2D Pixel Art Sprites To 3D Workflow Shared By Indie Game Developer

Indie Game Developer ss1shadow recently shared a quick tutorial revealing their workflow for transforming 2D sprites into 3D models. They use Aseprite to create pixel art, GameMaker as the game engine, and Blender for shaping the 3D models.

The process is straightforward: export the sprite from the engine, import it into Blender, turn it into 3D, then export the asset and bring it back into GameMaker. Since the models aren't complex, everything is done manually, but the normal mapping is created automatically with a shader in the game engine based on the triangles.

Take a look at some WIPs from ss1shadow's game project below:

If you use Aseprite, you'll want to check out Easymetric, a handy plug-in by Oroshibu that makes creating isometric pixel art super easy and has been in development for a while:

You might also be interested in how procedural 2D aim animation was created in Rusted Moss, which uses GameMaker:

If you want more tutorials, we recently featured a great breakdown by Game Developer Waabs, showcasing their process for procedurally animating a lizard in ten steps:

Join our 80 Level Talent platform and our new Discord server, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, and Threads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.