Workflow for Your YCH Template with Skins
Great animation! Here's how to set up your template to work with different character skins:
Understanding the Setup
For a YCH template, you want:
- One skeleton with all your animations
- Multiple skins containing different character parts
- Skin placeholders that let you swap between characters while keeping the same animations
Process with PSD Import
Prepare Your PSD Files
- Create separate PSD files for each character variation
- Use the same layer structure and naming for parts that share the same slot (body, head, etc.)
- You can annotate layer names with tags like
[skin] to automatically create skins on import
- Learn more about PSD import here: https://esotericsoftware.com/spine-import-psd
Initial Setup
- Import your first character PSD normally
- Create your skeleton and animations as you've done
Converting to Skin Placeholders
If you've already created attachments without using skin placeholders, here's the efficient way to convert them:
In the tree, click the filter icon and hide bones and slots (only show attachments)
Create a new skin or make sure one is active
Select all your attachments
Click New... → Skin Placeholder
This creates skin placeholders for each attachment and moves them under your active skin.
Adding New Character Skins
For each new character:
- Import their PSD file
- Create a new skin for them
- The new attachments will be placed according to your layer structure
- If using the same slot names, they'll automatically work with your existing skin placeholders
For Character-Specific Bones (like hair)
You mentioned needing bones for hair on different characters. Use skin bones:
- Bones that only exist when a specific skin is active
- Perfect for unique parts like different hairstyles
- Won't clutter your skeleton or affect performance when not in use
Learn more about skins and skin bones: https://esotericsoftware.com/spine-skins
Tips for Your Workflow
- Keep a consistent naming convention across all character PSDs
- Parts that animate the same way should use the same slot names
- Use folders in your PSD to organize parts
- The
[merge] tag in layer names exports groups as single images
Since you're using Affinity, just make sure your PSD exports maintain the layer structure. The import process is much faster than the old script method!
Would you like more specific guidance on any particular step?
