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Batch Exporter: Krita Plugin for Game Developers and Graphic Designers

Free Krita plugin for designers, game artists and digital artists to work more productively:

  • Batch export assets to multiple sizes, file types, and custom paths. Supports jpg and png.
  • Rename layers quickly with the smart rename tool

Batch Export Layers

Batch Exporter exports individual layers to image files based on metadata in the layer name. The supported options are:

  • [e=jpg,png] - supported export image extensions
  • [s=20,33.333,100,150] - size in %.
  • [p=path/to/custom/export/directory] or [p="path with spaces"] - custom output path. Paths can be absolute or relative to the Krita document.
  • [m=20,30,100] - extra margin in px. The layer is trimmed to the smallest bounding box by default. This option adds extra padding around the layer.
  • [t=false] or [t=no] - disable trimming the exported layer to the bounding box of the content.
  • [i=false] or [i=no] - disable parent metadata inheritance for a layer. More info below.

A typical layer name with metadata looks like: CharacterTorso e=png m=30 s=50,100. This exports the layer as two images, with an added padding of 30 pixels on each side: CharacterTorso_s100_m030.png, and CharacterTorso_s050_m030.png, a copy of the layer scaled down to half the original size.

All the metadata tags are optional. Each tag can contain one or multiple options separated by comma ,. Write e=jpg to export the layer to jpg only and e=jpg,png to export the layer twice, as a jpg and as a png file. Note that the other tag, p= has been left out. Below we describe how the plugin works.

Getting Started

Batch Exporter gives two options to batch export layers: Export All Layers or Export Selected Layers.

Export All Layers only takes layers with the e=extension[s] tag into account. For example, if the layer name is LeftArm e=png s=50,100, Export All Layers will take it into account. If the layer name is LeftArm s=50,100, it will not be exported with this option.

Export Selected Layers exports all selected layers regardless of the tags.

By default, the plugin exports the images in an export folder next to your Krita document. The export follows the structure of your layer stack. The group layers become directories and other layers export as files.

Supported layer types: paint, vector, group & file layers.

Smart Layer Rename tool

Say we have this Krita document structure:

GodetteGroupLayer
  +-- HeadGroupLayer
    +-- Hair
    +-- Eyes
    +-- Rest
  +-- Torso
  +-- LeftArm
  +-- RightArm
Background

If you want to export GodetteGroupLayer, HeadGroupLayer, Torso, LeftArm, and RightArm, but not the other layers, you can select these layers and write the following in the Update Layer Name text box: e=png s=40,100 and press Enter. In this example, Art Tools will export two copies of the selected layers to png at 40% and 100% scale. This is what s=40,100 does.

Say that we made a mistake: we want to export to 50% instead of 40%. Select the layers once more and write s=50,100 in the text box. Press Enter. This will update the size tag and leave e=png untouched.

The tool can do more than add and update meta tags. If you want to remove GroupLayer from the name on GodetteGroupLayer and HeadGroupLayer, select them and write GroupLayer= in the text box. Press Enter and the GroupLayer text will disappear from the selected layers.

The = tells the tool to search and replace. this=[that] will replace this with [that]. If you don't write anything after the equal sign, the tool will erase the text you searched for.

The rename tool is smarter with meta tags. Writing e= will remove the extension tag entirely. For example, Godete e=png s=50,100 will become Godette s=50,100.

COA Tools format

The exporter will generate the necessary sprite contents and metadata file for easy import in COA Tools / Blender.

If you want to export your krita document to COA Tools format, simply click the Document button under COA Tools.

If you want to export multiple or specific COA Tool documents from one Krita document (if you have e.g. multiple characters in one Krita document), you can do so by selecting a Group Layer to serve as root for each COA Tool export you want done.

Example

You want to export two characters from the same Krita document in one go

Root
  +-- Robot (Group Layer)       <-- Select this layer
  |    +-- Head
  |    +-- Body
  |    +-- Legs
  |
  +-- Sketches
  |    +-- ...
  |
  +-- Minion (Group Layer)      <-- ... and this layer
  |    +-- Hat
  |    +-- Head
  |
  Background

Once the Group Layers are selected you push "COA Tools -> Selected Layers".

Each export root supports the following metadata:

  • [p=path/to/custom/export/directory] - custom output path. Paths can be absolute or relative to the Krita document.

Each child node of an export root supports the following metadata:

  • [e=jpg,png] - supported export image extensions

Generating frames to a sprite sheet from a Group Layer is also possible. Simply mark the layer containing each frame you want in the sheet with a c=sheet and each child layer will act as one frame you can switch when Working with COA Tools in Blender.

Example

You want to export a character from the document, and be able to switch between each state of e.g. the mouth:

Root
  +-- Robot (Group Layer)         <-- If this is the export root
  |    +-- Mouth States c=sheet   <-- ... mark this layer
  |    |    +-- Open
  |    |    +-- Half Open
  |    |    +-- Closed
  |    |
  |    +-- Head
  |    +-- Body
  |    +-- Legs
  |
  Background

Layer Inheritance

Batch Exporter now allows child layers to inherit metadata from parent layers without the e= tag. This makes it easier to manage documents with lots of layers and results in cleaner looking layer names.

Any layers tagged with i=no or i=false will not inherit metadata from their parent layers. Tagged group layers will still share their own metadata with their children.

Example

Consider the following document structure:

Background e=png m=5 s=50,100 p=assets/images

InterfaceGroupLayer
  +-- ui_skin e=png m=5 s=50,100 p=assets/images/interface
  +-- ui_skin_dark e=png m=5 s=50,100 p=assets/images/interface

MapsGroupLayer
  +-- map01 e=png p=assets/images/interface/maps
  +-- map02 e=png p=assets/images/interface/maps

MobsGroupLayer
  +-- mob01 e=png,jpg m=10 s=75 p=assets/images/mobs
  +-- mob02 e=png,jpg m=10 s=25 p=assets/images/mobs

Using metadata inheritance, you could achieve the above like so:

InterfaceGroupLayer m=5 s=50,100 p=assets/images/interface
  +-- ui_skin e=png
  +-- ui_skin_dark e=png
  +-- Background e=png p=assets/images

MapsGroupLayer p=assets/images/interface/maps
  +-- map01 e=png
  +-- map02 e=png

MobsGroupLayer p=assets/images/mobs m=10
  +-- mob01 e=png,jpg s=75
  +-- mob02 e=png,jpg s=25