Godot Pixel Renderer

(Known as: Godot Pixel Studio)

A powerful 3D to Pixel Art Renderer built with Godot that exports 3D models and animations into retro-style pixel art with customizable effects and frame by frame animation export capabilities.

Watch GFS (Games From Scratch) review video on Youtube

Developer

Created by bukkbeek. Visit bukkbeek.github.io for more details.

Downloads

Get Pixel Renderer

Note: Arch Linux version is independently maintained

Features

Pixel Art Rendering

• Real-time 3D to pixel art conversion with customizable pixelation (8-800 pixels)
• Color quantization with adjustable steps (2-32 colors) and 8-color palette support
• Advanced shader effects: edge detection, sharpening, dithering, and outlines
• Post-processing controls: HSV adjustments, contrast, gamma, and brightness
• Specular and Normal map export

Animation & Export

• Frame-by-frame animation export to PNG sequences with progress tracking
• Flexible export settings: custom frame ranges, variable FPS (1-120), resolution scaling
• GLB/GLTF model support with animation playback controls and auto-refresh detection

User Experience

• Intuitive interface with organized control panels and real-time preview
• Preset configurations and console logging for detailed feedback
• Export management with custom paths, filename prefixes, and batch capabilities

Quick Start

Installation

1. Clone and open:

   git clone https://github.com/bukkbeek/GodotPixelRenderer.git
   cd GodotPixelRenderer

2. Launch in Godot:

   • Import project.godot
   • Press F5 to run
   • Select PixelRenderer/PixelRenderer.tscn if prompted

Basic Workflow

1. Load Model: Click Load Model and select GLB/GLTF file
2. Configure Effects: Adjust pixelation, colors, and shader parameters
3. Set Camera: Position and frame your model using camera controls
4. Export: Choose output directory, set frame range/FPS, and export PNG sequence

Key Controls

• Animation: Play/pause/stop buttons with loop toggle and frame range selection
• Camera: XYZ positioning, rotation presets, and zoom controls
• Effects: Pixelation slider, color steps, palette mode, and post-processing
• Export: Directory selection, resolution scaling, and filename customization

Technical Details

Project structure

• PixelRenderer.gd: Main controller and export system
• models_handler.gd: 3D model positioning and camera controls
• models_spawner.gd: Model loading and animation management
• pixel_material.gd: Shader parameter management
• PixelArt.gdshader: Custom pixel art rendering with Sobel edge detection and Bayer dithering

Export System

Captures animation frames using SubViewport rendering with real-time pixel art effects, nearest-neighbor scaling, and PNG output with transparency support.

Contributing & Support

Get Involved

• ★ Star this repository
• Report issues on GitHub Issues
• Submit PRs and feature suggestions

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Changelog

v1.3 - April 29, 2026

• Main updated to Godot 4.6
• Static frame export by (by Ignas)
• Minor updates to UI & tooltips

v1.2 - August 15, 2025

• 360 rendering and variable resolution support (by Slavaitis)
• Gizmo location changed
• Link to GitHub repo added

v1.1.1 - July 25, 2025

• Normal maps rendering support (by Viktor Edén)
• Specular maps rendering support (by Viktor Edén)
• mode selection will automatically trigger color remap toggle

v1.1 - July 23, 2025

• Bug fix: animation rendering and export issues
• Bug fix: background rendering problems
• Bug fix: transparent background rendering

v1.0 - July 22, 2025

• Initial Release
• Note: This initial release contained several bugs that were addressed in subsequent updates

Acknowledgments

Thanks to the amzing Godot community, Lospec pixel art community, and KayKit for the default skeleton asset.

AI Development assistance

This project was developed with the assistance of Claude Sonnet through Cursor as a coding assistant, helping to enhance development efficiency and code quality.