I'm not sure if this is a bug, but when I import files from PSD into Spine, most of the time, my tags work very well. However, there's one issue: When I place several groups and layers under a group named [folder], if one layer has a clipping mask(like the image I uploaded), it doesn't get placed into the corresponding folder but instead goes directly into the root folder. I need to manually add the [folder] tag to the file name again to make it work. I'm using clipping masks to produce mask textures, so every image will have a duplicated image with a clipping mask. It would be very convenient if they could automatically go into the source image's folder. 
When importing PSD using Tag, layers don't go to folders
It seems that the issue you're experiencing with clipping masks and the [folder] tag in PSD imports is known. Currently, the Spine PSD importer requires that layers involved in clipping masks be contained within a [merge] group to be processed correctly. This means that if you have layers with clipping masks, you should place them in a group with [merge] in the name to ensure they are merged and imported correctly.
Here's a step-by-step solution:
- Group Layers with Clipping Masks: Place all layers that use clipping masks into a group.
- Add
[merge]Tag: Rename the group to include[merge]in its name. This will ensure that the layers are merged into a single PNG file. - Use
[folder]Tag: Ensure that the parent group or the relevant group has the[folder]tag to place the merged PNG into the correct folder.
For example:
- [folder:MyFolder]
- [merge] ClippingGroup
- BaseLayer
- ClippingMaskLayerThis setup will ensure that the ClippingGroup is merged into a single PNG and placed inside MyFolder.
If you follow these steps and still encounter issues, it might be a good idea to double-check the layer organization and tags in your PSD file. If the problem persists, it could be a bug or a limitation that might need further investigation.
For more detailed information, you can refer to the discussions on the Esoteric Software forum:
I hope this helps resolve your issue!