AfDesigner: How do I slice an image into equally-sized slices?

[Kim S]

I am trying to split up a sprite sheet and export each sprite as a separate file. I think I can do this with the Slice tool from the Export Persona. I figured out how to create a single slice by drawing a box around a single sprite, but I don't want to draw boxes by hand around each sprite. The Affinity Help page on the Slice Tool says, "As an alternative to drawing slices using the tool, selected objects and layers can also be made into automatically-sized slices." The pixel size of each sprite is the same, so I would think I should be able to slice the entire spread into that size grid, but I can't find more information on how to do that! Could someone point me to information on how to do this or give me the steps to perform?

Thx!

[Alfred]

The technique demonstrated in the post linked below might suit your needs. Just use straight lines instead of curved ones.

 

[firstdefence]

8 hours ago, Alfred said:

The technique demonstrated in the post linked below might suit your needs. Just use straight lines instead of curved ones.

 

I think someone has crossed wires lol!

[firstdefence]

Is the sprite sheet a single pixel layer? in which case you will have no other choice to to either create slice boxes for each sprite or carve up the single pixel layer into separate layers and use guides to create the grid to have the selection tool snap to. This way all the sprites will have the same sized dimensions. See what I have done in the screenshot below.

Sprite sheet used as an example is from this tutorial: https://code.tutsplus.com/an-introduction-to-spritesheet-animation--gamedev-13099t

Because the sprites are the same dimension you only have to make a selection once, then you can move that selection to create a new layer for each sprite...

So the steps would be...

1. Select the background layer
2. Make a selection of the first sprite (top left) using the rectangle selection tool
3. Press Cmd+X and then Cmd+V to cut and paste to a new layer.
4. Rinse and repeat steps 1 through 3 changing the selection to the next sprite.

From there you can go to export persona and use the layer panel to make slices by selected all the layers to want slices made from and clicking Create Slice

Note: personally I think the button should change to plural (create slices) when multiple layers are selected

[Alfred]

41 minutes ago, firstdefence said:

I think someone has crossed wires lol!

Like me, maybe?   LOL!

[Alfred]

22 minutes ago, firstdefence said:

Note: personally I think the button should change to plural (create slices) when multiple layers are selected

Needless to say, I agree! An alternative would be to change the existing label to the all-purpose version, ‘Create slice(s)’.

[GarryP]

I’ve attached a video which shows a slightly different way to do this than the method shown in the thread that Alfred linked to above.

(The grid of rectangles is produced with the Move Data Entry functionality which can be accessed by selecting the rectangle(s) and pressing Enter.)

[Kim S]

Thanks for all the ideas! I was hoping there was a more straightforward way to do this, like select a large area and then have an option to slice it up like you do for guides, either fixed values or percentages. But I shall use the suggested solutions for now. Thx again!