How to create a SpriteKit texture atlas in Xcode
Swift version: 5.0
A SpriteKit texture atlas is actually just a folder with the extension .atlas, but it's more efficient than loading textures individually because multiple images are stored in a single file and thus can be loaded faster. Even better, you don't need to worry about how they are placed or even orientation – you just use them as normal, and SpriteKit does the rest.
In Finder, go into your project directory (where your .swift files are), then create a new folder called assets.atlas. Now go to where you have your SpriteKit assets stored and drag them from there into your assets.atlas directory. Finally, drag your assets.atlas directory into your Xcode project so that it gets added to the build.
That's it – enjoy your efficiency improvements!
SPONSOR Meet the new Instabug – more than just bug reporting! We help you build better apps and minimize your debugging time. With each bug report, we automatically capture details like network requests, repro steps, and session details. Get real-time crash reports with stack trace details and session data to help you catch and fix issues easily. And with our customizable in-app surveys, you’ll gather insightful user feedback and much more. Instabug is the fastest and easiest way to release with confidence. Start your free trial now! Start your free trial now!
Available from iOS 7.0 – see Hacking with Swift tutorial 29
Did this solution work for you? Please pass it on!
Other people are reading…
- How to simulate gravity in a SpriteKit scene
- How to color an SKSpriteNode using colorBlendFactor
- How to make a sprite follow a path
- How to advance time in an SKEmitterNode using advanceSimulationTime()
- How to add a fragment shader to an SKSpriteNode using SKShader
About the Swift Knowledge Base
This is part of the Swift Knowledge Base, a free, searchable collection of solutions for common iOS questions.
