PSD Importer - Addition layers

GuapoMan

Hello, I haven't noticed a problem with the PSD importer until now.

When making a folder using the [merge] tag, if I have layers inside that folder using the effect for lights 'sum/additive' (Aditivo in Spine Spanish), those layers lose the effect, and Spine converts my layers into layers with no effects making changes in the final result. Here is a sample:

How my drawing looks in the original file:

How it looks after using the import PSD option:

As you can see, the final result lost the light effects and only kept the alpha level of the layers, making the effect almost invisible. My folder content is:

And the layers with problems are:

l2 (alpha 5%)
l1 (alpha 16%)

Spinebot

The issue you're experiencing with the PSD importer losing the 'sum/additive' effect when using the [merge] tag is due to the current limitations of Spine's PSD import feature. Layer effects such as 'sum/additive' are not directly supported and need to be rasterized before importing into Spine.

Here are a few steps you can take to retain the visual effects:

Rasterize Layers in Photoshop: Before importing your PSD into Spine, rasterize the layers that use the 'sum/additive' effect. This will convert the effect into a static image, preserving the visual appearance.
Use Smart Objects: Place the layers with effects inside a smart object in Photoshop. Photoshop stores the image that results from the smart object in a way that Spine can read, thus preserving the visual effects.
Photoshop to Spine Script: Use the Photoshop to Spine script, which can handle rasterizing layers during the export process.

Here is a visual guide on how to organize your layers for the best results:
Layer Organization

If you continue to face issues, you might want to manually adjust the blending mode of the slot in Spine by selecting the slot and choosing a blending mode such as additive from the drop-down menu in the properties.

For more detailed steps, you can refer to the following resources:

I hope this helps you retain the desired visual effects in your Spine project!

GuapoMan

Spinebot Thanks for your answer! Are there plans to add support for those effects in the future through Spine's PSD import tool in a future Spine version?

Nate

It's not reasonable for Spine to support certain Photoshop features like layer styles or adjustment layers where Spine would need to rasterize the layer effects to achieve the same result that Photoshop does.

The easiest thing is to do is make the layer into a a "smart object" in Photoshop. That causes Photoshop to save a rasterized version of the smart object in the PSD. Spine can read that just fine and it will look exactly like it does in Photoshop.

GuapoMan

I see. Well, since I don't use Photoshop software (I use Medibang free and then I save the file in the PSD extension), I can't use that "smart object" option.

But if this works for some people, in Medibang, I solved it by using the "superposition" layer effect instead of the "sum" layer effect. I don't know why, but Spine's PSD import tool can apply that layer effect without a problem.

Nate

I expect most non-Photoshop tools to write a raster image in the PSD for layers that have effects that would be difficult or impossible for other software to render. Maybe the "superposition" effect does that and "sum" doesn't. At any rate, I'm glad you have a workaround!