SpriteToCode is a script to turn image data into code that can be included in Gamebuino Meta projects.

It's a command line oriented script, written in Python 3.5+, with automation in mind. It takes one or more images as input and writes code following specified templates on the output.

The script codewriter.py is called through a Python 3.5+ interpreter. As of today, the script is only dependant on Pillow, see requirements.txt.

The script asks for the arguments:

usage: spritetocode.py [-h] [--to_palette] [--template_path TEMPLATE_PATH]
                       [--output_path OUTPUT_PATH] [--version]
                       file [file ...]

• -h: displays help
• --to_palette: forces palette usage. If the source image was not in palette mode, it will use the Gambuino Meta palette in the output data. If colors not in the palette are used, they will be mapped to Color.BLACK.
• --template_path: specifies the path where to find the templates. The default value is . (current folder). A pair of template (.cpp/.h) are present alongside the script.
• --output: specifies the output path, where the generated files will be written. If the path doesn't exist, the script will try to create it.
• --version: writes the version on standard output.
• file [file ...]: one or more files to be converted. See nomenclature below.

The input files that the script convert must follow a specific nomenclature to allow easy configuration of the data.

The format is the following:

{AssetName}_{Width}x{Height}_{fixed|loop frame}

• {AssetName} gives a name to the asset. This name will be used by the template and in the names of the output files.
• {Width} and {Height} give the size of a sprite (or frame) found in the image (see below).
• {fixed|loop frame}: if fixed then the image describes one or several sprites. If a number, it tells what is the frame loop (the speed of the animation), turning the image into an animation.

The script will convert sprite atlas to the Gamebuino Meta expected format, where all the sprites are in a column one sprite wide. Thus, it allows to work on textures that are rectangular, several sprite wide.

Example for a picture containing four 8x8 sprites:

Source layout, picture is 16px x 16px.

+---+---+
| 0 | 2 |
+---+---+
| 1 | 3 |
+---+---+

Output layout, picture is 8px x 32px.

+---+
| 0 |
+---+
| 1 |
+---+
| 2 |
+---+
| 3 |
+---+

• There is no support for transparent color yet.
• The script only outputs 8 bit data at the moment (Mode 1).
• The indentation handling on the data payload in output files can be improved (it is fixed to 4, not following the indentation of the template).