Godot Assets Pipeline

Assets Pipeline in Godot 4.3+

All examples target Godot 4.3+ with no deprecated APIs. GDScript is shown first, then C#.

Related skills: audio-system for audio playback and bus architecture, 3d-essentials for 3D materials and lighting, 2d-essentials for 2D rendering and sprites, animation-system for imported animations, godot-optimization for asset-related performance, multithreading for threaded resource loading.

1. How Importing Works

The Import System

When you add a file to res://, Godot auto-imports it based on its type. Import settings are stored in .import sidecar files alongside the original.

project/
├── textures/
│   ├── player.png           ← original file (committed to VCS)
│   └── player.png.import    ← import settings (committed to VCS)
└── .godot/
    └── imported/            ← compiled cache (NOT committed — .gitignore it)

Key Rules

• Never modify files in .godot/imported/ — they are regenerated from originals
• Commit .import files to version control — they store your settings
• Reimport after changing settings: select file → Import dock → click Reimport
• .godot/ should be in your .gitignore

Changing Import Settings

1. Select the file in the FileSystem dock
2. Open the Import dock (next to Scene dock by default)
3. Change settings
4. Click Reimport (or Reimport All for batch changes)

Import settings can also be set via Advanced Import Settings for 3D scenes (double-click the .glb/.gltf file).

2. Image Import

Compression Modes

When to Use Each

Pixel art / UI icons       → Lossless (no artifacts, crisp pixels)
2D game sprites            → Lossless (small sprites) or VRAM Compressed (large sprites)
3D textures (albedo, normal) → VRAM Compressed (saves GPU memory)
Large backgrounds          → Lossy or VRAM Compressed
Mobile targets             → VRAM Compressed (essential for memory)

Key Import Settings

Pixel Art Setup

For crisp pixel art, set these project-wide:

Project Settings > Rendering > Textures > Canvas Textures > Default Texture Filter → Nearest

Or per-image in Import dock: Filter → Nearest

Enabling Mipmaps

Mipmaps prevent shimmering on textures viewed at an angle or from a distance. Required for 3D textures; optional for 2D.

• 3D textures: Always enable mipmaps (Import dock → Mipmaps → Generate → On)
• 2D sprites: Usually off (unless you use Camera2D zoom)
• UI textures: Off (rendered at fixed scale)

Godot 4.7+: DDS import supports the R8 and R8G8 texture formats. (GH-116307)

3. 3D Scene Import

Supported Formats

glTF is the recommended format. It has the best Godot support, is an open standard, and preserves materials, animations, and rigs accurately.

Node Naming Conventions

Godot auto-creates appropriate node types based on suffixes in your 3D model's object names:

In Blender:                  In Godot (after import):
Wall-col                  →  StaticBody3D
├── Wall (mesh)           →    ├── MeshInstance3D
                          →    └── CollisionShape3D (auto-generated)

Import Dock Settings

Select the imported .glb/.gltf in FileSystem, then in the Import dock:

Godot 4.7+: The Import dock's import-type option can also import a 3D scene file as a single Mesh resource or as a MeshLibrary (for GridMap), instead of a full scene — no separate export step in the 3D authoring tool needed. (GH-107856)

⚠️ Changed in Godot 4.7: EditorSceneFormatImporter's IMPORT_SCENE, IMPORT_ANIMATION, IMPORT_FAIL_ON_MISSING_DEPENDENCIES, IMPORT_GENERATE_TANGENT_ARRAYS, IMPORT_USE_NAMED_SKIN_BINDS, IMPORT_DISCARD_MESHES_AND_MATERIALS, and IMPORT_FORCE_DISABLE_MESH_COMPRESSION constants moved into a new ImportFlags enum (bitfield). GDScript-compatible; C# importer plugins referencing the old class-level constants must switch to the enum members. See the 4.7 migration guide.

Runtime Scene Loading

Use preload() for paths known at compile time and load() for data-driven paths. GDScript + C# snippets: references/runtime-resource-loading.md.

Runtime glTF Import Flags (Godot 4.7+)

GLTFDocument exposes an ImportFlags bitfield — IMPORT_FLAG_GENERATE_TANGENT_ARRAYS (8), IMPORT_FLAG_USE_NAMED_SKIN_BINDS (16), IMPORT_FLAG_DISCARD_MESHES_AND_MATERIALS (32), IMPORT_FLAG_FORCE_DISABLE_MESH_COMPRESSION (64) — accepted by the flags: int = 0 parameter of append_from_file(), append_from_buffer(), and append_from_scene():

var doc := GLTFDocument.new()
var state := GLTFState.new()
doc.append_from_file("user://mods/enemy.glb", state,
        GLTFDocument.IMPORT_FLAG_GENERATE_TANGENT_ARRAYS | GLTFDocument.IMPORT_FLAG_USE_NAMED_SKIN_BINDS)
add_child(doc.generate_scene(state))

var doc = new GltfDocument();
var state = new GltfState();
doc.AppendFromFile("user://mods/enemy.glb", state,
    (uint)(GltfDocument.ImportFlags.GenerateTangentArrays | GltfDocument.ImportFlags.UseNamedSkinBinds));
AddChild(doc.GenerateScene(state));

4. Animation Import

Splitting Animations

If a 3D file contains a single timeline with multiple animations, split them in the Advanced Import Settings:

1. Double-click the .glb file to open Advanced Import Settings
2. Go to Animations tab
3. Add animation clips with start frame and end frame
4. Set loop mode per clip (None, Linear, Ping-Pong)

Retargeting Animations

Share animations between characters with different skeletons:

1. Import both the source (animation) and target (character) models
2. Open Advanced Import Settings on the target model
3. Go to Skeleton3D > Retarget settings
4. Map source bones to target bones
5. Use SkeletonProfile resources for standard humanoid mappings

Animation Import Settings

5. Audio Import

For in-depth audio playback, bus setup, and music management, see the audio-system skill.

Format Recommendations