AceGen 🖌️

A Rust command-line tool for converting Aseprite sprite files into C header files with optimized bitmap data for embedded systems and retro game development.

Features ✨

• Converts Aseprite .aseprite files to C header files with bitmap data
• Generates 1-bit bitmap arrays from sprite frames
• Extracts animation frame sequences from Aseprite tags
• Optimized for embedded systems and retro displays
• Automatic frame and animation array generation

Installation

Prerequisites

• Rust (latest stable version)
• Aseprite command-line tool (must be in PATH)

Building from Source

git clone https://github.com/your-username/acegen.git
cd acegen
cargo build --release

The binary will be available at target/release/acegen.

Usage

acegen <sprite_file.aseprite>

Example

acegen zivorad.aseprite

This will generate a zivorad.h file containing:

• Individual frame bitmap arrays (zivorad_0_map[], zivorad_1_map[], etc.)
• Frame pointer array (zivorad_frames[])
• Animation sequences based on Aseprite tags (Idle_anim[], Walk_anim[], etc.)

Output Format

The generated C header file contains:

Frame Data

Each sprite frame is converted to a 1-bit bitmap array:

uint8_t zivorad_0_map[] = { 
    0x00, 0x3f, 0xf0, 0x00,
    0x00, 0xc0, 0x08, 0x00,
    // ... more bitmap data
};

Frame Array

A pointer array for easy frame access:

uint8_t* zivorad_frames[] = { 
    zivorad_0_map,
    zivorad_1_map,
    // ... more frames
};

Animation Sequences

Animation arrays based on Aseprite tags:

uint8_t Idle_anim[] = { 0, 1, 2, 3 };
uint8_t Walk_anim[] = { 4, 5 };

How It Works

1. Sprite Processing: Uses Aseprite CLI to export sprite sheets as PNG + JSON
2. Bitmap Conversion: Reads PNG data and converts alpha channel to 1-bit bitmap
3. Data Packing: Packs 8 pixels per byte for memory efficiency
4. Animation Extraction: Reads Aseprite frame tags to generate animation sequences
5. C Header Generation: Outputs properly formatted C arrays

Project Structure

• src/main.rs - CLI entry point and argument handling
• src/lib.rs - Core sprite processing functionality
• tests/ - Integration tests
• Cargo.toml - Project dependencies and metadata

Dependencies

• aseprite - For parsing Aseprite JSON export data
• png - For reading PNG bitmap data
• serde_json - For JSON parsing

Testing

Run the test suite:

cargo test

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Add tests for new functionality
4. Ensure all tests pass
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Use Cases

• Embedded Systems: Generate compact bitmap data for microcontroller displays
• Retro Game Development: Create sprite data for 8-bit style games
• Arduino Projects: Display animated sprites on OLED/LCD screens
• Custom Display Drivers: Integrate sprite data into custom graphics systems