# Aseprite Live [Health: Active]

**Category:** 🎮 Gaming  
**Repository:** https://github.com/oaktreegames/aseprite-live-mcp  
**GitHub Stars:** 8  
**Views:** 3  
**Installs:** 0  
**Upvotes:** 0  
**Directory Page:** https://allmcps.com/mcp/aseprite-live

## Description
Unity-first MCP for live Aseprite: Unity export, art-QA, iso tools, resources + prompts

## Tools
Capabilities this server exposes over MCP:

- **status**
- **get_sprite_info**
- **get_pixel**
- **set_sprite_metadata**
- **get_sprite_metadata**
- **get_pixels**
- **open_sprite**
- **save_sprite**
- **path**
- **close_sprite**
- **set_active_sprite**
- **list_sprites**
- **create_sprite**
- **expand_canvas**
- **import_spritesheet**
- **add_layer**
- **add_group**
- **move_layer_to_group**
- **list_layers**
- **delete_layer**
- **rename_layer**
- **set_layer_visibility**
- **set_layer_opacity**
- **flatten_sprite**
- **set_layer_blend_mode**
- **duplicate_layer**
- **merge_layer_down**
- **move_layer**
- **import_image_as_layer**
- **add_frame**
- **duplicate_frame**
- **number**
- **delete_frame**
- **set_frame_duration**
- **add_frames**
- **count**
- **set_frame_durations**
- **ms**
- **reverse_frames**
- **set_onion_skin**
- **clear_cel**
- **set_cel_position**
- **set_cel_opacity**
- **draw_pixels**
- **pixels**
- **draw_polyline**
- **points**
- **draw_rectangle**
- **draw_line**
- **draw_circle**
- **fill_area**
- **draw_ellipse**
- **draw_gradient**
- **color1**
- **color2**
- **apply_dither**
- **add_outline**
- **color**
- **get_palette**
- **set_palette_color**
- **index**
- **add_palette_color**
- **set_palette**
- **colors**
- **apply_preset_palette**
- **generate_color_ramp**
- **base_color**
- **palette_ramp_walk**
- **extract_palette_from_image**
- **sort_palette**
- **luminance**
- **hue**
- **saturation**
- **palette_from_sprite**
- **quantize_to_palette**
- **load_palette**
- **save_palette**
- **apply_bundled_palette**
- **replace_color**
- **from_color**

## Claude Desktop Quick Installation
Install path detected from listing signals. Uses `uvx` (confidence: high):

```json
"mcpServers": {
  "aseprite-live": {
    "command": "uvx",
    "args": ["aseprite-live-mcp"],
    "env": {
      "ASEPRITE_MCP_BACKEND": "",
      "ASEPRITE_PATH": ""
    }
  }
}
```

**Requires environment variables:** `ASEPRITE_MCP_BACKEND`, `ASEPRITE_PATH` — the values above are empty placeholders; fill in real credentials before running (see the repository for what each one is for).

## Documentation

## What Aseprite Live MCP server does

Aseprite Live MCP server lets an MCP-compatible agent work with Aseprite documents instead of only manipulating files through a separate image library. It can inspect open or saved sprites, create and edit documents, change layer structure, import image content, and add animation frames.

The server supports two operating modes. A headless mode uses Aseprite's batch operation path against files on disk. A live mode connects to a running editor, including open documents and unsaved tabs, through a bridge script and relay. In live mode, edits are described as individual undoable actions in Aseprite.

## How it works

For headless use, configure the MCP server with the `headless` backend and provide a `file` argument to tools that act on a document. The README's example workflow creates a sprite, draws on it, and exports an image without requiring the editor to be open.

The live workflow requires more than the Python package. A Lua bridge script must be placed in Aseprite's scripts folder, and a Python relay must be started with the `websockets` package installed. After launching the bridge from Aseprite's Scripts menu, set the MCP backend to `live`. The bridge panel reports connection and activity status and includes a pause control.

## Setup and configuration

The package requires Python 3.10 or newer and Aseprite 1.3 or newer. It can be launched with `uvx aseprite-live-mcp` or `pipx run aseprite-live-mcp`; installation from a cloned source checkout is also documented.

Set `ASEPRITE_MCP_BACKEND` to `headless` or `live`. `ASEPRITE_PATH` can point to the Aseprite executable. Common Steam and standalone installations may be detected automatically when this variable is omitted. A JSON-configured client can start the server with the `uvx` command and `aseprite-live-mcp` argument.

## Tools and capabilities

The listed MCP tools cover:

- Connection and document access through `status`, `path`, `open_sprite`, `save_sprite`, `close_sprite`, `set_active_sprite`, and `list_sprites`.
- Sprite inspection and metadata through `get_sprite_info`, `get_pixel`, `get_pixels`, `set_sprite_metadata`, and `get_sprite_metadata`.
- Creation and canvas changes through `create_sprite`, `expand_canvas`, and `import_spritesheet`.
- Layer organization through `add_layer`, `add_group`, `move_layer_to_group`, `list_layers`, `delete_layer`, `rename_layer`, `set_layer_visibility`, `set_layer_opacity`, `flatten_sprite`, `set_layer_blend_mode`, `duplicate_layer`, `merge_layer_down`, and `move_layer`.
- Asset and animation input through `import_image_as_layer` and `add_frame`.

The broader README describes Unity sprite-sheet and `.meta` export, per-slice pivots, art-QA checks, isometric primitives, tilemaps, and in-editor approval or point-selection interactions.

## Limitations and notes

Live editing depends on a running Aseprite instance, the bridge script, the relay process, and user trust approval when the script requests it. The bridge and relay are in the repository rather than the pip package, so they must be obtained separately for live mode. Headless mode avoids the open editor but works against files on disk.

_Full upstream README: https://allmcps.com/mcp/aseprite-live/readme_