❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Sprite Sheet Tools is a free web application for game developers, pixel artists, and designers who work with sprite sheets. We offer three main functions:

• Sprite Organizer: Analyzes images with a transparent background and automatically arranges all found sprites in an optimal grid.
• Sprite Extractor: Extracts individual sprites from images with AI support (GrabCut and SAM 2.1).
• Batch Optimizer: Optimizes multiple sprite sheets simultaneously for maximum performance.

All tools run completely in your browser - your images are never uploaded to our servers!

No! You can use all tools immediately and without registration. Your progress (gem balance, settings) is saved locally in your browser (LocalStorage).

No! All image processing takes place 100% in your browser (client-side). Your images never leave your computer. This makes our tools not only fast but also secure and privacy-friendly.

We recommend modern browsers with WebAssembly support:

• Google Chrome (version 90+)
• Mozilla Firefox (version 88+)
• Microsoft Edge (version 90+)
• Safari (version 14+)

For the AI features (SAM 2.1), you need a powerful browser and at least 4 GB of RAM.

Yes! The basic functions are completely free. For certain premium features (like SAM 2.1 downloads), we use a Gem System. You get 20 free gems on your first visit and can earn more by watching ads.

The Sprite Organizer analyzes your image and automatically finds all sprites (contiguous, non-transparent areas). It then arranges these sprites optimally in a grid:

1. Upload an image with a transparent background (PNG/WebP)
2. Select the desired grid size (e.g., 64×64 pixels)
3. Click "Analyze & Arrange"
4. The tool finds all sprites and arranges them automatically
5. Download the optimized sprite sheet (PNG)

The grid size depends on the size of your sprites:

• 16×16: Very small sprites (retro games, icons)
• 32×32: Small sprites (classic 2D games)
• 64×64: Medium sprites (modern 2D games) – Standard recommendation
• 128×128: Large sprites (HD graphics)
• 256×256: Very large sprites (characters, bosses)

The tool automatically fits the sprites into the grid cells. If a sprite is larger, multiple cells are used.

Yes! After the analysis, you can export the sprite data in various formats:

• PNG Image: The newly arranged sprite sheet
• Lua Code: Ready-made Lua tables for frameworks like Roblox
• JSON: Structured data for custom parsers

The exports contain all important information: grid position, pixel coordinates, width, and height of each sprite.

In "Automatic" mode, the tool calculates the optimal canvas size based on the number of sprites found and the grid size. The tool always chooses powers of 2 (512, 1024, 2048, 4096), as these are processed most efficiently by game engines.

Example: 20 sprites with a 64×64 grid → 1024×1024 canvas (16×16 grid = 256 slots)

Common causes:

• No transparent background: The Organizer only works with PNG/WebP files that have a transparent alpha channel.
• Sprites too small: Very small sprites (under 4×4 pixels) are filtered out as artifacts.
• Sprites are touching: If sprites are directly adjacent, they are detected as a single sprite.

We offer two AI methods for sprite extraction:

🔹 GrabCut (OpenCV):

• Classic computer vision algorithm
• You draw a rectangle around the object
• Fast and efficient (runs instantly in the browser)
• Good for clearly defined objects
• 100% free, no gems needed

🤖 SAM 2.1 (Segment Anything Model):

• State-of-the-art AI from Meta AI
• Hover-based: Simply move the mouse over objects
• Automatically detects objects and shows a live preview
• Extremely precise, even with complex objects
• Download costs 1 Gem

Here's how to extract sprites with GrabCut:

1. Upload an image (any format: PNG, JPG, WebP)
2. With the mouse, draw a rectangle around the object you want to cut out
3. GrabCut analyzes the rectangle and automatically creates a mask
4. You will see a preview of the extracted sprite
5. Click "Accept" to add the sprite to the collection
6. Repeat the process for more sprites
7. Click "Generate Sprite Sheet" for the final sheet

Adjust parameters:

• Iterations: Higher = more precise, but slower (Default: 5)
• Edge Smoothing: Higher = softer edges (Default: 2)

The SAM Extractor is even easier:

1. Wait for the SAM model to load (10-20 seconds the first time)
2. Upload an image
3. Move the mouse over different objects in the image
4. SAM automatically shows you a live preview of the segmentation
5. Click on the object when the mask looks good
6. The sprite is added to the collection
7. Generate the final sprite sheet (costs 1 Gem)

The SAM 2.1 Tiny model is about 45 MB and needs to be downloaded the first time. The model is then cached in your browser, so it will be available instantly on your next visit.

Loading time: 10-30 seconds (depending on your internet connection)

Model size: ~45 MB (loaded only once)

Yes! You can extract as many sprites as you want from one or more images. All extracted sprites are saved in the "Sprite Collection". At the end, you can combine all collected sprites into a single sprite sheet.

The workflow:

• Extract multiple sprites from one image
• Or: Upload different images one after another and extract sprites from each
• All sprites remain in the collection
• Click "Generate Sprite Sheet" to combine them all

The Object Remover makes unwanted objects transparent (removes them from the image):

1. Upload an image
2. Draw a rectangle around the object to be removed (GrabCut) or hover over it (SAM)
3. The tool automatically segments the object
4. Click "Remove Object" in the preview
5. The object is made transparent
6. Repeat for more objects
7. Download the cleaned image (PNG with transparency)

Yes! You can remove as many objects as you want from an image, one after another. Each removed object is made transparent, while the rest of the image remains.

The "Removed Objects" statistic shows you how many objects you have already removed.

Our tool is specialized for fast, AI-powered object removal:

• No software installation needed
• AI automatically detects object boundaries
• Ideal for sprite cleanup and batch processing
• 100% free (GrabCut) or affordable (SAM with Gems)

For professional retouching with inpainting (filling the background), Photoshop/GIMP are better suited. Our tool makes objects transparent - perfect for sprite workflows!

The Batch Optimizer processes multiple sprite sheets at once and optimizes them for maximum performance:

• Compression: Reduces file size without visible quality loss
• Format Conversion: PNG → WebP for smaller file sizes
• Resize: Scales all sheets to the same size
• Grid Validation: Checks if all sheets have the same grid structure

Perfect for when you need to prepare dozens of sprite sheets for a game!

Theoretically unlimited! In practice, it's limited by your browser and RAM:

• 4 GB RAM: ~20-30 images (depending on size)
• 8 GB RAM: ~50-100 images
• 16 GB+ RAM: 100+ images without problems

All processing happens in your browser - no server limits!

You can set the compression strength yourself (0-100%):

• 90-100%: Minimal quality loss, moderate file size
• 70-89%: Good compromise - recommended for most projects
• 50-69%: Strong compression, visible quality loss in details
• <50%: Maximum compression, significant artifacts

Gems (💎) are our virtual currency for premium features. You need Gems for:

• SAM 2.1 Downloads: 1 Gem per sprite sheet
• Other premium features (planned for the future)

All other features are completely free! GrabCut, Sprite Organizer, and Batch Optimizer do not cost Gems.

There are several ways to earn Gems:

1. Starting Bonus: 20 Gems on your first visit (free)
2. Daily Bonus: Come back every day for +5 Gems
3. Watch Ads: Earn 5 Gems per video ad (~30 seconds)

So you can earn Gems completely for free - no purchases necessary!

The daily bonus is unlocked every 24 hours:

• You get +5 Gems per day
• The 🎁 icon appears next to your Gem counter
• Click the icon to claim the bonus
• The timer restarts from the time of the last claim

For example, if you claim today at 3:00 PM, the next bonus will be available tomorrow at 3:00 PM.

Don't worry! You can always earn more Gems:

• Wait for the daily bonus (+5 Gems)
• Watch ads for +5 Gems per video
• Use free alternatives (GrabCut instead of SAM)

You will get a warning when you have fewer than 5 Gems, so you can refill in time.

Theoretically, you can watch unlimited ads, but there are practical limits:

• Google AdSense Limit: After about 10-20 ads per day, there may be no more ads available ("No Fill").
• Browser Cache: Do not clear your cache, otherwise you will have to reload the SAM model.

In practice, 1-2 ads per day are easily enough for most users (20 starting Gems + 5 daily Gems + occasional ads).

Yes! Your Gem balance is saved in your browser's LocalStorage. This means:

• ✅ Gems are preserved even if you close the page
• ✅ Works without an account/registration
• ⚠️ Only available in the browser you used (not synchronized)
• ⚠️ Is lost if you clear your browser data

Our tools are based on modern web technologies:

• Frontend: Vanilla JavaScript (ES6+), HTML5 Canvas
• Computer Vision: OpenCV.js (GrabCut algorithm)
• AI/ML: ONNX Runtime Web + SAM 2.1 Tiny Model
• Image Processing: 100% Client-Side (no server upload)

All calculations run directly in your browser (WebAssembly) - fast and private!

SAM 2.1 is a large neural network and requires computing power:

• Recommended Hardware: Intel i5/AMD Ryzen 5 or better, 4+ GB RAM
• Recommended Browser: Chrome/Edge with hardware acceleration enabled
• Image Size: Large images (>4K) are automatically scaled for better performance

We use the "Tiny" variant of SAM for the best balance between speed and accuracy.

Input:

• PNG (with or without transparency)
• JPG/JPEG
• WebP
• GIF (first frame)

Output:

• PNG (with alpha transparency)
• WebP (in the Batch Optimizer)

Maximum file size: ~50 MB per image (browser-dependent)

Yes! You may use all generated sprite sheets freely:

• ✅ Commercial games and apps
• ✅ Indie projects
• ✅ Client work
• ✅ Open-source projects

You do not have to credit us (but we are of course happy if you do 😊).

The only restriction: You may not copy/clone our tools and sell them as your own product.

Currently, we only offer the web version. An API or desktop app is not planned at the moment, but we are collecting feedback:

• API: Could come in the future (depending on demand)
• Desktop App: Not planned (web version runs everywhere)
• Mobile App: The web version also works on tablets, but touch operation is limited

Are you interested in an API? Feel free to send us your feedback!

Yes! We have some keyboard shortcuts for power users:

• Ctrl + Z: Undo (last action)
• Ctrl + S: Download current result
• Escape: Close modal/preview
• Spacebar: Activate zoom tool (canvas)

More shortcuts are planned!

We take data protection seriously:

• Images: 100% client-side, never uploaded
• Gems & Settings: Only in your browser (LocalStorage)
• Google AdSense: Sets cookies for personalized advertising (only with your consent)
• No Accounts: We do not store login data or personal information

More details in our Privacy Policy.

We finance development and server costs through advertising:

• Google AdSense banners (sidebar, desktop only)
• Rewarded Video Ads (optional, for earning Gems)

Important: You can use all basic functions without watching ads! Advertising is only necessary if you want to earn additional Gems for SAM 2.1.

Yes! If you only accept "Necessary Cookies":

• ✅ All tools work normally
• ✅ Gem system works
• ✅ Daily bonus works
• ❌ No personalized advertising
• ❌ No Rewarded Video Ads (no Gems from ads)

You can still earn Gems through the daily bonus (5 Gems/day).

You can change your cookie consent at any time:

1. Open the browser developer tools (F12)
2. Go to the "Application" or "Storage" tab
3. Delete the entries under "Local Storage" for our domain
4. Reload the page - the cookie banner will appear again

Alternatively: Delete your browser data for our website (Caution: Gems will be lost!).