SMBX Tileset Compiler and Separator

[RudeGuy]

...Hey. Am I the only one to think this tool is a little bit rudimentary?
No?
Whatever, I had fun.
Around two weeks ago I asked FrozenQuills for the source code of this thing and decided to edit it, just to add some more functionality and make my life easier. What turned out is this new version:
Download the SMBX Image Compiler Version 1.2!
Source code download

Now, this version doesn't really add too much functionality if you just run the exe, outside of asking whether you want to compile or separe images, asking the extension to use and making fewer files when running it, but if you are a bit more experienced with the command line, you may like the fact that I've added some arguments to use. The arguments are these:

Spoiler: show

-c, --compile: Compiles the images in the folder specified by --edit-folder. When --edit-folder is not specified, it will use a folder called "edit", located in the program's directory.
-s, --separe: Separates the images in the folder specified by --joined-folder. When --joined-folder is not specified, it will use the image found in the program's directory (if it finds it).
-e, --extension [Either 'png' or 'gif']: The extension to use.
-ef, --edit-folder [Path to the folder]: Choose the folder of the images to join. Default is ./edit. This option is ignored if separing images. This option accepts more than one folder.
-jf , --joined-folder [Path to the folder]: Choose the folder where to save the big image cointaining the joined images. Default folder is the program's directory.
-of, --output-folder [Path to the folder]: Choose the folder where the separated images appear. Default is ./output. This option is ignored if compiling images.
-n, --name: The name to give to the big, compiled image. Default is "joinedImages".

Combining these arguments, one can do

Code: Select all

> smbx-image-compiler.exe -c -e png -ef /path/to/gfx /path/to/other/gfx -jf /some/random/folder -n tilesetgfx1

to get any graphics from both /path/to/gfx and /path/to/other/gfx and directly put the big compiled image into /some/random/folder with the name tilesetgfx1.png. Then you can separe like this:

Code: Select all

> smbx-image-compiler.exe -s -e png -of /level/folder -jf /some/random/folder -n tilesetgfx1

To get the compiled image from /some/random/folder and separe it directly into your level folder. If you can learn it, this can save you some time from having to copy the images you want, browsing to where you placed the program and later having to copy them again, as well having to always rename the images if you have multiple tilesets to recolor.
If you don't want to do everything this way, though, it's all fine. As I said, the old way of using this tool hasn't changed too much. (also, it's worth noting that this version might have fixed some bugs still present in older versions. Only when I got the source code could I run the 1.1 version correctly)

All that said, if any of you has any feature to suggest, I'll be more than happy to add it!

[KateBulka]

Well that's some neat stuff, but i don't use it because i just realized this tool exsits lol. I will try it out some time heh.

[Emral]

Can you make the program autogenerate a palette in the corner of the combined image? I might start using it again if it gave me an option to view all colours easily.

[RudeGuy]

Can you make the program autogenerate a palette in the corner of the combined image? I might start using it again if it gave me an option to view all colours easily.

First off, great suggestion. Exe + source
It doesn't have support for gif files and honestly I've kinda rushed into making it, but it should work well for png.

[Emral]

Sweeeeeet! Thanks.

[Lapuente]

do graphics work the same in SMBX 1.4/5 and in SMBX 2??

[RudeGuy]

do graphics work the same in SMBX 1.4/5 and in SMBX 2??

i never looked into smbx 38A (what you refer as 1.4/5) but i'm pretty sure it also uses pngs.
either way, it doesn't matter. this program can do both gifs and pngs.

[PROX]

Now if only we had a tool that made importing graphics faster. Maybe then I wouldn't be so afraid to make huge spritesheets

[RudeGuy]

Now if only we had a tool that made importing graphics faster. Maybe then I wouldn't be so afraid to make huge spritesheets

Hey sorry for replying after so long.
I've thought about this for some time and got to the conclusion that a perfect importing tool would impossible , or at least difficult to do in my skill level (mostly due to how different spritesheets can be with each other. one can have 32x32 blocks only, one 64x64, another can have various blocks of different sizes... you'd have to figure out where the various images are, which can be difficult)... well, unless we put in a few restrictions. I came to two solutions:

• If you've ever used this tool, then you've probably noticed that it creates a .txt file along with the image. What this .txt file contains is the names of the images and their sizes, which it uses to separe later. We could use this file for something more: specify where the images are located in the spritesheet, what their size is and so on. This would however require people to do more work than what they should. Which brings me to the next solution:
• Restrict how the spritesheet should be laid out, so that we can quickly import tiles without too much difficulty. You'd be required to create a spritesheet of 32x32 squares only (or something along those lines), but then you'd just need to run this tool once and all your graphics will be ready.

I'm thinking of implementing the second solution, along with fixing a few other things. Let me know if you (or someone else) can think of a better way.

[PROX]

Now if only we had a tool that made importing graphics faster. Maybe then I wouldn't be so afraid to make huge spritesheets

Hey sorry for replying after so long.
I've thought about this for some time and got to the conclusion that a perfect importing tool would impossible , or at least difficult to do in my skill level (mostly due to how different spritesheets can be with each other. one can have 32x32 blocks only, one 64x64, another can have various blocks of different sizes... you'd have to figure out where the various images are, which can be difficult)... well, unless we put in a few restrictions. I came to two solutions:

• If you've ever used this tool, then you've probably noticed that it creates a .txt file along with the image. What this .txt file contains is the names of the images and their sizes, which it uses to separe later. We could use this file for something more: specify where the images are located in the spritesheet, what their size is and so on. This would however require people to do more work than what they should. Which brings me to the next solution:
• Restrict how the spritesheet should be laid out, so that we can quickly import tiles without too much difficulty. You'd be required to create a spritesheet of 32x32 squares only (or something along those lines), but then you'd just need to run this tool once and all your graphics will be ready.

I'm thinking of implementing the second solution, along with fixing a few other things. Let me know if you (or someone else) can think of a better way.

I can totally get behind the second idea.

[RudeGuy]

I can totally get behind the second idea.

Well, sorry for taking so long, again. This time I've worked very hard on this program, so hard in fact, I've probably made it way too powerful for such a small program.
Anyway, I've finally finished it! This new version has support for spritesheet just like how I've described + a lot of bugfixes and improvements. You can do more than just joining/separing images now, you can now import spritesheets, quickly resize images, quickly get their palette (which was improved a lot, by the way)... And since the name "SMBX Image Compiler" doesn't really make too much sense now, I've decided to rename it to "SMBX Image Tool" (for stuff you can't do as quickly in whatever image editor you have).

I've also worked on a better and faster interface:

Spoiler: show

Now, remember that this tool is a command-line application. If you can use the command line, there is some more stuff you can do. Here's a mini tutorial:

Spoiler: show

First off, remember you can see every argument by passing -h. A lot of arguments are changed, you can see all the new ones there.

You can join or separe images from a directory called "dir" to a directory called "output" by writing these:

Code: Select all

smbx-image-tool --join images --input-dir dir --output-dir output
smbx-image-tool --separe --input-dir output --output-dir dir

--join takes as argument either "image" or "spritesheet". For --separe, it doesn't matter. Note that you can actually join and separe at the same time... intentionally so. But it's probably not a very good idea.

You can join images into a spritesheet like so:

Code: Select all

smbx-image-tool --join spritesheet --input-dir dir --output-dir output --spritesheet-width 4 --spritesheet-height 4 --image-width 32 --image-height 32

You can also separe a spritesheet without a .cfg file, by passing --image-width and --image-height:

Code: Select all

smbx-image-tool --separe --input-dir output --output-dir dir --image-width 32 --image-height 32

You can also skip joining/separing and simply do some operations on the images (like resizing):

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smbx-image-tool --no-join-or-separe --resize 50 --separe-palette --input-dir dir --same-dir

Lastly, you can filter what images are taken by specifying --image-width, --image-height or --input-name:

Code: Select all

smbx-image-tool --join images --input-dir dir --output-dir output --image-width 32 --image-height 32 --input-name background-*

Now, without further ado, here's the Download.
Here's the source code, if anyone cares (warning: probably shitty).

[PROX]

Oh nice! I'll be sure to try this out!

[Murphmario]

This seems to have issues with SMBX2 content. I'm running Windows 10, if that helps.

[RudeGuy]

This seems to have issues with SMBX2 content. I'm running Windows 10, if that helps.

try downloading again now. if there are still some errors, copy whatever it says and post it in this thread.

[Murphmario]

...Hey. Am I the only one to think this tool is a little bit rudimentary?
No?
Whatever, I had fun.
Around two weeks ago I asked FrozenQuills for the source code of this thing and decided to edit it, just to add some more functionality and make my life easier. What turned out is this new version:
Download the SMBX Image Compiler Version 1.2!
Source code download

Now, this version doesn't really add too much functionality if you just run the exe, outside of asking whether you want to compile or separe images, asking the extension to use and making fewer files when running it, but if you are a bit more experienced with the command line, you may like the fact that I've added some arguments to use. The arguments are these:

Spoiler: show

-c, --compile: Compiles the images in the folder specified by --edit-folder. When --edit-folder is not specified, it will use a folder called "edit", located in the program's directory.
-s, --separe: Separates the images in the folder specified by --joined-folder. When --joined-folder is not specified, it will use the image found in the program's directory (if it finds it).
-e, --extension [Either 'png' or 'gif']: The extension to use.
-ef, --edit-folder [Path to the folder]: Choose the folder of the images to join. Default is ./edit. This option is ignored if separing images. This option accepts more than one folder.
-jf , --joined-folder [Path to the folder]: Choose the folder where to save the big image cointaining the joined images. Default folder is the program's directory.
-of, --output-folder [Path to the folder]: Choose the folder where the separated images appear. Default is ./output. This option is ignored if compiling images.
-n, --name: The name to give to the big, compiled image. Default is "joinedImages".

Combining these arguments, one can do

Code: Select all

> smbx-image-compiler.exe -c -e png -ef /path/to/gfx /path/to/other/gfx -jf /some/random/folder -n tilesetgfx1

to get any graphics from both /path/to/gfx and /path/to/other/gfx and directly put the big compiled image into /some/random/folder with the name tilesetgfx1.png. Then you can separe like this:

Code: Select all

> smbx-image-compiler.exe -s -e png -of /level/folder -jf /some/random/folder -n tilesetgfx1

To get the compiled image from /some/random/folder and separe it directly into your level folder. If you can learn it, this can save you some time from having to copy the images you want, browsing to where you placed the program and later having to copy them again, as well having to always rename the images if you have multiple tilesets to recolor.
If you don't want to do everything this way, though, it's all fine. As I said, the old way of using this tool hasn't changed too much. (also, it's worth noting that this version might have fixed some bugs still present in older versions. Only when I got the source code could I run the 1.1 version correctly)

All that said, if any of you has any feature to suggest, I'll be more than happy to add it!

Hey, think you can take this out of the trash and have working links again?

[Emral]

Hey, think you can take this out of the trash and have working links again?

The links in the post you linked work. I just tried them to confirm.

[Murphmario]

Hey, think you can take this out of the trash and have working links again?

The links in the post you linked work. I just tried them to confirm.

They don't work for me; both of them say that the files were trashed, with no option to download.

[Emral]

Hey, think you can take this out of the trash and have working links again?

The links in the post you linked work. I just tried them to confirm.

They don't work for me; both of them say that the files were trashed, with no option to download.

Oh, hm. Looks like my browser still had the page cached or something. You're right.
Here, I made a temporary archive of the actual program until new proper links are provided:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AxW7Be ... sp=sharing

[RudeGuy]

Huh, that's weird.
Here's a working link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lmUcTe ... sp=sharing

[georgespezi12]

It doesn't work with png files without transparencies

Added in 2 minutes 3 seconds:
It generates error log when it tries to work with a PNG graphic that doesnt have empty space - for example fill tiles.