Spine Character Dolls

Characters can use Spine skeletal animations instead of (or alongside) static layered images. Both animation playback and skin selection are driven by skin layers of type: spine — the same authoring pipeline you already use for static image layers, with animation names and skin names instead of image paths.

Setting Up

In the engine editor, open a character template and fill in the Spine section:

• Atlas – the .atlas file
• Skeleton – the .json or .skel skeleton file

You can declare more than one entry — one per view (default, back, etc.). Each entry has its own art_dx, art_dy, art_scale so each rig can be framed independently.

Static (non-spine) characters use the analogous Static Art section — per-view static_art entries with the same art_dx/art_dy/art_scale fields, so the front scene doll and the back battle doll are framed independently. Both are tuned visually in the Art Manager popup (pick the view, drag the doll, scroll to scale).

When a character has a spine configured for the current view, the engine renders the spine animation instead of static image layers (unless a static layer for the same view is also active — see "Static Action Overlays" below).

Spine Skin Layers

Spine animations and skins are picked the same way static images are picked for layered characters — via skin layers that watch one or more character attributes and resolve to a value per attribute combination. The only difference is what the value is: a static layer maps each combo to an image file, while a spine layer maps each combo to an animation name (in spine_animations) or a skin name (in spine_skins). For more information on character attributes and skins read Overview

A spine-type skin layer can drive an animation, a skin, or both — they're two facets of the same layer. The editor generates the per-attribute fields for you; just fill in the dropdowns and string fields. Multi-attribute combo keys follow each attribute's order field, same as static layers.

Note: if your character animation is not playing, make sure you've filled in both attributes and skin_layers properties for that character template in the editor.

Static Action Overlays

A spine-rendered view can be temporarily replaced by a static image. If you define a static layer that matches the same view (e.g. an attack layer keyed by a battle_state attribute), the engine hides the spine while the static frame is showing — typically used for hand-drawn action frames during attacks, hits, and casts. When the action ends and the attribute returns to idle, the spine resumes.

Worked example: Ane's back view has both a back spine and a ane_back static layer with images for attack, cast, hit. While battle_state=idle, the back spine plays. When she's hit, battle_state=hit activates the ane_back_hit.webp frame and the spine is hidden until the action ends.

API

Spine animations and skins follow character attributes. Set an attribute, the engine resolves the new animation / skin name from the matching layer and crossfades to it.

const mc = game.getCharacter('mc');

// belly layer resolves to 'belly_2'
mc.setAttribute('outfit', 'cute_dress');

// face layer resolves to 'face_ahegao'
mc.setAttribute('expression', 'angry');

There's no manual "play this animation" or "apply this skin" API — everything flows through skin layers + attributes.