Sprite Maker for Casio

version 2.31

Contents:

Summary (if you don't like reading)
The main window
The editor
The generated code
And finally...


Summary (if you don't like reading)

This software is a sprite editor for Casio AFX/Graph100, which uses CSP files to store a collection of sprites. Those sprites can have been imported (from any image file format) or directly drawn with the editor.

The main window shows the contents of the opened CSP file and allows you to code all sprites, to modify the settings, or to edit each sprite individually.

Sprite Maker is made for sprites with 3 or 5 different grayscales (DB or GX mode). For the 3 colors mode, you can choose between 4 formats that will be generated:

Only the 'gxLib 1.0' format is currently available if you want to use 5 colors; you can create sprites of any size and display it with the gxLib's functions.

It is also possible to import some pictures (with the menu option or by dropping it in the main window): you will now see a conversion wizard. With this you can adjust the conversion parameters and choose the color that will be considered as a mask. Note that it only performs a threshold on the colors to divide the different grayscales.

The sprite editor has the usual drawing functions: pen, line, rectangle, selections, copy/paste, undo/redo, zoom in/out, flip horizontaly/verticaly... It can also define the name on the sprite in the CSP file and its dimensions (and origin is available for the selected format); you can also obtain the sprite's generated code directly.

For Windows, this software requires the 'qt-mt332.dll' Qt dll (version 3.3.2 Entreprise); you may also need the 'msvcr70.dll' Windows dll. Those files can be downloaded here.


The main window

The main window displays the contents of the current opened CSP file, i.e. the list of all its saved sprites. Each sprite can be separately edited by using the corresponding command in the menu, in the toolbar, or by double-clicking on it in the list. You can also generate the code for all sprites at once.

You can easily open the files, save, or merge them etc. You can change the sprites position to choose the order that will be use to generate the codes. You can also specify the sprites you want (or don't want) to code by checking (or unchecking) the box in the first column.

There is a new wizard to convert the pictures that you will import to create new sprites and add it in the list. You have now the possibility to adjust for each color the value that will be used to perform the threshold. It is also possible to choose the color that will be used by the mask. This conversion is based on a quite simple method, and is especially useful for pictures coming from other games or some already-converted images.

You can also directly convert a 128*64 picture.

The settings window allow you to change the language of the software, the mask's color, the code format and the language (C or ASM) in which you want to see the generated codes.


The editor

With the editor you can change the sprites' appearance with the usual drawing tools like pen, lines, rectangles... You can also use selections to move, delete, or copy/paste some parts of the picture. It is also possible to flip the sprite verticaly or horizontaly.

The editor also provides the 'undo', 'redo', 'zoom in' and 'zoom out' commands. The copy/paste actions are allowed in a sprite itself, or between 2 different sprites, or even with another editor like MS Paint.

You can choose colors with the different buttons in the toolbars; the two buttons on the right (with a red outline) show you the colors you have chosen for the left and right button of your mouse. And finally you have the possibility to change the 'settings' of a sprite (i.e. its name, size and origin) or directly its the generated code. Please note that this code is made with the last save of your sprite, so don't forget to use the 'Save' button before getting its code.


The generated code

The codes appears in a new window, from where you can copy/paste the text to another text editor or save it in a file (in text format). In that case, the modifications you make on the code will be saved too in your file.

You also have the option to save RFL (Ram File Loader) files. These files have a specific format and are written to be easily loaded on your AFX with some basic functions. The purpose is to load the data in a memzone, and to receive pointers to the different parts of the loaded file. In the RFL files created by Sprite Maker, each sprite is a different part of the file. Note that if you choose this format, the program do not consider the eventual modifications that you make manually on the code!

When you get the code from the main window, you will also see an array with pointers to each coded sprite. This array appears at the end of the code.


And finally...

This software is totally free, and will never be commercialized in any way. It is provided 'as is', and I won't be liable for any eventual problems or data losses while using or misusing the software. Anyways, if you think you have found a bug somewhere in the prog, please report it to me ;)

The default used language in the software is English. The french language is also available. If you want to use another language (like German, Polish, Spanish etc), you have the possibility to use a translation kit and to write another language pack that will be loadable by the prog. This kit, and all the language files that were made for Sprite Maker, can be found here.

Don't hesitate to send me emails for any comment or suggestion :)

Julien Patte orwell01@hotmail.com
January 2005