Particle effects in GameMaker as sprite strips

Import ready-made particle effects into GameMaker: export a strip named for GameMaker from ParticleFX Studio so frames slice on import, then set the speed and blend mode.

Updated

GameMaker has a particle system, but a baked effect is often quicker for hits, pickups and spells: it is a normal sprite, so it draws, depth-sorts and scales like everything else. ParticleFX Studio writes the strip the way GameMaker expects.

With a plan: an auto-slicing strip

  1. Open the effect in the studio, press Export and choose Spritesheet.
  2. Set Engine data to GameMaker strip. The frames go in one row and the file is named name_stripN.png, where N is the frame count.
  3. In GameMaker, create a sprite and use Import, or drag the PNG into the Asset Browser. GameMaker reads _stripN and slices the frames for you.
  4. In the sprite editor set the playback speed to the export frame rate, in frames per second.

Free: a plain spritesheet

  1. Export Spritesheet with Engine data set to Image only, and note the frame size and count from the dialog.
  2. Create a sprite, open the image editor and use Import Strip Image, then enter the frame count, frames per row, and frame width and height.

Draw it

GML
// Glow and fire: export with Transparent off and Black background on, then draw additively.
gpu_set_blendmode(bm_add);
draw_self();
gpu_set_blendmode(bm_normal);

// One-shot effects: remove the instance when the animation ends.
// Animation End event:
instance_destroy();
  • Pixel art: turn off Interpolate colours between pixels in the game options for each platform.
  • Speed: if you change the room speed, keep the sprite speed in frames per second so the effect plays at the speed you designed.

Effects that work well in GameMaker

Crit Hit, free game effectCrit HitJump & Land Dust, free game effectJump & Land DustEnemy Death Poof, free game effectEnemy Death PoofDouble Jump, free game effectDouble JumpHeart Pickup, free game effectHeart PickupSmoke Bomb, free game effectSmoke Bomb

A free account exports 3 effects a day as GIF, APNG, WebP, PNG frames or a plain PNG spritesheet (a grid of frames, no data file). The data file your engine reads, packed sheets, 2x to 4x scale, normal maps and video come with any plan, from $7.99 a month.

Questions

Why does GameMaker slice the strip automatically?

GameMaker reads a file name ending in _stripN as N frames in one row. The GameMaker strip export names the file that way.

How do I make the glow look right in GameMaker?

Export with Transparent off and Black background on, and draw the sprite with gpu_set_blendmode(bm_add). Black adds nothing, so only the light shows over your scene.

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