Pixel Art Lightning Generator
Create pixel art lightning for a 2D game. Describe bolt direction, branching, strike count and ground impact, refine the timing, and export a transparent sprite sheet.
VfxSmith creates and refines animated pixel effects from a written brief. Review the draft in the workspace, then send it when you are ready. Opening a brief never starts generation.
Start a custom lightning strike
Shape and timing for your lightning strike
Name the source and destination of each bolt: a cloud above the scene, a caster or a ground target. Specify whether strikes land sequentially or together. For a storm attack, give the cloud width, the area the bolts may hit, the exact strike count and the pause between strikes. Keep the bolt silhouette readable before adding sparks or glow.
Give the canvas size in pixels, the character’s pixel scale and a pivot. Name palette colors or hex values, duration, frame rate, loop behavior and the intended impact time. After generation, adjust colors and playback speed in the workspace, or ask Smith to refine the motion. Effects with separate editable parts also offer per-part controls. Check the result in motion: an exact silhouette or contact time may need refinement.
What to check in the animation
- Count the visible impacts in the rendered animation. A flickering bolt is not necessarily a new strike.
- Check that every bolt begins at the intended source and reaches the target rather than ending in empty space.
- A sprite sheet contains a fixed animation. To hit live enemy positions at runtime, spawn a separate strike asset at each target in your game code.
A brief you can edit
Use this order: subject and action → camera and pixel scale → canvas and pivot → direction and swing → palette → duration and impact → editable parts → target engine.
Create a side-view pixel art lightning strike on a 128 x 192 transparent canvas for a 2D action game. One forked bolt travels from the top center to a ground pivot at [64, 176]. Use ivory, pale cyan and deep blue. One shot, 0.7 seconds at 30 FPS; first impact at 0.2 seconds. Brief anticipation, one bright strike, a small ground flash and fading sparks. No character, cloud, rain or background. Leave room for the branches. Export for Godot 4.
Open this brief in the composer. Sign-in preserves your draft. Nothing is sent until you choose to generate.
A real library starting point
This is the free pixelfx library’s Lightning strike by Patch and contributors, not an output generated from the example brief above. You can browse it or customize it as a starting point.
Lightning strike
Refine, then export
Ask for one change at a time and compare saved versions. Check the silhouette against your game background, then export a transparent PNG sprite sheet with animation JSON, PNG frame sequence, animated GIF or Godot 4 pack. Speed affects exported timing; the preview background is not exported. Follow the Godot workflow.
Credits, limits and licenses
AI generation requires sign-in. Usage-based · usually 4–8 credits. Charge = actual model cost ×2 at $0.05 per credit; at least 4 credits to start and up to 16 reserved. Unused credits are released after delivery; cancellation charges usage so far. Manual edits and exports are free. Failed runs without a delivered version are refunded. Plans and credit rules.
The free library is MIT-licensed; preserve Patch’s copyright and permission notices. Original generated assets are covered by the generated-output terms, and incorporated upstream materials retain their licenses. Source and licenses.
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