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This page takes you from the package file to a working Pixelate menu. It also covers updating to a new version and removing Pixelate Pro.

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Requirements

See Compatibility for the tested versions and known limitations.
Trying Pixelate Pro for the first time? Use a new project or commit your project to version control first, so you can compare before and after.

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Import the package

1

Open your project

Open the Unity project you want to add Pixelate Pro to.
2

Import the package

Choose Assets > Import Package > Custom Package… and pick the Pixelate Pro .unitypackage file.
3

Import everything

In the Import Unity Package window, keep every file selected and click Import. Everything goes into Assets/PixelateStudio/PixelatePro.
4

Install 2D Sprite if asked

If your project doesn’t have the 2D Sprite package yet, Unity shows Pixelate Pro needs the 2D Sprite package. Click Install. Pixelate Pro loads as soon as the package is installed.
If you skip the 2D Sprite install, Pixelate Pro stays unloaded and the Console says why. The Pixelate menu then holds a single item, Pixelate > Install 2D Sprite Package. You can also add 2D Sprite yourself in Window > Package Manager.

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What gets added

Everything lives in one folder. Importing Pixelate Pro doesn’t change your scenes, your render pipeline asset or your project settings. The only exception is the 2D Sprite package, and only if you click Install.
Assets
PixelateStudio
PixelatePro
_Samples
Camera Rigs
Palettes
Pixelate Assets
Source Art
Style Profiles
Editor
Runtime
Shaders
README.md
Third-Party Notices.md
PixelateStudio is the family folder for Pixelate Studio products. Other products install next to PixelatePro. You can move the PixelateStudio folder, for example under Assets/Plugins. Pixelate Pro finds its own files wherever they are. The _Samples folder is optional. You can delete it once you’ve explored it, but first copy any sample Style Profile, Palette or Camera Rig your own assets link. See Removing or restoring the samples.

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First launch

After the import, a Pixelate menu appears in Unity’s menu bar. No window opens by itself. Pixelate Pro also checks for updates once per editor session at startup. It stays silent unless a newer version exists; then a small window shows your version and the latest one, with Get the latest version and Skip this version. Turn the startup check off with Check for Updates On Startup in Edit > Project Settings > Pixelate. That setting applies to your computer only.

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Check that it works

1

Open the samples

Choose Pixelate > Samples. The Project window opens at _Samples/Pixelate Assets.
2

Select a sample

Click Chest. Its settings open in the Inspector, and the Preview at the bottom shows a pixel-art chest.
3

Export it

Click Export at the top of the Inspector. A status message appears under the button, and the Project window highlights the new sprite sheet in _Samples/Pixelate Assets/Chest/Static.
If you see the chest in the Preview and a new Chest folder with the exported PNG next to the sample, Pixelate Pro is installed and working.
If the Preview stays empty or you see an error, see Troubleshooting, or ask on the Pixelate Studio Discord.

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Render pipelines

There is nothing to set up. Pixelate Pro captures with your project’s active render pipeline, URP or Built-In, and uses each source’s own materials. The samples use a small unlit shader that ships with them, so they look the same in every supported pipeline. Pixelate Pro adds lighting itself through the Lighting effect, so your sources don’t need lit materials either. For URP with the 2D Renderer, HDRP and other details, see Compatibility.

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Update to a new version

Your Pixelate Assets, Style Profiles, Palettes, Camera Rigs and exported sprites live outside the package folder, so an update doesn’t touch them. Neither does ProjectSettings/PixelateProSettings.asset.
1

Back up

Commit your project to version control, or make a copy.
2

Check what changed

Read the Changelog for the new version. If it asks for a clean install, delete the Assets/PixelateStudio/PixelatePro folder before the next step.
3

Import the new version

Import the new package the same way you installed it. Unity updates the existing files in place, even if you moved the folder.
An update overwrites the package’s own files, including the samples. If you changed a sample, those changes are lost. Duplicate a sample into your own folder before you edit it. See Samples.
To see which version you have, choose Pixelate > Check for Updates; the message shows the current version.

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Uninstall

1

Decide what to keep

Exported sprite sheets, Animation Clips, Animator Controllers, Sprite Libraries and normal maps are standard Unity assets. They keep working after you remove Pixelate Pro.Your Pixelate Assets, Style Profiles, Camera Rigs and Pixelate Palettes need Pixelate Pro. Without it Unity can’t load them. Delete them, or keep them in case you reinstall later. Palette files you imported (.gpl, .pal, .hex) stay in the project as plain files.
2

Delete the package folder

Delete Assets/PixelateStudio/PixelatePro. If no other Pixelate Studio product is installed, delete the whole Assets/PixelateStudio folder.
3

Delete the settings file

Delete ProjectSettings/PixelateProSettings.asset if it exists. Pixelate Pro only writes it once you change a project setting.
The two per-computer settings (Check for Updates On Startup and Show Previews in Project Window) are stored in Unity’s editor preferences on your computer, not in the project. They have no effect once Pixelate Pro is gone.

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Next steps

Quick start

Make your first sprite sheet.

Samples

See what each sample shows and how to reuse it.