PIXELISH - Pixel Art In-Scene Editor for 2.5D Games

The Problem That Started It All

While developing my 2.5D game, I constantly faced a frustrating workflow issue: I needed multiple sprites to animate in sync with each other, positioned throughout a 3D environment. But every time I opened my pixel art editor, I lost all spatial context. I couldn't see how sprites related to each other in 3D space, leading to constant back-and-forth between my pixel art software and Unity.

So I built a solution.

Edit Pixel Art Without Leaving Unity

Pixel Art Scene Editor lets you paint and edit sprites directly in the Scene view, with full 3D spatial awareness. See your sprites exactly as they'll appear in-game, maintain perfect alignment with neighboring sprites, and iterate rapidly without ever leaving Unity.

The workflow is simple:

1. Select a sprite in your scene
2. Activate the tool and start painting
3. See changes in real-time, in full 3D context
4. Save your edited sprite (original stays safe)
5. Optionally add it as a Timeline keyframe
6. Move to the next sprite and repeat

Core Painting Tools

• Brush Tool (1) - Paint pixels with adjustable brush size (1-5 pixels)
• Eraser Tool (2) - Remove pixels with transparency
• Color Picker Tool (3) - Sample colors directly from your sprite
• Fill Tool (4) - Flood fill with intelligent queue-based algorithm

Keyboard shortcuts (1-4 keys) let you switch tools instantly while painting.

Symmetry Painting

• Horizontal Mirror - Paint once, mirror across vertical axis
• Vertical Mirror - Paint once, mirror across horizontal axis
• Both Axes - 4-way symmetry

Pixel Grid Overlay

• Semi-transparent grid for pixel-perfect precision
• Toggle on/off

Canvas Expansion

• Add pixels to any edge (left, right, top, bottom)
• Pivot automatically adjusts - sprite stays in exact world position
• Preview new size before applying
• For adding borders or extending sprites without breaking scene references

GPL Palette Support

• Load GIMP Palette (.gpl) files

Real-Time 3D Preview

• See exactly how your sprite looks in the scene
• No more guessing how edits will look in-game

Timeline Integration

One-Click Sprite Animation Keyframes

1. Open Timeline with your sprite's GameObject
2. Paint your sprite in the Scene view
3. Click "Save to Asset and Add Timeline Key"
4. A keyframe is automatically created at the playhead position

Timeline integration features

• Creates Animation Clips automatically if needed
• Updates existing keyframes instead of duplicating
• Only enables when Timeline window is open
• Validates track bindings before attempting to add keys

Convenient File Management

Non-Destructive Editing

• Originals always protected - Never modifies source sprites
• Creates edited copies with configurable naming
• Auto-suggests save location based on original sprite
• Optional custom suffix (default: "_edited")

Auto-Increment Filenames

• Automatically appends _01, _02, _03... to new saves
• Finds next available number automatically

Exact Pivot Preservation

• Uses Unity's ISpriteEditorDataProvider API
• Maintains pixel-perfect pivot positioning
• Your sprite stays exactly where it should in the scene
• No manual pivot adjustments needed after saving

Proper Import Settings

• Point filtering (pixel-perfect rendering)
• Uncompressed format (maximum quality)
• sRGB color space (correct colors)
• Matches original sprite's pixels-per-unit
• Everything configured automatically

Full Undo/Redo Support

• Per-stroke undo - Each paint action undos individually
• Integrated with Unity's undo system (Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z)
• Works across all tools (paint, erase, fill, canvas expansion)
• Undo history preserved throughout editing session

Workflow Features

Timeline Override Protection

• Detects when Timeline tries to change your sprite
• Shows clear warning in Scene view
• Automatically restores your editable sprite
• Prevents accidental overwriting of your work

How to use:

1. Open: Window > Pixel Art Scene Editor
2. Click: "Activate Tool"
3. Select: Any sprite in your scene
4. Paint: Use tools or keyboard shortcuts (1-4)

Documentation & Support

• Quick Start Guide
• Video Guide

Roadmap

Planned Features:

• Opacity slider for semi-transparent painting
• Line tool
• Spray paint tool with randomization
• Additional keyboard shortcut customization

Future Release:

• Layer support for complex compositions
• Layer blending modes
• Layer visibility controls
• Aseprite file format import/export
• Onion Skin

⚠️ PLEASE NOTICE - a few technical remarks :

• This tool was designed for editing sprites within a 3D enviroment to make the development of 2.5D games easier. I have not tested its use in a 2D project.
• Tool was only tested editing sprites in a 3D enviroment.
• Unity's 2D Sprite package needs to be installed from the Package Manager in order to use the tool. It is not installed by default when you create a 3D project. You can also install the entire 2D list of packages.
• I have worked hard to eliminate all bugs. If you do come across one, please contact me with details so it can be fixed!
• If you have any suggestions or requests for future versions, please don't hesitate to contact me!

Built By a Solo Developer, For Fellow Developers

This tool was born from real needs I faced while developing my game. I created it to streamline my own workflow and quickly realized it could help many others facing the same challenges.

If you genuinely need this tool but can't afford it, please contact me directly—we'll work something out. But if purchasing is within your means, your support directly funds continued development of this tool and helps me dedicate more time to creating useful resources for the community (as well developing my own game).

Thank you for considering it! 🙏