Pixel Studio 1.4 — Compose：从部件构建你的像素特效

Pixel Studio 1.4 is out, a free update for everyone who bought it (the free demo is updated too).

The big one is **Compose**: a node editor where you combine combat effects, ambient loops, hand-drawn sprites and your own particle systems into a new effect — move, scale, rotate, delay, retime and recolour each part — then export it like any other effect.

**New**

- **Compose mode** — a fourth mode with a node graph. Resource → Transform / Time / Delay / Color / Pixel → Export. Transform handles right in the preview (move, scale, rotate, animate to an end position). Double-click a node to keep the preview on it. Compositions save themselves; recipe files (.h0fx) are tiny and shareable. Four examples to start from.

- **Particle systems** — design your own particles as a resource, laid out like Unity's Particle System (Main, Emission with bursts, Shape, Velocity, Force, Color / Size / Rotation over Lifetime, Noise, Texture Sheet, Renderer). Constants, random ranges or curves, seven presets.

- **Import Unity packages (beta, full version)** — pick a .unitypackage and its particle prefabs become effects in Combat mode, no Unity needed. Custom shader looks are simplified, so some effects look different from Unity; unsupported parts are listed per effect.

- **Edges: Smooth / Crisp** — hand-drawn sprites now keep clean outlines (Auto picks for you).

- **AI assistants (MCP)** — build Compose recipes and run batch jobs like "recolour every effect to fire and export them all"; long batches continue in steps.

**Improved**

- Pixelation runs in the background, so sliders stay smooth.

- Right-drag to pan the zoomed preview; drag the [ … ] brackets under the preview to change the play range.

- About 20 effects fixed (Orb variants, DivineShield, GuardianAngel, Phoenix, Thunder, Beam and more).

**Fixed**

- Starting the app twice opened a second window that couldn't import Unity packages and seemed to forget your settings — it now brings the open window forward.

- Hard seams on effects with Unity depth fade (e.g. the rings of Blast effects), most visible in the unpixelated source export.

- Compositions named in Korean, Japanese or Chinese kept their names in exported file names.

- [ and ] didn't work right after using the scrub bar or with a Korean IME on; the window could shift left after long preset names.

The full list is in the patch notes below.

**Updating**

- Setup: run the new setup over the old one. Portable: replace the folder. Settings, presets, compositions and imported effects are kept.

- Windows may warn about an unknown app ("This file isn't commonly downloaded" / "Windows protected your PC"). Pixel Studio is made by one developer and isn't code-signed yet: Keep → Keep anyway, or More info → Run anyway.

- macOS is still a beta (not notarized): open it once, then System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.

- The demo includes Compose (one composition, up to 3 resources, up to 64 px).

Thanks for all the comments and mails — keep them coming.

Files

Get hun0fx Pixel Studio — Pixel Art VFX Generator