A practical guide to sprite sheets

A sprite sheet puts multiple frames into one PNG. The PNG does not animate by itself: the receiving application needs frame regions, order and timing. A GIF contains animation timing; a ZIP is a way to download separate frame files together.

An exported PNG does not preserve all editing layers, node connections or rig settings. Keep the editable work as well as the final image if you plan to revise it. Save a GLB when you need the 3D model and its motion in another application.

• Video or GIF: use Sprite to extract frames and clean up the range, order and background.
• Existing sheet or separate images: use sheet import or image merging in Sprite. Match the splitting grid first.
• Photo, illustration, animation or 3D model: use Pixelizer and its presets and nodes.
• Image-to-3D generation or model editing: start in the 3D workbench, then send the model to Pixelizer.
• Hand-drawn artwork: use Editor, layers and the timeline, then export a sheet.

The tools have different input and layout controls. Decide whether you need frame organization or a change in pixel style before adding extra conversion steps.

Open a video in Sprite and choose the motion range and extraction settings. Video compatibility depends on the browser and codec, not only the filename extension. Start with a short segment of a long recording so you can assess speed and output.

Check for idle frames at either end, obscured poses and duplicates. After duplicate removal, make sure important contact or impact poses remain. The selected frames affect what is exported; check the selection count before saving.

Reorder frames and apply reverse or ping-pong when appropriate. Ping-pong can suit a back-and-forth action but can also add unwanted backward motion to walking or attacks. Inspect the transition from the final frame back to the first separately.

Frame count is the number of poses; FPS is how many frames play each second. Eight frames take about one second at 8 FPS and half a second at 16 FPS. Remove unwanted duplicates before adjusting speed. Record FPS separately when handing off a PNG sheet.

For a solid background, pick its chroma-key color and raise tolerance gradually. Use corner-connected removal when you only want to remove background connected to the image edges. Check clothing, eyes and equipment that resemble the background color. Despill can help with residual background color along edges.

Keep a consistent ground reference for standing characters. Cropping each frame differently can make the character appear to wobble. Use Sprite’s anchor alignment and playback preview, while preserving intentional height changes such as jumps. Check transparency against both light and dark backgrounds.

Pixelizer accepts GLB, glTF and VOX. For a glTF with external resources, bundle it into a GLB or open the .bin and texture files together in the 3D workbench. For generated models, inspect textures and rigging there before using Send to Pixelizer.

Select a rig and clip in 3D Input. Check the file rig first when the model already has a useful skeleton; adjust markers when automatic rigging is needed. The motion-reference default is the file’s rest pose. Arms, legs, torso and head have separate motion amounts. A model without a selected motion is rendered as a still pose.

The top of 3D Input provides 1, 4, 8 or 16 directions, camera rotation and viewing elevation. Front, three-quarter, isometric and top-down choices change how the model is viewed. Rig alignment angle belongs to rigging and sets the model’s facing reference for the skeleton; it serves a different purpose from camera rotation.

Four directions with eight motion frames produce 32 images. Tune a motion in one direction before increasing the direction count. Enable In place for stationary sprites from traveling clips. Disable it when you want to keep travel, then inspect the complete movement range.

For 3D, start with the model-to-pixel preset with outlines. Set PIA’s long side and color count first, then inspect the default Pixel Perfect mode that preserves detail. Compare the remove-detail mode when small protrusions or irregular edges need stronger cleanup.

PIA’s fixed-frame option chooses a palette reference; it does not discard animation frames. Check that colors needed by every pose remain available. Shrinking an already packed sheet can shrink each character too far. Tune the final individual frames first, then export them as a sheet.

In Pixelizer, Sprite and Ctrl+S save all processed output frames into one PNG sheet, regardless of the frame currently shown in preview. When the output retains identifiable 3D direction and motion groups, rows represent directions and columns represent motion frames. Four directions with eight frames produce eight columns and four rows.

Other animations use an automatic grid; the filename includes columns×rows. Use GIF for playback and ZIP for individual files such as frame_001.png. A one-frame result still exports as a single picture. Integer export scales enlarge existing pixels without adding poses or new detail.

• Frame width, height and export scale
• Sheet columns and rows, plus the number of occupied cells
• Direction rows and motion order
• FPS or per-frame timing
• Ground or center reference point

With 64×64px cells and an 8×4 layout, the sheet is 512×256px at 1×. At 2×, both cells and sheet dimensions double. Split by the exported cell size in the receiving application and choose a filter that preserves crisp pixels. If adjacent cells bleed, check filtering and padding there. Pixelizer’s automatic sheet export does not include custom padding controls or an engine-specific JSON exporter.

Pixelizer work can retain the original file and node settings. Browser storage and account synchronization are different. Local work supports files up to 64 MB; automatic account sync targets Pixelizer source files of 24 MB or less. Check save status and keep important originals and exports separately.

The 3D workbench keeps models and edits in My 3D works. After signing in, Save work can also copy the current project to your account, with a 64 MB per-file limit. Clearing browser data or closing a private session can remove local work. Confirm account storage before continuing on another device.

If a sheet contains only one picture, check the output frame count, selected motion and direction count. Receiving one PNG file is normal; inspect the cells inside it. If a head or weapon is cut off, review the bounds of all frames and any cropping settings.

3D memory use depends on motion range and frame count. The engine uses rest-pose dimensions and automatically fits its internal resolution to the budget. Save work before refreshing an old tab. If an error persists, send the model format, clip, directions, frame count and complete error text through Contact.