Dear RPG Maker fans! Welcome to Dev Log #3 of RPG Maker Unite. I am Vtuber MinamiYotuba and once again I am here to introduce you to the latest development status of RPG Maker Unite! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/f97fc7a11fd8e458119497e435ff2e528be9ed42.jpg[/img] Just a quick recap - last time, we introduced the “Outline Editor” - a brand new assistive feature of RM Unite that users can use to keep track of story flow and game balance, as well as taking notes of to-do items. If you have not checked that out, be sure to do so at the link below! [b]■ RPG Maker Unite Dev Log #2[/b] https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1650950/view/4996189706098265131 This month, we will dive into how Character Animations and Tilesets are treated in RPG Maker Unite, as well as some more basic graphical asset specs! Using the information we cover today, it should give you a head start towards creating the game of your dreams! [h1][b]Game Assets in RPG Maker Series [/b][/h1] Before going deeper, let us quickly cover what “game assets” are in RPG Maker series. To put simply, the graphical or musical data you use to create your game is called “assets” (sometimes aka “materials” in the RM community). While RPG Maker series always contain default assets adequate to make one full game, it is also very common to see creators making their own unique assets. But for RPG Maker software to recognize these custom files, they must follow certain formatting rules. This latest Dev Log is aimed at releasing to the public some of these rules! [h1][b]Field Characters Now More Vivid! [/b][/h1] As some of you may have recognized already, in RPG Maker Unite, character motions now can have much more vivid and lively expressions than in the past. The reason for this is because there are no limits to animation patterns and users are free to use their imaginations to the max! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/9c034d1ac552c02907e1b36a5e06964be8a9963d.png[/img] Field characters refer to the characters' pictures we see when walking on maps. When moving or during events, the game plays the character animation corresponding to the player input or situation on the map. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/f606845b2fdeb2e3470cdf1170d4883372b60c21.png[/img] In the past, field character assets were consolidated into one image (sprite sheet) for character movement (up-down-left-right) animations. This one sheet limitation also resulted in a maximum of 3 frames for each direction. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/e99613ccfcb8ea32ae4931261394d684f7339269.png[/img] But in RPG Maker Unite, the field character assets for movements can now have their own files, specified separately for each movement direction. By default the naming format for these field character animation files are “[b]__[/b]”, and RPG Maker Unite would recognize these files for use in the editor. Once the user specifies all of the animation files to complete a character’s movement motion sets, they will be reflected properly in the final game. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/9bf4363d8b2cb83df0a6939eae246a606200c267.png[/img] With animation specified separately in RPG Maker Unite, there are no longer frame number limits. Users are free to draw how many frames they want for each animation as long as they stay within a maximum size of 1024x1024 for the files ([u]including 1px margin per frame[/u]). The increase in frames will surely allow users to make more vivid walking animation patterns than ever before! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/e61497c4b0fe0b3227419413fe9182d8cf4e8e3c.png[/img] Naturally, the ability to specify animation files separately also means that there are no hard requirements to make every motion have the same number of frames. For example it is totally possible to assign a file with 6 frames for upward movement, and only 4 for leftward, if needed. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/4b91b89bbdbe84e0b0f565321ed5c6accb6da2e2.png[/img] In addition to this, with RPG Maker Unite there is a newly added animation category called “Field Damage” for when characters take damage on the map. The default file name format is also __. For each type of default motion, the animation name is as follows: [h3][b]【Ref.】Default file naming examples of field character animation assets[/b][/h3] [url=https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/7c698a683d0cc4b0e22ace830e24e76f6adb6ae4.png][img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/ebc567aa5c22074290dd486e3de3d85f2697a356.png[/img][/url] [b](Click to Enlarge）[/b] In the first example above, ‘002_Actor_walk’ is the , ‘up’ is the , and ‘6’ is the . This change in field character animation is certainly a great addition to the creator community to make the characters more attractive and easier to import than ever! [h2][b]Side-View Battle Characters also Enhanced! (Allies)[/b][/h2] Similar to field characters’ walking animation, character assets that are used for side view battles (aka “SV-battlers” in the RM community) also are getting similar treatment! Not only are the animation files separate, but now by default there are a total of 18 different motions available at your disposal! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/1db559ff9c3f32b4d0a01dbc9e55060f2bc1de55.png[/img] Different from field characters, the maximum size of SV-battlers is 4096x4096, including a 1-pixel margin on all sides per frame used (same default name format __). [h3][b]【Ref.】 Default file naming examples for side-view ally character animation sets[/b][/h3] [url=https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/3030e4997c8c5ef39eb966050c5fd713e2a922ac.png][img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/af67fe50d62d84d857cbd359f7382597eec652af.png[/img][/url] [b]（Click to Enlarge）[/b] Add more frames or more varied animation to make your Side-View battles more heated than ever! [h1][b]More Convenient Map Editor - Registering Tile Data and Tile Groups[/b][/h1] We have now also made changes to how maps are made with traditional tiles. While tiles are still in RPG Maker Unite, they are no longer bound to a “tileset” when you access them. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/83a7bb64486a05274a1ace670d4f56b57b0a0e5d.png[/img] As a recap, in RPG Maker series, maps are built with “tiles” and directly painted in the editor one by one by the user. In RPG Maker Unite, the selection of tiles - often a point of frustration in previous iterations - has been altered for better quality of life. In the past, users were limited to searching from many sets of tiles to paint what they needed. Every time the user changes a tile, this process would repeat itself. But in Unite, users are no longer restricted to selecting from “sets”, and can hand pick only what they need to use. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/6c6314a71c34479f2283deea0d93dc2e3b083d3c.png[/img] To be more specific, this is done by the new features “Register Tile Data” and “Load Tile Group”. “Register Tile Data” allows user to make Tile Groups that contain only what the user selects, and “Load Tile Group” is for quickly switching between selected tiles when making maps of different themes. [h2][b]Workflow Changes Using Tile Data - An Actual Case Study[/b][/h2] With this newly found convenience in how users interact with tiles, let us use the current test build and see how the workflow changes and improves accessibility. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/c703d87483aef39ef2986e436a595d0d13cae8bb.png[/img] In previous RPG Makers, sprite sheets of tiles were assigned to specific ‘tilesets’. But in Unite, tiles can now be loaded individually. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/f3020c50b46368db061f91bae228caecffb220e1.png[/img] The above is where the user can select the various tilesets - which can be default assets or custom ones. The button in the red box allows users to import custom tilesets into the project when needed. Here, let us assume we did import a new tile. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/04f2080d12ce10aa9aa47c7d22d2eb4da7f35705.png[/img] Select our newly added asset(s), and for each tile, we can further define properties if needed like tile animation, whether passage is possible, whether they cause damage, etc. [h2][b]Assigning tiles to a Tile Group (Like a Painter's Palette)[/b][/h2] Now we have supposedly imported new tiles, but in order to actually use it to design our maps, we need to first select the tiles we want to use and register them to a Tile Group. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/648038264c0532efbc8db94023190a0eb8bee269.png[/img] Think of a Tile Group like a palette of a painter. Registered Tile Data is like the paints in a box, waiting to be put into a palette. Similarly, to actually use a tile, we need to first assign it in a Tile Group. Here is how to do that in the current build. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/dd7ab21ce476831d2fc5f9addbc9277ad63195fc.png[/img] Here, let us assume we want to make a World Map focusing on large plains, deserts, meadows, and swamps - so we would select and register these into our Tile Group. We have added a total of 6 tiles. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/7e5f64d1a912b6bc45ce1fd52fb257ba250b4f32.png[/img] Next let us say we want to make something related to a cave. We can go ahead and define another dungeon related Tile Group and select what we expect to see in caves - namely rocky surfaces, sinkholes, etc. We kept the 2 desert tiles as they still seemed relevant in caves too. As a result, we have made another dungeon Tile Group with 6 tiles. Now we have defined two different Tile Groups. One for World Map with deserts and meadows, the other is a dungeon group used for just a cave setting. We are able to switch back and forth between these tile groups without going through tilesets over and over. As a result, map creation becomes a much more enjoyable process! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/c2fd96e3be960bfc0cca60672735d6be2df6eacd.png[/img] Next we will actually demonstrate where to switch Tile Groups! [h2][b]Use “Load Tile Group” to Switch Tiles Quickly during Map Creation[/b][/h2] While placing tiles on a map is still similar to the past - by dragging and painting with the mouse buttons – the addition of Tile Groups has greatly improved the accessibility of tiles. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/0b951480303e64e7133fd6bc2b5de2d39c3f9546.png[/img] Using the “Load Tile Group” button in the red box, we can select a tile group from the tile groups library. Once this is done, simply select the tile we need and drag on the map editor to paint! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/f8f403bac8d402597896703c59d73a5349d1bb12.png[/img] Now suppose we need to switch Tile Groups. Again, simply click on the same “Load Tile Group” button to do this (notice the displayed tiles at the bottom of the pictures have changed). Changing tile groups will not affect what we have already painted onto the Map Editor. Through this switching of tile groups quickly, map creation is now much quicker than ever as you are only displaying what you have assigned beforehand! On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that by default, RPG Maker Unite has its default Tile Group. Users are free to edit them directly, but perhaps it would be a good idea to first familiarize with the default groups, and only make small adjustments, especially as a beginner! [h2][b]Why Registering Tile Data is Great![/b][/h2] The Tile Group is a great addition to users - both in terms of convenience and editing freedom! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/c27368e514dc15d3c28b9d5672f900b95de5cf73.png[/img] Previously, tiles were consolidated into one big image. If users truly want just a few of the tiles to make into something like a Tile Group, the only way is to use a 3rd party image editing software and pick out those needed by the users themselves. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/0f3c8b35a2024b2ef54b25747f511bdde70e418b.png[/img] In RPG Maker Unite, this work is only as easy as clicking a few mouse buttons. users can make the tile group they want, and they can switch quickly at the right times - all without needing to edit anything outside of the software itself! This is a great example of how RPG Maker Unite maintains its ease-of-use nature, but further irons out the inconvenient pain points that could ruin creative morale quickly! [h2][b]There is more to Come Regarding the Enhanced Map Editor! [/b][/h2] While not new, it is still worth mentioning that setting elements like map backgrounds and assigning music are still as easy as in the past! RPG Maker of course keeps all the essentials users would expect to make an RPG game! We are running out of space, but there is also the long sought after “parallax mapping” feature that we have yet to introduce! Please stay tuned for more information to come as Unite gets closer to launching! [h1][b]Releasing Graphical Asset Specs of RPG Maker Unite [/b][/h1] In our first Dev Log, we mentioned RPG Maker Unite by default is set at Full HD resolution (1920x1080). Because of this, graphical asset specs have also changed. Below, we have released some of the specs for creators who are already looking to convert or make totally new assets ready to be used in RPG Maker Unite at launch. Hope this helps! [h3]RPG Maker Unite - Basic Graphical Asset Specs [/h3][url=https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/9eb8c011d7e0e04193367ac9b9a7c143a11dcf18.png][img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/561abace3131aa85025de32c97a1135e5bc20733.png[/img][/url] [b]（Click to Enlarge）[/b] All images are stored in [u].png format[/u] and [u]transparency settings need to be defined within[/u] the png files. [h1][b]Also Introducing “PiXel ScaLer” for Easy Conversion of Assets! [/b][/h1]The default assets contained in past RPG Makers can also be modified for RPG Maker Unite’s use, as long as they follow the terms detailed in the EULA. For details, please confirm the below page. Licensing Q3: Can I use the materials that come with RPG Makers in other RPG Maker engines? ([url=https://www.rpgmakerweb.com/product-support/]https://www.rpgmakerweb.com/product-support/[/url] - click on FAQ button) Of course, since past assets are significantly smaller in size than Unite’s standards, they are not directly compatible as we have mentioned in previous Dev Logs. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/a6456a41df4a2501d2cab278e888c4f199d13ace.png[/img] Proudly introducing the app “PiXel ScaLer”! PiXel ScaLer is a simple, but powerful tool that can turn pixel arts like characters and tilesets into what feels like a 2D illustration! Having obtained permission from the author - Nononotyaya-san, we are pleased to announce that PiXel ScaLer will become an official external app! With this, you can now quickly resize past assets and edit them a little (if needed) to adapt for use in RPG Maker Unite, and maintain that traditional JRPG feel! Please be patient as we make further announcements to make this available for download! (*The previous PiXel ScaLer will continue to be available for download at the author’s sites after our release as an Official Tool. Users of the previous version of PiXel ScaLer can also continue to use it without concerns) (Note: There are no plans for a direct project data converter for past Maker titles. PiXel ScaLer is meant for users to quickly adapt past assets and does not guarantee full compatibility with RPG Maker Unite) [h1][b]3rd RPG Maker Unite Q＆A Corner[/b][/h1] [h2][b]Q: How much of RPG Maker Unite’s code can be modified?[/b][/h2] A: Other than the licensing, the authentication portion, and some of the core data, what you can see you can modify. Do note however that as was mentioned in Dev Log #2 last month, we cannot guarantee that the software will work as intended after modding. We also cannot provide official support for user modifications. [h2][b]Q: What format structure does RPG Maker Unite save files in?[/b][/h2] A: They are saved in unencrypted JSON format. [h2][b]Q: While increased resolution is great, will making retro-games still be possible?[/b][/h2] A: Certainly. Make your assets to the minimum size of 96x96 and put an emphasis on pixelated graphics style, you can still achieve that retro feeling! Once PiXel ScaLer is officially released, feel free to give it a try and see if you can convert some of your old assets! [h1][b]Next Dev Log Scheduled for Late June![/b][/h1] Today, we covered a lot about the graphical specs of Unite, character animation, and convenient features. All of these new changes, combined with FHD support by default, would certainly make your game look better than before! Speaking as a long-time RM user myself, I personally cannot hide my excitement knowing I now can define and keep only those tiles I really need through Tile Groups. I could not count how many times I really wanted to just use a few tiles from a tileset, but gave up because I did not want to do the editing to consolidate them into my own custom tileset. And I dare say I am certainly not alone! The next Dev Log is scheduled for late-June release. Over these 3 months, we have been gradually introducing new features and significant changes. What questions or new features would you like to ask or to hear about the most? Be sure to tweet with #RPGMakerUnite to get our attention so we can try to answer in our next Q&A corner! Be sure to stay tuned for June’s Dev Log #4! [h1][b] ■ Related Links[/b][/h1] ・[b]RPG Maker Series Portal Site『RPG Maker Official』：[/b] [url=https://rpgmakerofficial.com/]https://rpgmakerofficial.com/[/url] ・[b]『RPG Maker Unite』Official Site：[/b] https://rpgmakerunite.com/ [b]・RPG Maker Unite Steam Page[/b] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1650950/RPG_Maker_Unite/]https://store.steampowered.com/app/1650950/RPG_Maker_Unite/[/url] ・[b]RPG Maker Unite Official Twitter[/b] [url=https://twitter.com/RPGMakerUniteJP]https://twitter.com/RPGMakerUniteJP[/url]　（Japanese） [url=https://twitter.com/RPGMakerUnite]https://twitter.com/RPGMakerUnite[/url]　（English） ・[b]RPG Maker Series Twitter[/b] [url=https://twitter.com/tkool_dev　]https://twitter.com/tkool_dev　[/url]（Japanese） [url=https://twitter.com/rpgmakerweb]https://twitter.com/rpgmakerweb[/url]　（English）