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How to arrange character sprite files correctly without messing the SCML file?


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Hello. I know it is a dumb question and I doubt if anyone will answer it but it seems I can't manage to solve this problem and also searched the forum but I couldn't find an exact answer to my question. So, here it goes;

I'm trying to draw a character for my character mod. I use the Extended Sample Character file while doing this. I draw the face by using the ESC sprite pngs as a reference ( for ex. I copy the face-0 png and paste it on the drawing program. Then I lower its opacity and create a new layer. And I draw my own face according to the size of the template character.) Then I save the file and replace my png with the template's. After that, repeating the same steps, I draw the head and replace it. But, when I open the SCML file, I see that, no matter how exact I draw my things according to the template file's, the sprites are always unproportional. Head is too big, or face is upper than where it should be. I guess if I change the items' locations in sprite file, I will have animations problems so I don't want to mess with SCML file. But it is so tiring to rearrange the pngs in drawing program countless times, and even though I do this, I can't success in finding the correct positions. How do you draw your characters? How do you arrange the files so that they seem correct in the SCML file? I guess I could understand the coding part a little bit, but this sprite thing really makes me want to give up. Could you give me some examples about what should I do to solve this problem?

At least, could you direct me some relating topics or a SCML guide?

Thank you in advance..

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I'm a beginner in creating mods for DST and I am not particularly experienced in it. However, in practice, I found out some things and can share it with you. However, with the scml file, I had to suffer a lot in order to achieve the result I needed. Of course, everything would probably be much easier if I, for example, could animate in Spriter, but since I can't, my friend and I decided to make sprites of our character based on the scml file WX-78, because in ESC the character was slightly smaller than the standard characters. And that's where the problems started. All the details on the character at first looked crooked for some unknown reason, so I had to go to the scml file via NotePad++ and edit everything there. I learned how to add the necessary details such as hair, hair_hat, etc., as well as change the resolution of sprites in scml to the one that is necessary, as well as change their coordinates positions in the scml file horizontally and vertically changing nubers x and y. And to be honest, it's not very convenient. However, I didn't find any other way without manual animation. In addition, in the scml files that contain characters and their positions, there are no animations that can be edited, it would be much easier if they were. Maybe there is a way to somehow extract animations and open them in Spriter, but I haven't found it yet. I hope this information will help you in some way.

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Thank you so much, @MilenVolf for your answer!

After I shared this topic, I researched the forum again in order to find something and I found this link. In there, it says the file size of ESC characater's pngs is 300x300 resolution. So, I drew the things then I created a new file in 300x300 size and I add the related item as a new layer, lower its opacity and put my item on top of it. And close the other layers. Still, it doesn't give me the exact proportions but I can get a closer look. Here is my character's head so far;

It was supposed to be a little goblin girl, in case it doesn't look like it xD 

Still, it is really hard to manage something in photoshop and in SCML. I looked up a guide on Youtube and it says there is a paid version of SCML and you can do things a little bit easier, I think, but regardless, it still is a lot of work creating something. I find ESC template really detailed and good, but drawing the visuals using the templates of an original character in the game is a little bit easier I think, as you said. I used Wilson's templates while drawing this head, and when I finish the other pngs, I suppose I will upload them on ESC files and tweak the coding using ESC. Thank you again for your reply, I hope your character will come out as your liking!

resim_2020-12-12_210752.png

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