Importing images
Hexcalibur accepts PNG, JPEG, and WEBP images up to 4 MB. Three import paths, each opens the same file picker:
- Import as new asset. The image becomes a new asset in the active pack.
- Import as new layer. The image becomes a new layer on the active asset.
- Add reference image. The image attaches to the active asset as a non-painted tracing reference (shown in the floating reference window).
You’ll find all three under File in the top bar. Drag and drop also works - see Drag and drop.
The File menu holds the specialized paths too: Import as Frames and Import Sprite Sheet bring images in as animation frames, and Import Tileset slices a sheet into ready-to-stamp tiles - see Import a tileset.
Import as new asset
Section titled “Import as new asset”Use this when the image is a complete asset you want as one item in the pack - say, an existing sprite from another tool, or a texture you painted elsewhere.
For sprite, tile, and UI assets, the image imports at its native dimensions - a 50×80 PNG becomes a 50×80 asset. If the source exceeds 512 pixels on either axis (the per-axis hard cap), it’s scaled down to fit while preserving aspect.
For block-texture assets (which must be square because they wrap onto cube faces), the importer asks how to handle a non-square or off-grid image:
- Resize to fit. Scales the image to the target size (nearest-neighbor to preserve hard pixels).
- Crop to fit. Crops to the target size from the top-left.
- Keep original size. Creates the asset at the image’s actual pixel dimensions when the source is already square.
Import as new layer
Section titled “Import as new layer”Use this when you want to add the image on top of an asset you’re already working on - for example, dropping in an alpha-channel detail pass.
The new layer is added above the active layer, with the same blend mode and opacity as a fresh layer. It can be reordered, blended, or merged like any other layer.
If the image’s dimensions don’t match the asset’s canvas size, a resize / crop / keep prompt appears so you can decide how to fit the new layer into the existing canvas.
Add reference image
Section titled “Add reference image”Use this when you want to trace from an image, not paint it into the asset. Reference images:
- Show in the floating reference window over the canvas
- Are draggable, resizable, and dimmable
- Don’t appear in export
- Don’t affect the asset’s pixel content at all
One reference image per asset; importing a new one replaces the previous. Toggle visibility from the small “Reference” tab on the canvas region’s left edge, or close the floating window with its own X.
See Drag and drop for the mode picker that appears when you drop an image onto the canvas.
File-size and MIME limits
Section titled “File-size and MIME limits”- MIME types:
image/png,image/jpeg,image/webp - Maximum file size: 4 MB
Files outside those bounds are rejected with an inline error. The 4 MB cap is generous for pixel-art assets - a 1024×1024 PNG typically lands well under it.