General

• Introduction
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Roadmap
• Release notes

Basics

• Getting Started
  • Install JDK
  • Set Up IDE
  • Build Systems
  • Project Structure
  • Get LITIENGINE
  • Manage native libraries
  • Run the Game
  • API Quick Reference
• Game API
  • Game.graphics()
  • Game.audio()
  • Game.physics()
  • Game.loop()
  • Game.tweens()
  • Game.world()
  • Game.window()
  • Game.screens()
• Input API
  • Input.keyboard()
  • Input.mouse()
  • Input.gamepads()
• Configuration
• Tile Maps
  • Map Objects
  • Custom Properties
• Resource Management
  • Texture Atlas
  • Sprite Info Files
• Entity Framework
  • Default Entity Types
  • Props
  • Subscribe to Entity Events
  • Annotations for static information
• Control Entities
  • Entity Controllers
  • Animation Controller
  • Movement Controller
  • Behavior Controller
  • Messaging System
  • Ability Framework
• User Interface
  • GuiComponents: An Overview
  • Creating Menus
• utiLITI
  • Create Projects
  • Import maps
• Deployment
• Savegames
• Libraries and Tools
• Glossary

Advanced

• The Particle System
• Dynamic Lighting
• Static Lighting
• Performance Optimization
• Custom MapObjectLoaders
• String Localization
• Object Serialization
• Utility Classes
• Network Communication
• Advanced Entity Knowledge
  • Custom Entity Implementations
  • Triggers

Tutorials

• Creating a Simple Platformer
• Creating an Arkanoid Clone
• Modifying example projects

Texture Atlases

Texture atlases (also called spritesheets) combine multiple sprites into a single image file. LITIENGINE uses them for entity animations and tile rendering.

What is a Texture Atlas?

A texture atlas is a single image containing multiple sub-images (sprites) arranged in a grid or custom layout. Benefits include:

• Reduced memory usage
• Faster rendering (fewer texture swaps)
• Easier asset management

Sprite Info Files

LITIENGINE uses .sprite info files to define spritesheet metadata:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<sprite name="player-idle" width="32" height="32">
  <animations>
    <animation name="idle" keyframes="5" duration="100" loop="true"/>
  </animations>
</sprite>

Importing Spritesheets

Via utiLITI

1. Open Resources -> Import Spritesheets…
2. Select your image file
3. Configure sprite dimensions
4. Set animation properties

Via Code

BufferedImage image = Resources.images().get("sprites/player.png");
Spritesheet sheet = new Spritesheet(image, "player", 32, 32);
Resources.spritesheets().add("player", sheet);

Animation Configuration

Frame Dimensions

Set the width and height of each frame:

• If image is 160×32 pixels and each frame is 32×32
• Result: 5 frames horizontally

Frame Duration

How long each frame displays (milliseconds):

• 100ms = 10 frames per second
• 50ms = 20 frames per second

Loop Settings

• Loop: Animation repeats continuously
• No Loop: Animation plays once and stops

Naming Conventions

For automatic animation detection, follow naming patterns:

Entity Animations

{spritePrefix}-{state}-{direction}.{ext}

Examples:

• player-idle-left.png
• player-walk-left.png
• enemy-attack-right.png

Prop States

prop-{name}-{state}.{ext}

Examples:

• prop-barrel-intact.png
• prop-barrel-damaged.png
• prop-barrel-destroyed.png

Using Spritesheets

In Entities

@AnimationInfo(spritePrefix = "player")
public class Player extends Creature {
  public Player() {
    super("player"); // Uses "player-*" spritesheets
  }
}

Manual Animation

Spritesheet sheet = Resources.spritesheets().get("player-idle");
Animation animation = new Animation(sheet, true, 100); // loop, duration
entity.getAnimationController().play(animation);

Direct Sprite Access

Spritesheet sheet = Resources.spritesheets().get("player-idle");
BufferedImage frame = sheet.getSprite(0); // First frame
g.drawImage(frame, x, y, null);

Creating Spritesheets

Recommended Tools

• Aseprite – Pixel art and animation
• TexturePacker – Atlas generation
• Tiled – Built-in tileset editor

Best Practices

1. Consistent frame sizes across animations
2. Power of 2 dimensions for compatibility (32, 64, 128, 256)
3. Minimal padding between frames
4. Logical naming following conventions

Spritesheet in Game Files

When you save a project in utiLITI, spritesheets are bundled in the .litidata file:

Resources.load("game.litidata");
// All spritesheets now available via Resources.spritesheets()

See Also

• Resource Management – Loading resources
• Sprite Info Files – Sprite metadata format
• Animation Controller – Using animations

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