Pixel pet sprite sheets: a frame grid that exports cleanly
Prepare a pixel pet sprite sheet with consistent frame dimensions, a fixed anchor, and an export checklist that catches frame drift.
Set the grid before you draw the second frame
A sprite sheet stores multiple frames in one image. For a handoff to a fixed-grid player, use the same cell dimensions and foot anchor in every frame, including frames with lots of empty space. Record the direction in which frames are read and keep the source file so another person can change the timing later.
For eight frames on a 4-column by 2-row grid with 32 × 32 cells, the unpadded image is 128 × 64 pixels. Cell 6, with zero-based counting and row-major order, starts at x = 64, y = 32. This is a quick way to diagnose a player that shows the wrong frame: check the coordinate against the export before redrawing anything.
Keep whitespace when the player expects a fixed grid
A frame with a tall ear perk may occupy more height than the idle frame. Both should still sit on the same floor line within their own cells. If you crop to the visible bounds separately, a player that assumes equal cells will cut through the artwork or move the pet as it changes pose.
Some engines understand packed atlases with per-frame rectangles and offsets. Use that mode only if the importer reads the matching metadata. Aseprite's sprite-sheet documentation distinguishes sheet layout and related export options. A plain PNG alone does not tell a player which frames have been trimmed.
Send a handoff the importer can actually use
Include the image, a source file, and a one-line frame contract, for example: “32 × 32 cells, four columns, read left to right and then top to bottom, no padding; durations listed in the accompanying manifest.” Say explicitly whether blank cells are intentional. Preview the first, last and widest pose in the destination. If the image draws correctly but the timing looks wrong, check duration units before changing the artwork.
If you are building for a particular pet host, start with its requirements instead of forcing this example grid into it. The agent-ready export guide is a better starting point for choosing the destination before laying out frames.