ugly C# .ase (aseprite) parser

Aseprite.cs

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.IO.Compression;
using System.Text;

// File Format:
// https://github.com/aseprite/aseprite/blob/master/docs/ase-file-specs.md

// Note: I didn't test with with Indexed or Grayscale colors
// Only implemented the stuff I needed / wanted, other stuff is ignored

namespace Example
{
    public struct Color
    {
        public byte R;
        public byte G;
        public byte B;
        public byte A;

        public Color(int r, int g, int b, int a) 
        { 
            R = (byte)r;
            G = (byte)g;
            B = (byte)b;
            A = (byte)a;
        }

        // this premultiplies the alpha ...
        // depending on your use-case, you may not want this
        public static Color FromNonPremultiplied(int r, int g, int b, int a)
        {
            return new Color(
                (r * a / 255),
                (g * a / 255),
                (b * a / 255),
                a
            );
        }
    }

    public struct Point
    {
        public int X;
        public int Y;

        public Point(int x, int y) { X = x; Y = y; }
    }

    public class Aseprite
    {

        public enum Modes
        {
            Indexed = 1,
            Grayscale = 2,
            RGBA = 4
        }

        private enum Chunks
        {
            OldPaletteA = 0x0004,
            OldPaletteB = 0x0011,
            Layer = 0x2004,
            Cel = 0x2005,
            CelExtra = 0x2006,
            Mask = 0x2016,
            Path = 0x2017,
            FrameTags = 0x2018,
            Palette = 0x2019,
            UserData = 0x2020,
            Slice = 0x2022
        }

        public readonly Modes Mode;
        public readonly int Width;
        public readonly int Height;
        public readonly int FrameCount;

        public List<Layer> Layers = new List<Layer>();
        public List<Frame> Frames = new List<Frame>();
        public List<Tag> Tags = new List<Tag>();
        public List<Slice> Slices = new List<Slice>();

        public Aseprite(Modes mode, int width, int height)
        {
            Mode = mode;
            Width = width;
            Height = height;
        }

        #region .ase Parser

        public Aseprite(string file, bool loadImageData = true)
        {
            using (var stream = File.OpenRead(file))
            {
                var reader = new BinaryReader(stream);

                // wrote these to match the documentation names so it's easier (for me, anyway) to parse
                byte BYTE() { return reader.ReadByte(); }
                ushort WORD() { return reader.ReadUInt16(); }
                short SHORT() { return reader.ReadInt16(); }
                uint DWORD() { return reader.ReadUInt32(); }
                long LONG() { return reader.ReadInt32(); }
                string STRING() { return Encoding.UTF8.GetString(BYTES(WORD())); }
                byte[] BYTES(int number) { return reader.ReadBytes(number); }
                void SEEK(int number) { reader.BaseStream.Position += number; }

                // Header
                {
                    // file size
                    DWORD();

                    // Magic number (0xA5E0)
                    var magic = WORD();
                    if (magic != 0xA5E0)
                        throw new Exception("File is not in .ase format");

                    // Frames / Width / Height / Color Mode
                    FrameCount = WORD();
                    Width = WORD();
                    Height = WORD();
                    Mode = (Modes)(WORD() / 8);

                    // Other Info, Ignored
                    DWORD();       // Flags
                    WORD();        // Speed (deprecated)
                    DWORD();       // Set be 0
                    DWORD();       // Set be 0
                    BYTE();        // Palette entry 
                    SEEK(3);       // Ignore these bytes
                    WORD();        // Number of colors (0 means 256 for old sprites)
                    BYTE();        // Pixel width
                    BYTE();        // Pixel height
                    SEEK(92);      // For Future
                }

                // temporary variables
                var temp = new byte[Width * Height * (int)Mode];
                var palette = new Color[256];
                IUserData last = null;

                // Frames
                for (int i = 0; i < FrameCount; i++)
                {
                    var frame = new Frame(this);
                    if (loadImageData)
                        frame.Pixels = new Color[Width * Height];
                    Frames.Add(frame);

                    long frameStart, frameEnd;
                    int chunkCount;

                    // frame header
                    {
                        frameStart = reader.BaseStream.Position;
                        frameEnd = frameStart + DWORD();
                        WORD();                  // Magic number (always 0xF1FA)
                        chunkCount = WORD();     // Number of "chunks" in this frame
                        frame.Duration = WORD(); // Frame duration (in milliseconds)
                        SEEK(6);                 // For future (set to zero)
                    }

                    // chunks
                    for (int j = 0; j < chunkCount; j++)
                    {
                        long chunkStart, chunkEnd;
                        Chunks chunkType;

                        // chunk header
                        {
                            chunkStart = reader.BaseStream.Position;
                            chunkEnd = chunkStart + DWORD();
                            chunkType = (Chunks)WORD();
                        }

                        // LAYER CHUNK
                        if (chunkType == Chunks.Layer)
                        {
                            // create layer
                            var layer = new Layer();

                            // get layer data
                            layer.Flag = (Layer.Flags)WORD();
                            layer.Type = (Layer.Types)WORD();
                            layer.ChildLevel = WORD();
                            WORD(); // width (unused)
                            WORD(); // height (unused)
                            layer.BlendMode = WORD();
                            layer.Alpha = (BYTE() / 255f);
                            SEEK(3); // for future
                            layer.Name = STRING();

                            last = layer;
                            Layers.Add(layer);
                        }
                        // CEL CHUNK
                        else if (chunkType == Chunks.Cel)
                        {
                            // create cel
                            var cel = new Cel();

                            // get cel data
                            cel.Layer = Layers[WORD()];
                            cel.X = SHORT();
                            cel.Y = SHORT();
                            cel.Alpha = BYTE() / 255f;
                            var celType = WORD(); // type
                            SEEK(7);

                            if (loadImageData)
                            {
                                // RAW or DEFLATE
                                if (celType == 0 || celType == 2)
                                {
                                    cel.Width = WORD();
                                    cel.Height = WORD();

                                    var count = cel.Width * cel.Height * (int)Mode;

                                    // RAW
                                    if (celType == 0)
                                    {
                                        reader.Read(temp, 0, cel.Width * cel.Height * (int)Mode);
                                    }
                                    // DEFLATE
                                    else
                                    {
                                        SEEK(2);

                                        using var deflate = new DeflateStream(reader.BaseStream, CompressionMode.Decompress, true);
                                        int readBytes;
                                        var totalBytesRead = 0;
                                        do
                                        {
                                            readBytes = deflate.Read(buffer, totalBytesRead, buffer.Length - totalBytesRead);
                                            totalBytesRead += readBytes;
                                        } while (readBytes > 0);
                                    }

                                    cel.Pixels = new Color[cel.Width * cel.Height];
                                    BytesToPixels(temp, cel.Pixels, Mode, palette);
                                    CelToFrame(frame, cel);
                                }
                                // REFERENCE
                                else if (celType == 1)
                                {
                                    // not gonna worry about it
                                }
                            }

                            last = cel;
                            frame.Cels.Add(cel);
                        }
                        // PALETTE CHUNK
                        else if (chunkType == Chunks.Palette)
                        {
                            var size = DWORD();
                            var start = DWORD();
                            var end = DWORD();
                            SEEK(8); // for future

                            for (int p = 0; p < (end - start) + 1; p++)
                            {
                                var hasName = WORD();
                                palette[start + p] = Color.FromNonPremultiplied(BYTE(), BYTE(), BYTE(), BYTE());
                                if (IsBitSet(hasName, 0))
                                    STRING();
                            }
                        }
                        // USERDATA
                        else if (chunkType == Chunks.UserData)
                        {
                            if (last != null)
                            {
                                var flags = (int)DWORD();

                                // has text
                                if (IsBitSet(flags, 0))
                                    last.UserDataText = STRING();

                                // has color
                                if (IsBitSet(flags, 1))
                                    last.UserDataColor = Color.FromNonPremultiplied(BYTE(), BYTE(), BYTE(), BYTE());
                            }
                        }
                        // TAG
                        else if (chunkType == Chunks.FrameTags)
                        {
                            var count = WORD();
                            SEEK(8);

                            for (int t = 0; t < count; t++)
                            {
                                var tag = new Tag();
                                tag.From = WORD();
                                tag.To = WORD();
                                tag.LoopDirection = (Tag.LoopDirections)BYTE();
                                SEEK(8);
                                tag.Color = Color.FromNonPremultiplied(BYTE(), BYTE(), BYTE(), 255);
                                SEEK(1);
                                tag.Name = STRING();
                                Tags.Add(tag);
                            }
                        }
                        // SLICE
                        else if (chunkType == Chunks.Slice)
                        {
                            var count = DWORD();
                            var flags = (int)DWORD();
                            DWORD(); // reserved
                            var name = STRING();

                            for (int s = 0; s < count; s++)
                            {
                                var slice = new Slice();
                                slice.Name = name;
                                slice.Frame = (int)DWORD();
                                slice.OriginX = (int)LONG();
                                slice.OriginY = (int)LONG();
                                slice.Width = (int)DWORD();
                                slice.Height = (int)DWORD();

                                // 9 slice (ignored atm)
                                if (IsBitSet(flags, 0))
                                {
                                    LONG();
                                    LONG();
                                    DWORD();
                                    DWORD();
                                }

                                // pivot point
                                if (IsBitSet(flags, 1))
                                    slice.Pivot = new Point((int)DWORD(), (int)DWORD());

                                last = slice;
                                Slices.Add(slice);
                            }
                        }

                        reader.BaseStream.Position = chunkEnd;
                    }

                    reader.BaseStream.Position = frameEnd;
                }
            }
        }

        #endregion

        #region Data Structures

        public class Frame
        {
            public Aseprite Sprite;
            public int Duration;
            public Color[] Pixels;
            public List<Cel> Cels;

            public Frame(Aseprite sprite)
            {
                Sprite = sprite;
                Cels = new List<Cel>();
            }
        }

        public class Tag
        {
            public enum LoopDirections
            {
                Forward = 0,
                Reverse = 1,
                PingPong = 2
            }

            public string Name;
            public LoopDirections LoopDirection;
            public int From;
            public int To;
            public Color Color;
        }

        public interface IUserData
        {
            string UserDataText { get; set; }
            Color UserDataColor { get; set; }
        }

        public struct Slice : IUserData
        {
            public int Frame;
            public string Name;
            public int OriginX;
            public int OriginY;
            public int Width;
            public int Height;
            public Point? Pivot;
            public string UserDataText { get; set; }
            public Color UserDataColor { get; set; }
        }

        public class Cel : IUserData
        {
            public Layer Layer;
            public Color[] Pixels;

            public int X;
            public int Y;
            public int Width;
            public int Height;
            public float Alpha;

            public string UserDataText { get; set; }
            public Color UserDataColor { get; set; }
        }

        public class Layer : IUserData
        {
            [Flags]
            public enum Flags
            {
                Visible = 1,
                Editable = 2,
                LockMovement = 4,
                Background = 8,
                PreferLinkedCels = 16,
                Collapsed = 32,
                Reference = 64
            }

            public enum Types
            {
                Normal = 0,
                Group = 1
            }

            public Flags Flag;
            public Types Type;
            public string Name;
            public int ChildLevel;
            public int BlendMode;
            public float Alpha;

            public string UserDataText { get; set; }
            public Color UserDataColor { get; set; }
        }

        #endregion

        #region Blend Modes

        // Copied from Aseprite's source code:
        // https://github.com/aseprite/aseprite/blob/master/src/doc/blend_funcs.cpp

        private delegate void Blend(ref Color dest, Color src, byte opacity);

        private static Blend[] BlendModes = new Blend[]
        {
            // 0 - NORMAL
            (ref Color dest, Color src, byte opacity) =>
            {
                int r, g, b, a;

                if (dest.A == 0)
                {
                    r = src.R;
                    g = src.G;
                    b = src.B;
                }
                else if (src.A == 0)
                {
                    r = dest.R;
                    g = dest.G;
                    b = dest.B;
                }
                else
                {
                    r = (dest.R + MUL_UN8((src.R - dest.R), opacity));
                    g = (dest.G + MUL_UN8((src.G - dest.G), opacity));
                    b = (dest.B + MUL_UN8((src.B - dest.B), opacity));
                }

                a = (dest.A + MUL_UN8((src.A - dest.A), opacity));
                if (a == 0)
                    r = g = b = 0;

                dest.R = (byte)r;
                dest.G = (byte)g;
                dest.B = (byte)b;
                dest.A = (byte)a;
            }
        };

        private static int MUL_UN8(int a, int b)
        {
            var t = (a * b) + 0x80;
            return (((t >> 8) + t) >> 8);
        }

        #endregion

        #region Utils

        /// <summary>
        /// Converts an array of Bytes to an array of Colors, using the specific Aseprite Mode & Palette
        /// </summary>
        private void BytesToPixels(byte[] bytes, Color[] pixels, Aseprite.Modes mode, Color[] palette)
        {
            int len = pixels.Length;
            if (mode == Modes.RGBA)
            {
                for (int p = 0, b = 0; p < len; p++, b += 4)
                {
                    pixels[p].R = (byte)(bytes[b + 0] * bytes[b + 3] / 255);
                    pixels[p].G = (byte)(bytes[b + 1] * bytes[b + 3] / 255);
                    pixels[p].B = (byte)(bytes[b + 2] * bytes[b + 3] / 255);
                    pixels[p].A = bytes[b + 3];
                }
            }
            else if (mode == Modes.Grayscale)
            {
                for (int p = 0, b = 0; p < len; p++, b += 2)
                {
                    pixels[p].R = pixels[p].G = pixels[p].B = (byte)(bytes[b + 0] * bytes[b + 1] / 255);
                    pixels[p].A = bytes[b + 1];
                }
            }
            else if (mode == Modes.Indexed)
            {
                for (int p = 0, b = 0; p < len; p++, b += 1)
                    pixels[p] = palette[bytes[b]];
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Applies a Cel's pixels to the Frame, using its Layer's BlendMode & Alpha
        /// </summary>
        private void CelToFrame(Frame frame, Cel cel)
        {
            var opacity = (byte)((cel.Alpha * cel.Layer.Alpha) * 255);
            var blend = BlendModes[cel.Layer.BlendMode];

            for (int sx = 0; sx < cel.Width; sx++)
            {
                int dx = cel.X + sx;
                int dy = cel.Y * frame.Sprite.Width;

                for (int i = 0, sy = 0; i < cel.Height; i++, sy += cel.Width, dy += frame.Sprite.Width)
                    blend(ref frame.Pixels[dx + dy], cel.Pixels[sx + sy], opacity);
            }
        }

        private static bool IsBitSet(int b, int pos)
        {
            return (b & (1 << pos)) != 0;
        }

        #endregion
    }
}

Not to be a bother but could you do that? This is prolly the only .ase parser I've seen that uses dotnet core instead of framework (I'm developing in .NET Core 3.1 and the popular Monogame.Aseprite library uses .NET framework). You don't have to though, I could prolly try writing my own.

Sure, done!

Thanks a lot man! Can't wait to see what comes of the game you're developing!

Was having an issue where larger sprites were being cut off and it turns out that deflate.Read() doesn't necessarily read the number of bytes you tell it to. Modified L233 with this which fixed the issue:

using var deflate = new DeflateStream(reader.BaseStream, CompressionMode.Decompress, true);
int readBytes;
var totalBytesRead = 0;
do
{
    readBytes = deflate.Read(buffer, totalBytesRead, buffer.Length - totalBytesRead);
    totalBytesRead += readBytes;
} while (readBytes > 0);

Reading indexed should look like this:

            else if (mode == Modes.Indexed)
            {
                for (int p = 0, b = 0; p < len; p++, b += 1)
                    pixels[p] = palette[bytes[b]];
            }

thanks, I've updated it with the fixes above!

I've also noticed an issue with the blending function on some layers.

Here's a fixed method:

      private static Blend[] BlendModes = new Blend[]
      {
          // 0 - NORMAL
          (ref Color dest, Color src, byte opacity) =>
          {
              int r, g, b, a;

              if (dest.A == 0)
              {
                  r = src.R;
                  g = src.G;
                  b = src.B;
                  a = src.A;
              }
              else if (src.A == 0)
              {
                  r = dest.R;
                  g = dest.G;
                  b = dest.B;
                  a = dest.A;
              }
              else
              {
                  a = (dest.A + MUL_UN8(src.A - dest.A, opacity));

                  if (a != 0)
                  {
                      r = (dest.R + MUL_UN8(src.R - dest.R, opacity));
                      g = (dest.G + MUL_UN8(src.G - dest.G, opacity));
                      b = (dest.B + MUL_UN8(src.B - dest.B, opacity));
                  }
                  else
                  {
                      r = g = b = 0;
                  }
              }

              dest.R = (byte)r;
              dest.G = (byte)g;
              dest.B = (byte)b;
              dest.A = (byte)a;
          }
      };

Thanks!

Aseprite v1.3.5 writes the Old palette chunk (0x0004) chunk if the palette doesn't have alpha channel and contains 256 colors or less.

So you need to process the old palette chunk

                        // OLD PALETTE CHUNK
                        else if (chunkType == Chunks.OldPaletteA)
                        {
                            var packetCount = WORD();
                            for (int p = 0; p < packetCount; p++)
                            {
                                var skip = BYTE();
                                var count = BYTE();

                                for (int c = 0; c < (count == 0 ? 256 : count); c++)
                                    Palette[skip + c] = Color.FromRgbaNonPremultiplied(BYTE(), BYTE(), BYTE(), 255);
                            }
                        }