Architecture Overview

LPCharacterStudio is a desktop character creation tool built on top of the SATF framework and the Universal LPC asset ecosystem.

The goal of the project is not only to create characters but also to provide a complete workflow that bridges LPC asset creation, character composition, and direct integration into Godot projects.

This first development log focuses on the overall architecture and the relationship between the different parts of the system.

System Overview

The diagram shows how the various components interact throughout the content pipeline.

Universal LPC Assets

At the foundation is the Universal LPC asset repository.

Pixel artists create and maintain spritesheets, definitions, and palettes that form the source material for character customization. LPCharacterStudio consumes this data without modifying the original assets.

LPCharacterStudio

LPCharacterStudio provides the user-facing tools required to work with LPC content.

Current functionality includes:

• Asset browsing
• Character composition
• Layer management
• Live preview
• Asset composition saving and loadin

The editor translates LPC-specific data into SATF-compatible structures while remaining focused on character creation and asset management.

SATF

SATF (Sprite Animation Template Framework) acts as the bridge between editor tooling and runtime usage.

The framework provides:

• Data models
• Resource formats
• Runtime integration
• Animation support

By separating character editing from runtime representation, SATF allows the same character data to be reused directly inside Godot projects.

Game Integration

The final output is not simply a rendered PNG image.

Instead, character data can be exported into SATF resources that are consumed by the SATF Godot Addon at runtime. This allows game developers to integrate characters directly into their projects while retaining animation and customization capabilities.

The runtime layer supports integration with systems such as:

• AnimationPlayer
• AnimationTree
• Custom gameplay logic

Why This Architecture?

LPCharacterStudio is designed around a different idea: character creation should be part of a larger content pipeline.

By separating asset repositories, editor tooling, runtime resources, and game integration, each layer can evolve independently while remaining compatible with the rest of the ecosystem.

This architecture also allows SATF to remain a reusable framework that can support projects beyond the LPC ecosystem.

Current Status

The project is currently in an early alpha stage.

Several core systems are already operational, including:

• LPC asset loading
• Character composition
• SATF integration
• Resource generation
• Desktop application builds

The primary focus at the moment is stabilizing the architecture and establishing clean data flows between the different layers.

What's Next?

Future development logs will take a closer look at the technical implementation, including:

• LPC data import and processing
• Character composition internals
• SATF resource generation
• Easy Runtime integration inside Godot
• Export workflows

The architecture shown here forms the foundation for all future work.