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Aseprite

DESIGN
Velocity5.0

Animated sprite editor and pixel art tool

aseprite.org ↗

Aseprite v1.3.18 ships extension save formats and faster undo; patch cadence maintains stability

pixel-artextension-apiundo-performancelua-apimacos-stability
◆Current state
Aseprite is in stable post-1.3.18 maintenance, shipping crash fixes and platform-specific patches on a rapid cadence (three patch releases in two days). The 1.3.18 anchor release, shipped in late July, was the most substantive version in this window: faster undo/redo via in-memory object retention, full extension read/write format support, a Preferences search feature, and Lua API v40. The patch stream since then has been fixing regressions and long-standing platform-specific bugs rather than adding capability.
◆Where it's heading
The extension API expansion (custom file formats with save callbacks, not just read) started in 1.3.17.x betas and consolidated in 1.3.18, signaling a deliberate push toward a richer plugin ecosystem. The internal 'refactors needed for new layer types' PR merged in 1.3.18 suggests upcoming first-class layer type additions — the infrastructure is in place before any user-visible feature ships.
◆Prediction
The next minor release will likely expose new layer types through the Lua API, building on the internal refactors already merged. The addition of .psd save support via extensions also sets up community-maintained format parity with tools like Photoshop that would previously require external converters.

◆Recent moves

  1. 6d ago

    Fix: Export Sprite Sheet crash with active selection in v1.3.18.5

    A targeted crash fix: v1.3.18.5 resolves a post-1.3.18 regression where opening Export > Export Sprite Sheet with an active selection caused an immediate crash. Validates the patch cadence following the 1.3.18 anchor release.

    View source ↗
  2. 7d ago

    Tilemap copy-paste, grid snap precision, and .psd extension registration in v1.3.18.4

    v1.3.18.4 closes multiple long-standing tilemap issues — cross-layer copy-paste, group layer containment — alongside a snap-to-grid precision fix for brushes larger than 1 pixel. The extension .psd format registration is the most durable addition: community extensions can now register .psd as a saveable format, a capability the 1.3.18 extension API made possible.

    View source ↗
  3. 22d ago

    Crosshair UI scaling option and macOS slowdown fix in v1.3.18.3

    v1.3.18.3 ships a user-requested crosshair scaling option (now respects the UI scale factor), fixes a macOS memory issue that progressively slowed the app over time (issue #3256, long open), and makes the .aseprite decoder more resilient to malformed chunk data. The macOS fix addresses a complaint that affected large files on retina displays.

    View source ↗
  4. 1mo ago

    Stability guard: uninitialized MoveThings params fixed in v1.3.18.2

    A one-line internal fix preventing uninitialized parameters in the MoveThings command — no user-observable behavior change, just a stability guard against potential undefined behavior in move operations.

    View source ↗
  5. 1mo ago

    Crash fixes and GIF 89a format correctness in v1.3.18.1

    v1.3.18.1 patches several crash regressions introduced in 1.3.18 (undo with MovingPixels, cel deletion, timeline tag hover). The GIF encoder now correctly writes version 89a for multi-frame files — a format correctness fix that affects downstream compatibility with GIF renderers that require the 89a header for animations.

    View source ↗
  6. 1mo ago

    Aseprite v1.3.18: faster undo, extension save formats, and preferences search

    ⚡ SPARK

    v1.3.18 is the anchor release for the 1.3.18 line — the largest surface expansion in this changelog window. It ships faster undo/redo via in-memory object retention, full extension save-format support (not just read), preferences search, and Lua API v40 with eyedropper tool access.

    View source ↗