> Imports Manager....

In this screen you can see all the nodes in your project imported using the Inspector Dock. From here, you can re-import any file, as well as selecting multiple files to import in one go.

Due to some limitations and bugs in Godot, when importing a node its scene will be open in the editor.

F.A.Q. and limitations

What is the correct command to use in Aseprite Command Path

The plugin uses aseprite as the default command. In case your system uses a different location you can either add it to the PATH variable or provide the full path to the executable. Here are some common locations:

• Steam on Windows: C:\\Steam\steamapps\common\Aseprite\aseprite.exe. (This will vary depending on your Steam Library location).
• MacOS: /Applications/Aseprite.app/Contents/MacOS/aseprite.
• Ubuntu: /usr/bin/aseprite. (Note: usually your PATH already includes binaries from /usr/bin)

Note: Adding Aseprite to the PATH on Windows does not always work, as reported by some users. In this case, it's better to stick to the full path.

Non-looping animations

From Aseprite 1.3 you can control loops by setting the repeat property under Tag properties in Aseprite. There's no extra steps required in the plugin.

Older versions have no option for loops so this plugin handles that via a configured convention.

By default, all animations are imported with loop = true. Any animation starting with _ (the exception prefix), will be imported with loop = false.

Both the default configuration and the exception prefix can be changed in the configuration window.

Import overwrite previous files

Currently, import overwrites previously imported files. Any manual modification in the previous resource file will be lost.

Metadata cleanup on export

The options you select in the inspector dock are stored in the scene as metadata. As you can select files from anywhere in your system, there is an export plugin to prevent your local path metadata to be shipped with the game. In case you suspect this is conflicting with other plugins (or if you think you don't need it) you can disable it at Project > Project Settings > General > Animation > Storage > Enable Metadata Removal On Export.

Known Issues

Big files issue (Image width cannot be greater than 16384px)

As per Godot's docs:

The maximum image size is 16384×16384 pixels due to graphics hardware limitations. Larger images may fail to import.

This plugin exports all animations as a single sprite sheet. If you are using a big canvas size in Aseprite with lots of frames, you may reach this limit.

Sprite sheets are generated using a packing algorithm, which should mitigate this issue, however, it won't solve it entirely.

You can workaround the issue by using an AnimationPlayer and splitting your animations in multiple Aseprite files. By enabling the Hide unused sprites option, you can import multiple files to different sprites in the same animation player and only the active one will be visible.

Error message in the output console when automatically re-importing files

Can't find file 'uid://...'.

You will likely see the error above (with the proper uid and path) when a re-import is triggered on file change. Even though this is an annoying message, it does not impact anything during import.

During the import process the spritesheet file is generated by Aseprite outside Godot. The plugin needs to trigger a file system scan so Godot is aware of the new files, but such scan throws this error message. At the moment, I don't have any workaround for that and other plugins are likely facing the same issue.

Contact

Thanks for the constant feedback and suggestions. If you are facing problems with the plugin or have suggestions/questions, please open an issue in this repo.

If you like game dev related content and want to support me, consider subscribing to my Youtube channel.

Check my website for more contact options.