Import an animation into Unreal Paper2D

Export the matching package

Choose unreal_paper2d_pack, review the quote and entitlement, then download and extract the result. Keep animation.paper2dsprites beside spritesheet.png. The package also includes a manifest and README.

The descriptor contains explicit frame rectangles. The texture is padded to power-of-two dimensions without moving the original frame rectangles. Empty padding is not an extra animation frame; do not infer the number of frames by dividing the padded texture dimensions.

Import the descriptor, not just the PNG

Enable the built-in Paper 2D and its importer support in your Unreal installation, restarting the editor if prompted. Import animation.paper2dsprites through the Content Browser/Content Drawer.

The JSON sprite-sheet import can create textures, Sprites, and a Flipbook. If only sprites are present in your workflow, select them in numeric frame order and create a Flipbook. See Epic's Paper 2D Flipbooks guide.

Importing only the PNG will not by itself reproduce the pack's frame descriptors. Likewise, AnimGen's general spritesheet JSON is not a replacement for the Paper2D-specific descriptor.

Match the animation settings

Open the imported or newly created Flipbook. Compare sprite count, order, and Frames Per Second against animgen-manifest.json. Set the FPS explicitly if the importer chooses a different default.

Keep each exported frame's intended duration, and check loop playback on the component or game logic that uses the Flipbook. This package is sprite animation, not a skeletal mesh or animation blueprint.

Check the pivot/origin and world scale in a simple scene before attaching collision or gameplay. The manifest records pivot from the bottom-left; importer conventions and project changes can require inspection of the resulting sprite origin.

Check transparent edges and padding

Use the exported PNG to distinguish texture data from material behavior. A material that masks Alpha to a threshold will not display partial transparency the same way as one that blends Alpha. Check the target material, sorting, and background with representative soft edges.

Do not crop the power-of-two padding without updating the descriptor. If only part of a frame appears, compare its rectangle with the original package, not a resized texture or a later automatic extraction.

Common fixes before regenerating

If the descriptor is unrecognized, check importer availability and the file's extension. If the animation runs too fast, check the Flipbook FPS and frame durations. If the sheet is visible as one rectangle, verify that the descriptor was imported rather than only the image.

Keep a test project and the original ZIP for comparison. These instructions follow the generated package and official import flow; your engine version, plugins, and target renderer still need a local runtime check. See export troubleshooting.