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Aseprite File Compatibility

Resprite imports supported artwork from .aseprite / .ase into its own project format and can export Aseprite copies. Keep both the source and a .resprite original: the two formats do not preserve every property equivalently.

Importing .aseprite files​

Check these parts of the imported project:

  • Layer groups: group opacity becomes full opacity and group blending becomes Normal. Ordinary image-layer opacity and supported blend modes are processed separately.
  • Animation tags: overlapping tag ranges cannot be retained unchanged in Resprite's non-overlapping clips. Check clip boundaries and names.
  • Playback: Ping-pong Reverse becomes standard Ping-pong, and tag repeat counts are not retained.
  • Frame timing: imported durations use 100 ms units. Values between units are truncated, with a minimum of 100 ms per frame; timing may therefore change.
  • Linked cels: links that fit Resprite's inheritance chain can remain inherited. Other links are converted into independent pixel cels, so the source linking structure may change.
  • Palette and indexed artwork: palette color names are not retained. Indexed pixels are resolved through the palette into color pixels; the original indexed editing behavior is not preserved.
  • Additional data: User Data, Slice and Tileset blocks are skipped. Aseprite tilemap layers are not imported as Resprite tilemap layers; their contents are not automatically rasterized by this import workflow.

For editable maps, use the supported Tiled TMX/TSX workflow.

Exporting .aseprite files​

Resprite's current export has these limits:

  • Group opacity and blending: not preserved as equivalent editable group behavior. This is a current interoperability limit, not a blanket inability of the Aseprite format to express these properties.
  • Clipping masks: not retained as equivalent editable features.
  • Layer styles: live Stroke, Shadow and other layer styles are skipped, not automatically baked into pixels.
  • Tilemaps: Resprite tilemap layers are rendered as ordinary pixels. Tilemap structure and tileset resources are not preserved.
  • Reference images: not included.
  • Palette layout: color slots are compacted; their Resprite grid positions are not retained.
  • Grid settings: isometric grid settings are not retained, and regular grid dimensions are omitted when the grid is disabled at export.
  • PinLight: converted to Normal blending.

The Aseprite file specification, NOTE.6, allows group opacity and blend modes when the corresponding file-header flag is enabled. Resprite's current conversion does not preserve these equivalently, so do not infer appearance from format capability alone.

Check a copy before continuing​

Open the converted file and compare layer effects, animation timing and clip ranges. If layer styles need to remain visible, duplicate the project and rasterize the styles in that copy before export. Keep the editable original.

PSD is another option for exchanging one layered frame, with its own compatibility limits. For a quick checklist, see Why effects change when exchanging Aseprite files.