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Pixelate ships as a set of .unitypackage files. You choose which package to import based on your render pipeline, then install one required dependency from the Unity Package Manager. This page walks you through the full process from download to a verified project setup.

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Unity version requirements

Pixelate uses UnityEditor APIs that are available in Unity 2020.3 LTS and later. For URP support, your project must target Unity 2021.2 or later where the Universal Render Pipeline package reached a stable API surface.
Always back up your project before importing a .unitypackage into an existing project. Package imports can overwrite assets that share the same path.

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Packages included

The asset download contains three .unitypackage files:
FileWhen to use
Pixelate.unitypackageBuilt-in Render Pipeline projects. Includes all core assets, shaders, and the Capturing scene.
PixelateNew.unitypackageBuilt-in Render Pipeline projects that need the latest version of the core package.
PixelateSRP.unitypackageUniversal Render Pipeline (URP) projects. Includes URP-compatible shaders in place of the Built-in variants.
Import only one of these packages. Importing multiple packages into the same project will cause shader conflicts.

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Step 1 — Install the 2D Sprite package

Before importing Pixelate, install the 2D Sprite package from the Unity Package Manager. This package provides the sprite slicing and atlas functionality that Pixelate relies on to set up your captured sprite sheet correctly.
  1. Open Window > Package Manager.
  2. Set the package source to Unity Registry using the dropdown in the top-left.
  3. Search for 2D Sprite.
  4. Select the result and click Install.
The 2D Sprite package is mandatory. Without it, sprite slicing on the captured texture will not work and you will not be able to split the sprite sheet into individual frames.

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Step 2 — (URP only) Verify the Universal Render Pipeline package

If your project uses URP, confirm that the Universal Render Pipeline package is installed before importing PixelateSRP.unitypackage.
  1. Open Window > Package Manager.
  2. Confirm Universal RP appears in the In Project list.
  3. If it is missing, install it from Unity Registry before continuing.

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Step 3 — Import the .unitypackage

  1. In Unity, open Assets > Import Package > Custom Package.
  2. Navigate to the .unitypackage file you downloaded.
  3. Click Open. Unity displays an import dialog listing all assets in the package.
  4. Leave all assets checked and click Import.
Unity will compile scripts and import shaders. Wait for the progress bar in the bottom-right corner to finish before proceeding.

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Folder structure after import

After a successful import, the following folders appear under your project’s Assets/ directory: 
Assets/
├── DEMO/          # Example assets and prefabs used in the demo
├── Resources/     # PixelateSettings ScriptableObject and runtime resources
├── Scripts/       # PixelateCaptureManager and supporting Editor scripts
├── Shaders/       # ToonLitSprite, ViewSpaceNormal, CellShadedRendering
└── Scenes/
    ├── Capturing  # The main capture scene — open this to start capturing
    └── Visualize  # A scene for previewing captured sprite sheets with lighting
Do not rename or move the Resources/ folder. Unity loads PixelateSettings at runtime using Resources.Load, so the path must remain intact.

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Included scenes

  • Capturing — The scene you open to capture sprite sheets. It contains a pre-configured camera rig, a PixelateCaptureManager component, and a placeholder character you replace with your own model.
  • Visualize — A testing scene with a Directional Light and a sprite renderer set up with the correct material. Use it to verify that your captured normal maps produce the expected lighting before integrating sprites into your main project.

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Support

If you run into import errors or shader compilation failures, join the Pixelate Discord and post in the support channel. Include your Unity version and render pipeline in the message.