Sprite Sheet Creation And Image Optimization

Code'n'Web has announced TexturePackerPro 2.4.0 for OS X and Windows, an update to their popular software development tool that can create and optimize sprite sheets in 15 different output formats for iOS, Android, and Web frameworks. Sprite sheets are invaluable for their ability to speed development time, simplify graphics, minimize memory usage, reduce load times, and speed up display of the sprites. TexturePackerPro is a drag'n'drop solution that offers complete control over all variables of sprite sheet creation, and image optimization.

TexturePackerPro uses a simple but powerful graphical user interface. The single screen GUI consists of three columns: 1) Texture Settings; 2) Sprite Sheet Viewer; and 3) Sprite List. Extremely fast layout algorithms let developers see all changes in real-time. Additional features include: multi-touch support, zooming, and display of memory usage and target size.

The first column, Texture Settings, has data fields and drop-down menus for setting Output, Geometry, Layout, and Advanced settings (e.g., Premulitply Alpha). The following output data formats are supported: cocos2d, cocos2d-0.99.4, Corona TM SDK, Sparrow, LibGDX, JSON, Unity3D / UIToolKit, JSON-Array, CSS, Gideros, CEGUI / OGRE, AndEngine, AppGameKit, Slick2D, and Moai. TexturePackerPro accommodates the following output texture formats: PNG, PVR, compressed PVR (zlib & gzip) and JPG-JPEG. Output image formats include: RGBA8888, BGRA8888, RGBA4444, RGBA5555, RGBA5551, RGB888, RGB565, PVRTC4, PVRTC2, Alpha, and Alpha + Intensity. For use with reduced color formats like RGBA4444, there are several settings for color quantization and dithering algorithms: Nearest-Neighbor, Linear, Floyd-Steinberg, Floyd-Steinberg + Alpha, Atkinson, and Atkinson + Alpha.


Also in the Texture Settings column are settings for Geometry, and the app includes an auto-sizing feature that determines the minimum size necessary for the Sprite Sheet. Fixed sizes are also selectable up to a maximum of 8192 x 8192 pixels. Users can choose to scale geometries and the method of scaling. Also selectable are the ability to allow free sizes and automatically create scaled versions of sprite sheets to support high-res and low-res target systems. Powerful upscaling algorithms allow the user to create high quality graphics from low-resolution images.

The Layout settings in TexturePackerPro permit developers to fine-tune all aspects of sprite arrangement, transparency, rotation, trimming, and cropping. Border, shape, and inner padding settings control spaces between sprites and the border of the sheet, between sprites, and anti-aliasing of sprite edges.

The app allows the user to drag'n'drop sprites into the Sprite column, and it supports Adobe Flash SWF (each frame is added as a single sprite), PNG, JPG, BMP, TIFF, PCT, etc. An integrated .PVR/PVR.CCZ viewer allows users to open files of that format directly into the TexturePackerPro viewer. A quick-view plugin for Mac OS X allows users to directly view PVR files from finder. Also included is a command line version allowing users to integrate TexturePacker fully into their build process. Examples for Xcode integration can be found on Code'n'Web's blog. Additional features are alias creation, and heuristic image masks for color keying. The additional tool Physics Editor permits easy editing of physics shapes. Shapes are dragged into the editor and an auto-trace function detects vertexes, polygons, and orientation, allowing shapes to be directly exported into most development frameworks.

Feature Highlights:
* Create Sprite Sheets to simply workflow and reduce development time
* Compatible with more than 15 data formats used in iOS, Android, and Web development
* Optimize texture formats, apply dithering, and use color quantization
* Simple GUI automates adding Sprites and publishing Sprite sheets
* Control Output, Geometry, and Layout of Sprite sheet
* Reduce application memory usage with Sprite sheets
* Integrated PVR viewer displays .PVR/PVR.CCZ format files
* Reduce the number of HTTP requests by loading web pages using Sprite Sheets
* Make changes to Sprites and Sprite sheet layout in real-time


"If you are a game or web developer, I urge you to download a free copy of TexturePackerEssential," stated Andreas Loew of Code'n'Web. "All the basic functions are enabled, and you can use it as long as you like. Once you try it, I think you'll want to use TexturePacker regularly. And I hope you'll check out the reviews and video tutorials on my web site."

Pricing and Availability:
TexturePackerPro is only $24.95(USD), and TexturePackerPro + PhysicsEditor Bundle is only $34.95. A free version, TexturePackerEssential, which includes all basic functions, is also available. All version can be downloaded directly from the Code'n'Web website, and licenses are valid for OS X, Windows and Linux installations. Review copies are available upon request. Blogger & Framework developers can sign up to get a free copy of TexturePackerPro.

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