2020~2023 VISUSTELLA, LLC
INDEX
1. INTRODUCTION
2. USING THE SOFTWARE
2.1 FUNCTIONS
2.2 LAYERS
2.3 ZOOM
3. CUSTOM PARTS
3.1 BODY TYPES
3.2 PARTS
3.3 MASKS
4. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. INTRODUCTION
Thank you for using the Stella Character Generator!
In this Help File, you will find explanations for each function, as well as helpful tips for using the software.
Please enjoy!
If you are using Windows 10, please be aware that you will need to Unblock the exe file when you download it. Simply right click the exe file, select Properties and click “Unblock” under General.
After downloading the software, if you struggle to open the exe file, please make sure to whitelist the executable from your antivirus/anti-malware software..
2. USING THE SOFTWARE
2.1 FUNCTIONS
FILE
Export
> as JSON
This will export your current character as a .json file. This can then be imported back into the software to be edited further. This is so that you can “save” your progress if you wish to change your character's design later.
Export
> as PNG
> Face
This will export your current character's “Face Preview” as a PNG.
To use this in a Faceset for RPG Maker, you will need to edit the image in a separate graphics editor,.
Export
> as PNG
> Side-view
This exports the character in “Side-view Preview” as a PNG.
Export
> as PNG
> Walk
This exports the character in “Walk Preview” as a PNG.
Import
This will prompt you to select an appropriate JSON file that can be imported into the software, allowing you to edit characters that were previously exported.
Change Body Type
This will produce a prompt that asks you to “Select Body Type.” From here, you can select which base you would like to use for your current character. By default, the available body types are “Male Lean” and “Female Slim,” though it is possible to add custom body types and DLC.
Close
This will exit the software.
HELP
About
This will produce a window with information regarding the software, such as current version, copyright, EULA and social media links.
2.2 LAYERS
Each “Layer” can host a “Part” which will appear in the Preview windows.
Layers
This box shows all the current Layers used in your character.
You can create new layers by clicking “Add,” which will create a new layer at the bottom of the list. You can also delete layers by selecting the layer you wish to get rid of, and click “Remove.”
Each Part Type has its own specified “Priority,” meaning it will appear above or under other Part Types regardless of layer order. This is useful for certain Part Types such as Rear Hair, which would ordinarily appear over the top of the Face and look incorrect. These Priorities can be changed by editing the Part files (check 3.2 PARTS in this document).
If two or more Part Types share the same “Priority,” the layers at the bottom of the list will appear over the top of the others. You can change the layer order by clicking the arrows to the right of the box and moving the selected layer up or down the list.
Layer Properties
To make it easier to identify certain layers, you can click on each one and type in a Layer Name. You can also use the tickbox to select whether or not to make that layer visible.
Part Type
From the dropdown list, you can select which Type of Part will appear on this layer. Selecting a Part Type will show you which parts are available in the box to the right. You can click on this part to add it to the layer.
Layer Control
After selecting a Part, you can edit its position and colors using Layer Control. Each Part has Color Channels assigned to it, which work like masks. By selecting each different Color Channel, you can effectively select different areas of a Part to change the color of. Here, we have selected the green Color Channel on Clothing Top, which affects the metal plate on the character's armor. We have changed the Tint Color to green. This will also appear on the sprite in Walk Preview. |
You can also adjust the hue, saturation and lightness of a selected Part by adjusting the H, S and L sliders.
Hue: the shade of color, scaling through the rainbow from red to violet.
Saturation: the intensity of color, scaling from grey upwards.
Lightness: the lightness of color, scaling from black to white.
Offset per click
The value in this box determines how many pixels the Part will move in the selected direction.
By default it is 1, so if you click the left button three times, it will move left 3 pixels.
The tickboxes on the right will also allow you to toggle whether certain images are affected by Offset. By deselecting “Walk” and “Side-view,” you can make it so that only the Face/Portrait is offset when you click.
2.3 ZOOM
You can zoom in closer to an image by holding your cursor over the portrait or sprite and using the mouse wheel.
To move your character around and view them at a better angle, click and hold the left mouse button over the portrait or sprite and drag the cursor around the screen.
Nearest Neighbor
Above each image, there is a tickbox to toggle Nearest Neighbor Scaling. This is a type of filter that changes the way the pixels appear when you zoom, making it easier to see certain details on the sprites.
Nearest Neighbor makes sprites and images appear less blurry when zooming in, but this will not affect how images look when they are exported.
3 CUSTOM PARTS
3.1 BODY TYPES
In the Stella Character Generator main folder, there is a subfolder called “Parts.” This is where all of the images for Parts are kept and maintained.
bodytypes.json controls which Body Types can be selected in the software. These names should correspond to a subfolder inside of the Parts folder. Here you can see the two default Body Types: Female Slim and Male Lean, which have corresponding subfolders as seen above. |
When adding a new Body Type, follow the default format. Body Type names appear between [ ] brackets, and each in their own inverted commas. Each Body Type name is also separated by a comma, like so:
[
“Body Type 1”,
“Body Type 2”,
“Body Type 3”
]
TIP: if you edit this file and remove the Body Type which was last used when the Character Generator was open, you may experience an error and need to edit options.json in the main folder. This file controls the Body Type which is currently active, and may need to be changed to a Body Type which exists in bodytypes.json.
3.2 PARTS
In each Body Type folder, you will find all of the separate Parts folders. There is also a file called structure.json. structure.json is set up in a similar way to bodytypes.json, but it details all of the types of Parts. You can add new Part types by typing a new name in inverted commas on the list and separating it from the other Part types with a comma, like so: [ “Eyes”, “Nose”, “Mouth” ] |
Each subfolder in Parts has a JSON file called parts.json. In order to be recognised in structure.json, each listed Part type must have this JSON in its subfolder.
parts.json is where all of the Part image files are maintained.
The top of every parts.json file has a section called “LayerOrder.” This is used to set different priorities for each Part Type. You can set a different priority for each graphic: Face, Walk and SV. 100 is the highest number, and it means that this Part Type will display as the highest priority. If two Part Types share the same number, their order will be defined in the Generator itself in the layers window. The lower the number is, the further behind the layer will appear. For example, if Rear Hair had a priority of 2, Head had a priority of 3, and Eyes had a priority of 4, it would appear in that order with Rear Hair at the very back. |
Within a set of [ ] brackets, each Part is separately maintained within its own set of { } parantheses. They are structured like so:
{
"Name": "Socks01",
"PreviewImage": "Parts/Male Lean/Socks/icon_M_Lean_Socks01.png",
"BaseImages": {
"Face": "Parts/Male Lean/Socks/Portrait_M_Lean_Socks01.png",
"Sv": "Parts/Male Lean/Socks/SV_M_Lean_Socks01.png",
"Walk": "Parts/Male Lean/Socks/Character_M_Lean_Socks01.png"
},
"RgbMask": {
"Face": "Parts/Male Lean/Socks/Portrait_M_Lean_Socks01_Mask.png",
"Sv": "Parts/Male Lean/Socks/SV_M_Lean_Socks01_Mask.png",
"Walk": "Parts/Male Lean/Socks/Character_M_Lean_Socks01_Mask.png"
}
}
The Name section details the name that will appear in the software when selecting a part.
The JSON then details which images will appear for each Part. You can name these files whatever you like, though it is recommended to name them something that will make them easier to find and recognise.
The PreviewImage references a file used to show an image in the software that will appear in the list of parts to select.
BaseImages is a section used to determine which images will appear on the characters themselves:
“Face” will reference which image will be used for this Part to appear in the Face Preview.
“Sv” will reference which image will be used for this Part to appear in the Side-view Preview.
“Walk” will reference which image will be used for this Part to appear in the Walk Preview.
The next section, called “RgbMask,” is how the software reads where to color sections of each Part. This will be discussed more in-depth in the MASKS section of this help file. In parts.json, the RgbMask section works much the same as the BaseImages section, and simply references files within the folder for the software to read.
3.3 MASKS
Masks are image files used to instruct the software to color certain areas of each Part.
Masks can be made with a maximum of four sections, mapped out with colors. They MUST be these exact shades of color, or the software will not read them as part of the Mask.
ff0000 | 0000ff | 00ff00 | ffff00 |
In this example, each section of this Clothing Top has been filled with the Mask color. The gloves are colored blue, meaning they will appear in the software under the Blue channel. The colors of the Mask must be a solid block of color. Any pixels that are not the exact shade of the Mask's color will not be registered as part of the Mask. The same logic applies to Walk sprites and Side-view sprites. A Part's Masks will match across all three images. This means that when the Blue channel is selected in the software, it will decide the color of all three images in the Part, so it is important to be consistent when creating new Masks. |
4. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Q: Where are the side-view sprites?
A: Currently, the Visustella Sideview sprites are a work in progress and are not available with the default Stella Character Generator. You can use this guide to help you import your own SV parts however, including sprites from the RPG Maker RTP if you own the corresponding engine. We are looking to provide Sideview sprites in the future also!
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Q: Is there a limit to how many Parts you can import?
A: Nope! The limit is how much space is left on your hard drive! You can add as many Parts as you like.
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Q: Is there a limit to how many Layers you can use on a character?
A: Nope, you can use as many Layers as you wish!
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Q: How do I make a set of expressions?
A: In order to make different expressions for your Portrait, you will need to export each expression individually. First export your character's default face, and then change their eyes, mouth, eyebrows, etc. to make a new expression. Then export this new Portrait and save it under a new name. To use these in RPG Maker, you will need to set them up on a Faceset.
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Q: My antivirus / malware software says that the exe is dangerous. Is there a virus?
A: It's a false positive. The software is completely safe. Please whitelist it so it won't be deleted or quarantined.
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Q: Can I create and/or edit my own parts?
A: Yes. But you are not allowed to distribute this engine and any of the graphics, edited or otherwise as a resource for anyone else. Please read the EULA for legal implications.
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Q: Can I create my own parts and sell it with this software?
A: You can create your own style compatible with this software, but you are not allowed to use any of our assets for your pack. You are not allowed to distribute your pack with the software. If you want to create a DLC using our own art style, please contact us.
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Q: When will SV battlers be added?
A: These are the next item on our list of priorities are we are hoping to release it as DLC in the very near future.
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Q: Can the characters I make be used in commercial projects?
A: Yes, all the assets can be used in commercial and non-commercial projects. We only ask that they are not distributed as a separate entity in the form of their original parts, or sold with the intention of making money from their distribution. You may also not share edits with other users. Please read the EULA for full details.
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Q: Is this for an RPG Maker Engine only?
A: It's engine-free. The sprites will fit VX, VX/A and MV, but you can format them differently if you want to use them for something else.
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Q: I would like to see more clothing options.
A: We have a very long list of Downloadable Content we will be looking to release in regular instalments, so please stay tuned!
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Q: Will I have to pay for DLC?
A: Some DLC will be paid content, but we will also be releasing free updates along the way too.
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Q: What kind of tiles can I use this with?
A: The portraits can be used with pretty much any tiles. The sprites were made to fit the VisuStella tiles which you can find here: https://visustella.itch.io
We're also working on expanding the VisuStella tiles. They may also fit with other pixel styles, but we haven't tested it with others just yet.
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Q: Will there be more body types?
A: We're working on new body types right now, and hope to release them very soon.
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Q: Why is everything zoomed in so far?
A: This happens if you have your DPI set to anything above 100% for accessibility reasons, or if using a device like a laptop. You can change it to 100% in your Display settings.