Problem when packing 2+ textures with blending types

SoulKarl

This was an issue in 4.2 as well but you told me only to bother with a bug report once I updated to 4.3, so here you go Nate 😛

The nice thing about the 4.3 update is that it actually fixed what I assume was a problem on the unity side of things (visual errors with meshes when the multiply layers existed). However the other half of the problem is still there (though admittedly it may ALSO be entirely a unity runtime error as well). So here it is:

When exporting with pack settings that include multiple outputs (in my case 2 scales) on a file that contains non-normal blending modes (multiply) only one of the two outputs creates materials in unity with multiply (I assume this is controlled by the atlas or the json but wasn't sure which so don't want to assume).

I'm unsure what dictates which of the two atlas/textures is decided as the default to attach to the skeletonData when importing, but interestingly whichever one it is is the one that actually gets the multiply materials added. The other one is treated as though all slots had normal blending, which causes some obvious issues when those slots were intended to be multiply layers. I'm also not 100% sure but it seems like at least additive blending mode does not require separate materials be made, so this may only effect multiply (I don't use screen for anything so possibly that too).

Nate

Blend mode is a setting on slots. It does affect image/video exports but it doesn't affect the texture atlas itself. spine-unity manages materials separately so there could be an issue there or with the shaders that do the blending.

Your description mixes the problem with diagnosis. Please try this format:

What did you do?
What did you expect?
What happened instead?
Separately from those, feel free to provide any ideas about diagnosis.

My guess is you export an atlas at 2 scales, then in Unity you see only normal blending despite some slots having multiply. We can see if Harald has enough to go on, otherwise it may be helpful to show this problem using a minimal Unity project.

SoulKarl

exported with multiple sizes, on files that had multiply blending modes on slots, and imported the file into unity.
for unity to import both sizes correctly, with materials made for both regular and multiply layers.
unity imported only one of the two sizes correctly. One has extra materials for multiply, the other does not.

(helpful note for when fixing: the size that gets the extra materials is the size that is default inside the skeletonData when first importing.)

Harald

@SoulKarl Thanks for the additional info about your setup, it helps a lot.

The problem is that upon import, the first atlas in the same directory which provides all required attachments gets assigned at the SkeletonDataAsset, subsequent atlas assets are not connected to the SkeletonDataAsset in any way, so they don't get the skeleton's blend mode materials generated.

A quick workaround is to just assign the other _Atlas asset at the SkeletonDataAsset briefly and at the parent folder select Reimport, this will generated the respective assets.

I've created an issue ticket here:
EsotericSoftware/spine-runtimes3143

SoulKarl

Harald
cool thanks Harald. I think I mentioned before but it's not a huge issue since I can also obviously just export those files twice over (once for full scale once for half scale) and it works fine that way. I see now why based on your explanation of the way the materials are actually generated. cheers!

Harald

@SoulKarl This issue ticket has just been completed, multiple atlases in the same directory now import with the same blend modes.

A new spine-unity 4.3 unitypackage is available.
https://esotericsoftware.com/spine-unity-download
Thanks for reporting!