Hey guys,
I’m relatively new to using Blender and I had a question towards a game project I’m working on Unity. I’m not a 100% sure something similar was posted, but I didn’t find anything.
So we have a 2D artist, and I have sprites in .png files. Now, I know I can import image as plane. Is there a way I can give the sprite some depth?
Basically, like cookie cutouts. The colors don’t matter, just the overall shape. The silhouette would extend down the Z-axis.
Any help is greatly appreciated 
Sure, but can you show an example of the sprites you’ll be working with?
You could select the outline of the sprite in an imaging program, change selection to path, export as a svg file, then import into Blender. Then treat the resulting path as you would any curve. Change to a mesh, extrude, then apply the original texture to it. I think Gimp can turn a selection into a path, and export as a svg.
Are you using a spritesheet? if so, I’m afraid is gonna be a little bit complicated. You can try duplicating the plane a couple of times and move it backwards with different brightness to see if it creates the effect. If not using spritesheets, Fred2_ solution will be the best, I think.
after a bit of work learning how to use Gimp and Blender a bit more (I’m a programmer, not an artist, lol), I was able to figure out what Fred2_ was saying. And that almost has me where I want. So I have the shape, and it has depth but it’s just the outline. I would like to put a “lid” on it that also matches the shape.
For a bit of context, this is for a game using Unity3D and these are supposed to be similar to wooden cutouts of a particular shape.
nevermind! finally figured it out! I had to select all the top vertices, and click F to connect them, then did the same for the bottom ones and it created 2 faces
thanks for all the help!!!
1.When you import a svg, it is a path(in this case consider it a curve. So upon importing it, in object mode, select object data(looks like a string with a dot at each end) in property panel. Now change from 3d to 2d(under Shape). Curve should be filled. You can now adjust the extrude slider under Geometry to give it thickness. Since you will be applying a texture, convert curve to mesh(Alt c).
2.Having already converted it to a mesh, and extruded it, just select all the vertices on the upper edge, click Alt f(fill) to put on a top cover, do the same for the bottom edges vertices, Alt f. Make sure to select all verts and Ctrl n to orient normals when finished.
The first technique is a little easier if you are new. I am sorry that I took for granted that you did not the steps listed above. You just never know how new a new user is.
Keith
Bah, I gottem ninja’d, lols