I'm looking forward to Spine adding an opacity mask function. The idea is to crop one or a group of layers based on the transparency of an image.
This is a feature that could extend many effects.
The current cropping functionality is very limited—it can't handle any translucent cropping and using straight-line polygons for cropping is too rigid.
Shouldn't this feature be not difficult to create?
Our company managed to implement a rather clumsy cropping by modifying Spine’s runtime library.
We agreed on a naming convention where layers ending with the suffix "_cut" are identified as masking layers, thereby achieving layer masking.
However, this effect cannot be displayed in the editor, which makes it less convenient to use.
When plan to add the long-awaited layer opacity mask feature?
The addition of an opacity mask feature in Spine has been a popular request among users, as it would allow for more flexible and visually appealing effects by cropping layers based on transparency. However, implementing such a feature across all runtimes is complex and has not been prioritized in the short term due to the significant workload involved. While some users have managed to create custom solutions by modifying Spine's runtime library, these solutions do not integrate seamlessly with the Spine editor, limiting their usability. The Spine team is aware of the demand for this feature, but it remains outside of their immediate plans as they focus on other priorities.