---
title: "SpriteIlluminator: User Interface documentation"
description: "Documentation: Overview over SpriteIlluminators user interface including normal map painting tools."
canonical: "https://www.codeandweb.com/spriteilluminator/documentation"
product: "spriteilluminator"
source: "html"
---

# SpriteIlluminator documentation

## Supported operating systems

*   **Windows 10 and 11**
*   **macOS 13** and newer (Intel and Apple Silicon)
*   **Ubuntu 22.04** and newer as .deb package

## User interface overview

![SpriteIlluminator: Graphical User Interface](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/b58346706984c77eb19ef65060505fcd/6c5cb/overview%402x.png)

[Sprites Panel](#sprites-panel)[Preview & Paint Area](#preview-and-paint-area)[Tool Sidebar](#tool-sidebar)

## Sprites panel

### Sprites

![SpriteIlluminator Documentation: Sprites list, light settings and display modes](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/c510999c270cf42edbf8f4631cfd64c7/b22b4/sprites-panel%402x.png)

The list contains all sprites in your SpriteIlluminator project.

Add sprites by dragging and dropping image files from Finder/Explorer onto that panel. You can also add sprites using the toolbar button **Add sprites**.

To remove sprites press `Delete` or use the **Remove sprites** button in the toolbar.

Select a **single sprite** to edit / paint it.

Select **multiple sprites** to preview them all together. You can move them in the previewer to see how they fit together.

You can also apply effects to multiple sprites at the same time.

### Global Light

![SpriteIlluminator Documentation: Sprites list, light settings and display modes](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/1f788fc074e87478f69ec39043822ad7/93ff6/global-light%402x.png)

The global light panel is below the sprites panel. Use it to control the light sources in the preview area.

SpriteIlluminator supports 2 light sources in the preview panel:

*   Ambient light which is a non-directional light source
*   Directional light which you can move

Settings for the light sources:

*   **Z position**  
    Change the Z value of the light source. 0 is next to the sprite. Bigger values move the light source away from the sprite - towards the beholder.
*   **Brightness**  
    Make your light darker or brighter
*   **Light color**  
    Change the color of the light source
*   **Ambient light color**  
    Change the color of the ambient light
*   **Auto-rotate light**  
    Animate the light source

Changing the light has no influence on your normal map. It's just for preview purposes. You might even use a different shader setup so that your sprites look different in your game.

Keyboard shortcuts for the light source in the center view:

| Windows | macOS | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `P` | `P` | Place light source under mouse pointer |
| `R` | `R` | Rotate light source |

### Display modes

![Display Documentation: Sprites list, light settings and display modes](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/39b512d47206f2ee5118aabcdead66a8/6b695/display-modes%402x.png)

Options to change the global lighting in your scene:

*   **Texture**  
    The original unlit texture.
*   **Lit surface**  
    Surface, no texture colors.
*   **Lit texture**  
    Texture with light
*   **The normal map**  
    The normal map only

| Windows | macOS | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `CTRL`+`1` | `⌥`+`1` | Texture |
| `CTRL`+`2` | `⌥`+`2` | Lit surface |
| `CTRL`+`3` | `⌥`+`3` | Lit texture |
| `CTRL`+`4` | `⌥`+`4` | Normal map |

#### Examples for the different display modes

![Sprite light effects with normal maps: The sprite only](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/769fb66d1fb9a19d5ebfe0e9d21f0306/67242/texture-preview%402x.png)

![Sprite light effects with normal maps: The lit surface without the sprite color.](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/4c10a950ab6e92060fe9c408c7f11778/67242/lit-surface-preview%402x.png)

![Sprite light effects with normal maps: Sprite with activated light source.](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/111337fb953d463e6ccde10168e936ef/67242/lit-texture-preview%402x.png)

![Sprite light effects with normal maps: The normal map for a sprite.](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/b03fb6e337aab37cc838417eb1139b5f/67242/normalmap-preview%402x.png)

**Texture** The texture without light effects.

**Lit surface** The lit surface without the texture.

**Lit texture** Sprite with activated light source

**Normal map** The normal map of the sprite.

## Toolbar

**Open project**

Open an existing .sip file.

**Save project**

Save the current project to disk. Creates a .sip file.

**Add sprites**

Add new sprites to the project.

**Remove sprites**

Removes selected sprites from the project.

**Undo**

Undo last action.

**Redo**

Restore last undone action.

**Export normals**

Export normal maps of all sprites.

**Export lit sprite**

Export the current sprite with lighting as png file.

**Export animation**

Export current sprite with the light circling around it as .gif image.

**Tutorial**

Opens SpriteIlluminators's tutorial page in your web browser.

**Feedback**

Send feedback, suggestions or bug reports to us.

## Zoom and Pan

The zoom panel is located in the bottom left corner of the application.

*   Use the slider to zoom in or out continuously
*   Click - or + to zoom in predefined steps.
*   1:1 sets zoom factor to 100%.
*   To view the complete scene window use Fit

Keyboard shortcuts:

| Windows | macOS | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `CTRL`+`0` | `⌘`+`0` | Zoom 1:1 |
| `CTRL`+`1` | `⌘`+`1` | Fit |
| `CTRL`+`+` | `⌘`+`+` | Zoom In |
| `CTRL`+`-` | `⌘`+`-` | Zoom Out |
| `ALT` + MouseWheel | `ALT` + MouseWheel | Zoom in and out |
| `SPACE` + Mouse drag | `SPACE` + Mouse drag | Pan |

## Preview and paint area

The center of the tool is the preview and pain area. This is here you can see and paint your sprites.

Select a sprite in the [Sprites panel](#sprites-panel) to edit it.

Select multiple sprites in the [Sprites panel](#sprites-panel) to preview them all at once.

Use the \[Zoom and pan\] tools to zoom in and out of your sprites.

## Tool sidebar

The tool sidebar consists of 2 types of tools:

*   [Effects](https://www.codeandweb.com/spriteilluminator/documentation/effects.md) - Algorithmic effects to create normal maps
*   [Draw tools](https://www.codeandweb.com/spriteilluminator/documentation/draw-tools.md) - Tools to directly manipulate your sprite's normal maps
*   [Selection tools](https://www.codeandweb.com/spriteilluminator/documentation/selection-tools.md) - Tools that restrict the area the effects and paint tools work on

## In this section

- [Effects](https://www.codeandweb.com/spriteilluminator/documentation/effects.md)
- [Draw tools](https://www.codeandweb.com/spriteilluminator/documentation/draw-tools.md)
- [Selection tools](https://www.codeandweb.com/spriteilluminator/documentation/selection-tools.md)
- [Export / Import](https://www.codeandweb.com/spriteilluminator/documentation/export.md)