Version: Unity 6.3 LTS (6000.3)
Language : English
Sprite asset reference
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Sprite Editor tab reference

Explore the properties and settings you use to configure spritesA 2D graphic objects. If you are used to working in 3D, Sprites are essentially just standard textures but there are special techniques for combining and managing sprite textures for efficiency and convenience during development. More info
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and convert a texture into multiple sprites.

Note: This page is about the default Sprite Editor tab in the Sprite Editor window. For information about other tabs such as Custom Outline and SkinningThe process of binding bone joints to the vertices of a character’s mesh or ‘skin’. Performed with an external tool, such as Blender or Autodesk Maya. More info
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Editor
, refer to Sprite Editor.

Toolbar

Property Icon Description
Window name N/A Sets the tab to display in the Sprite Editor window. The options are:
Change Shape N/A Hides or reveals the Sides overlay in the main area. This button is available only if the Sprite Mode of the texture is set to Polygon. For more information, refer to the Main area section.
Slice N/A Enables the Slice overlay that allows you to automatically slice a texture into multiple sprites. This option is available only if you set the Sprite Mode of the texture to Multiple. For more information, refer to the Slice overlay section.
Trim N/A Resizes the selected sprite so it fits tightly around the edge of the opaque part of the texture. This property is available only if the Sprite Mode of the texture is set to Multiple.
Locks Locks icon Locks editing the properties of all the sprites. The options are:
  • Name: Locks or unlocks editing the names of sprites.
  • Size: Locks or unlocks editing the size of sprites.
  • Position: Locks or unlocks editing the positions of sprites.
  • Border: Locks or unlocks editing the borders of sprites.
  • Create/Delete: Locks or unlocks creating and deleting sprites.
This property is available only if you set the Sprite Mode of the texture to Multiple.
Preview Preview icon Previews your changes in the SceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
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view.
Revert N/A Discards your changes.
Apply N/A Saves your changes.
Color Color icon Toggles between displaying the color channels of the texture and its alpha channel.
Zoom N/A Sets the zoom level at which to display the texture.
Mipmap level Mipmap level icons and slider Sets the mipmap level of the texture to display. The slider ranges from the lowest resolution mipmap level on the left to the highest resolution mipmap level on the right. This property is available only if the texture has mipmap levels.

Main area

The main area of the Sprite Editor window displays the texture. Each individual sprite in the texture displays as a white outline, also known as a SpriteRect.

Left-click a sprite to select it.

A detail from the Sprite Editor with a rock environment texture, sliced into four sprites. One sprite is selected.
A detail from the Sprite Editor with a rock environment texture, sliced into four sprites. One sprite is selected.

Unity displays the following:

  • A: The sprite area as a blue outline with filled circular handles.
  • B: The border as a green outline with filled square handles.
  • C: The pivot point as a hollow blue circle.

Polygon texture properties

Unity displays the following properties if the Sprite Mode of the texture is set to Polygon.

Property Description
Sides The number of sides the polygon has. To change the number of sides, enter a new value and select Change. This property is available only if the Sprite Mode of the texture is set to Polygon.
Change Updates the polygon to have the number of sides set in Sides.

Slice overlay

Select the Slice overlay to display and set the properties for creating multiple sprites from a single texture.

Property Description
Slice on Import Slices the texture again automatically when it changes externally and Unity reimports it. If you enable this property, the recommended best practice is to set Method to either Smart or Safe, to make sure Unity keeps existing sprites.
Type Selects the slicing method. The options are:
  • Automatic: Slices based on the transparency of the texture. Use this option if each image in the texture is separated by transparent pixels.
  • Grid By Cell Size: Slices into sprites of equal size.
  • Grid By Cell Count: Slices into a specific number of rows and columns.
  • Isometric Grid: Slices into isometric diamond-shaped sprites instead of rectangular sprites.
Column & Row Sets the number of rows and columns in the sliced texture. This property is available only if you set Type to Grid By Cell Count.
PixelThe smallest unit in a computer image. Pixel size depends on your screen resolution. Pixel lighting is calculated at every screen pixel. More info
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Size
Sets the width and height of each sprite in pixels. This property is available only if you set Type to Grid By Cell Size or Isometric Grid.
Offset Adjusts the sprite grid along the x-axis and y-axis. This property is available only if you set Type to an option other than Automatic.
Padding Sets the amount of space to add between sprites in pixels. This property is available only if you set Type to Grid By Cell Size or Grid By Cell Count.
Keep Empty Rects Keeps sprites that have no opaque pixels. Use this option to organize sprites based on their position in the texture. This property is available only if you set Type to an option other than Automatic.
Is Alternate If you set Type to Isometric Grid, this property staggers the isometric diamonds across alternate rows. Unity assumes the first diamond in the top row starts half a pixel from the left side.
Pivot Sets the position of the points Unity uses for transformations such as rotation. Select Custom to set a custom pivot point.
Pivot Unit Mode Sets the units the Custom Pivot parameter uses. The options are:
  • Normalized: The values range from 0, 0 at the bottom-left of the sprite to 1, 1 at the top-right of the sprite.
  • Pixels: The values are in pixels, and range from 0, 0 at the bottom-left of the sprite.
Custom Pivot Sets the positions of the pivot point if you set Pivot to Custom. Right-click on the Custom Pivot label to copy or paste values.
Method Keeps or deletes the existing sprites when you select Slice. The options are:
  • Delete Existing: Deletes the existing sprites then adds the new sprites.
  • Smart: For each new sprite, checks if it overlaps any existing sprites. If it overlaps, Unity ignores the new sprite, but uses its position and size for the best existing overlapping sprite.
  • Safe: Keeps all the original sprites, and ignores any new sprites that overlap an existing sprite.
Slice Slices the texture according to the settings.

Sprite overlay

Select a sprite to display and set its properties in the Sprite overlay.

Property Description
Name Sets the name of the sprite.
Position Sets the area of the texture to use as the sprite. The properties are:
  • X: The x coordinate of the left of the sprite in pixels.
  • Y: The y coordinate of the bottom of the sprite in pixels.
  • W: The width of the sprite in pixels.
  • H: The height of the sprite in pixels.
Border Sets the border to use for 9-slicing. Unity displays the border as a green outline in the Scene view. The properties are:
  • L: The width of the left border in pixels.
  • R: The width of the right border in pixels.
  • T: The height of the top border in pixels.
  • B: The height of the bottom border in pixels.
Pivot Sets the position of the point Unity uses for transformations such as rotation. Select Custom to set a custom pivot point.
Pivot Unit Mode Sets the units the Custom Pivot parameter uses. The options are:
  • Normalized: The values range from 0, 0 at the bottom-left of the sprite to 1, 1 at the top-right of the sprite.
  • Pixels: The values are in pixels, and range from 0, 0 at the bottom-left of the sprite.
Custom Pivot Sets the positions of the pivot point if you set Pivot to Custom. The units depend on Pivot Unit Mode. Right-click on the Custom Pivot label to copy or paste values.

Additional resources

Sprite asset reference
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