Streamline your game development with Predator

predator

There are two editions of Predator. The basic edition of Predator can be upgraded to the professional edition at any time by entering a unique serial key that is sent via email after purchasing.

Basic Edition

The basic edition of Predator is completely FREE to use on as many projects as you like without any time limits!

Professional Edition

The professional edition of Predator allows you to use the enhanced layout (MaxRects algorithm) as well as a number of additional options to ensure you get the smallest possible size for your sprite sheet. You can buy it for only $15!

Layout Algorithms

The layout algorithm defines how sprites are packed into the sprite sheet. A more efficient layout algorithm will try to minimise the empty space on a sprite sheet so that you can fit more sprites into less space. This lets you use smaller textures and achieve faster performance from your games. The layout algorithms you can use depends on what version of Predator you are using:

  • Tile Layout - This layout places the sprites on a sprite sheet in rows and columns of a fixed size. This allows you to calculate the position of any sprite with an extra data file to define the sprite’s dimensions. This is useful where you have many sprites that are roughly the same size or for game engines that use this approach and divide the sprite sheet into evenly spaced tiles. It is not as efficient as other layout algorithms however and can result in more empty space appearing on the sprite sheet, especially if you have many sprites of differing sizes. This layout is FREE in all versions of Predator.
  • MaxRects Layout– This is one of the most famous algorithms used to pack sprites into a texture and deservedly so. It is very efficient at packing as many sprites as possible onto a texture even if the sprites are of many different sizes. This algorithm provides a number of variations that give different results for different combinations of sprites. You can use these to pack even more sprites into your texture. This layout is only available in the Professional Edition, which is available for a tiny $15.

In addition, Predator provides an API that lets you write your own custom layout algorithms if you need the extra control.

Image Options

Predator provides a number of options to let you export your sprite sheet just the way you want it. You can choose from the following 32-bit colour image formats (with or without alpha transparency enabled):

  • PNG
  • BMP
  • GIF
  • JPEG
  • TIFF
  • WMP

Trimming

A common scenario is that you receive the artwork for your game in a series of individual images exported from a professional image editor and they have a lot of whitespace surrounding them. When you import these sprites into Predator it will automatically trim the white-space so that you can fit as many sprites as possible onto your sprite sheet! All the information required to correctly draw the original sprite is stored in the data file in case your engine needs it. If you really the need the original, untrimmed sprite stored in the sprite sheet then at the click of a button you have the ability to do that as well.

Automatic Sizing

Predator has the ability to automatically set your sprite sheet to the smallest possible size. A smaller texture means less storage and less memory when used in your game. Predator has options to ensure the sprite sheet meets the requirements of your framework, such as using sizes compatible with OpenGL or textures that are square. If you need to force the texture to be a specific size, then you have the ability to do that as well.

Why to choose Predator?

  1. Supports all popular frameworks and game engines

    2. Designed to work with the iOS, Android, WP7 and desktop engines that you already use

  2. Create sprite sheets with ease

    3. Combine individual sprites for improved performance and reduced size

  3. Create animations with ease

    4. Use your sprites to create animations and view your changes in real-time