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Normal Map Export

Normal maps are optional camera-space captures that pair with the color spritesheet atlas.

Capture Rules

  • Turn on Capture normal maps before recording or adding frames.
  • Existing color-only frames do not gain real normals after the toggle is enabled.
  • Missing normals export as transparent placeholders so atlas layout stays aligned.

Export Output

Atlas-style exporters include spritesheet_normal.png when normal maps are requested. Multi-page generic spritesheets use spritesheet_normal.png, spritesheet_normal_2.png, and so on.

spritesheet.json keeps the same quads for color and normal images. spritesheet.manifest.json lists matching color and normal page references.

Effects Behavior

Post-processing affects the color capture path only. Normal maps bypass effects, lights, and stylized rendering so the normal atlas stays useful for engine lighting.

The Export Workbench also has Spritesheet Postprocess effects such as Outer Outline, Drop Shadow, Glow, and Color Adjust. These effects also apply only to color frames. If an effect expands the color frame with transparent padding, the matching normal frame is padded to the same dimensions so color and normal atlas rects stay aligned, but the normal pixels themselves remain unmodified.

Common Warnings

  • Ready means every color frame has a matching normal frame.
  • Partial means some frames will use transparent placeholders.
  • Missing means the normal atlas will be transparent unless you recapture with normal capture enabled.