Use GLTF/GLB
Best FormatNative support with materials, textures, animations. Drag file to FileSystem.
Asset Pipeline Guide. Import art, audio, models, and textures with settings that stay readable as the project grows.
Godot 4.7 asset pipeline guide
Import once, tune per file, keep the source on disk
Godot imports an asset the moment the file lands in the FileSystem dock and writes
its settings next to it in a small .import file. The original file stays
the source of truth: edit it in Blender, Aseprite, or Audacity, save, and the editor
re-imports automatically. Coming from Unity, think of the Import dock as the
Inspector's import settings without the Library cache; coming from Unreal, there is
no separate reimport dialog to remember.
The 42 tips below are grouped by asset type. Each one names the panel, node, or import option where the change is made, so you can find it in the editor rather than search the docs. Set a preset once per folder for formats you use often, then override individual files only when they need it.
3D Models
Edit Imported
Double-clickOpen as New Inherited Scene, save as .tscn for full control.
FBX Support
FBX2glTFSet path in Editor Settings → Importers. Or convert in Blender first.
Fix Scale
Import SettingsBlender = meters, Unity = cm. Adjust scale multiplier.
Collisions
Physics TabGenerate Trimesh (accurate) or Convex (fast) shapes.
Loop Anims
Animation TabEnable loop for idle, walk, run. Set in import settings.
Auto Collision
4.6+ FeaturePrimitive meshes (Box, Sphere, Cylinder, Capsule) now auto-generate matching CollisionShape3D.
Faster Imports
Betsy GPUGodot 4.6+ uses GPU-accelerated Betsy texture compression. Up to 2x faster 3D texture imports.
Better LOD
Mesh LODImproved LOD: component pruning preserves multi-part mesh shapes during simplification.
Audio & Music
Global Sound
AudioStreamPlayerNo position — UI clicks, background music.
2D Positional
AudioStreamPlayer2DVolume by camera distance. Great for 2D games.
3D Positional
AudioStreamPlayer3DFull spatial audio with attenuation.
Audio Buses
Bottom PanelCreate Music/SFX/Voice channels for volume control.
Persist Music
AutoloadAdd AudioStreamPlayer to autoload scene.
Add Effects
Bus → Add EffectReverb, EQ, Limiter, Filter per channel.
Environment
WorldEnvironment
Add NodeOne per scene. Controls sky, fog, ambient, post-fx.
HDR Skybox
PanoramaSkyMaterialDrag .hdr/.exr file. Free at polyhaven.com.
Procedural Sky
ProceduralSkyMaterialDynamic day/night linked to DirectionalLight3D.
Tonemapping
EnvironmentACES = realism, Filmic = cinematic. AgX gained agx_white & agx_contrast controls in 4.6.
Fog
EnvironmentVolumetric (realistic) or Distance (fast).
Global Illumination
SDFGI/VoxelGIBeautiful indirect light. GPU intensive.
SSR Rewrite
4.6+ FeatureScreen-Space Reflections rewritten: better roughness, stability, half-res mode for performance.
Glow Blending
4.6+ ChangeGlow now blends before tonemapping. Default mode is Screen. More natural bloom.
Particles
2D Particles
GPUParticles2DGPU-accelerated. Thousands of particles.
3D Particles
GPUParticles3DSparks, fire, smoke, magic in 3D.
Behavior
ParticleProcessMaterialGravity, velocity, scale, color over time.
Fire Effect
RecipeUpward velocity + Yellow→Orange→Red→Gray.
Smoke Effect
RecipeSlow rise, expand scale, fade alpha.
Texture
Draw PassesQuadMesh with custom particle texture.
Tilemaps
Create TileMap
Add NodeCanvas for painting tiles. Multiple layers.
Setup TileSet
InspectorNew TileSet → opens bottom panel editor.
Add Spritesheet
+ AtlasDrag PNG, set tile size. Auto-splits.
Collisions
Physics LayerDraw collision shapes per tile.
Auto-Tiling
TerrainsSmart connections. Tiles match neighbors.
Tiled Import
YATI PluginImport .tmx with collisions & data.
Textures
Import
Drag FilePNG/JPG auto-imported. Click for settings.
Pixel Art
Filter: NearestCrisp pixels, no blur. Essential for retro.
Tiling
Repeat: EnabledFor floors, walls, seamless patterns.
PBR Material
StandardMaterial3DAlbedo, normal, roughness, metallic.
Visual Shaders
VisualShaderNode-based editor. Connect visually.
Screen FX
ColorRect + ShaderCRT, blur, vignette, color grading.
Octahedral Probes
4.6+ GPUReflection/light probes use octahedral maps. Less GPU computation, faster rendering.
Tutor Checkpoint
Lock the pattern in
Before jumping to the next page, turn the idea into one tiny scene or script. That is where the Godot habit sticks.
Import settings still matter, even when files appear instantly.
Godot is lighter, but naming and folder discipline replace a lot of tooling.
Use predictable folders, import presets, and Resources for reusable data.
Create folders for art, audio, scenes, scripts, resources, and UI before importing.