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Software Engineering vocabulary · Architecture, Design Patterns and Graphics

Sprite

Meaning in software engineering, with examples

/spraɪt/nounCore term

In software engineering, sprite means: A 2D image used as an object in a game, such as a character, an enemy, a coin or an explosion. Several sprites shown one after another create an animation.

In Turkish: sprite, 2D oyun görseli

How it is used

Common in 2D and mobile games and in pixel art. Artists draw sprites and pack them into a sprite sheet, one image holding many frames, to save memory and draw calls. The word rhymes with 'bright'.

Example sentences

  1. The main character's sprite has eight frames for the run animation.

  2. Can you pack all the enemy sprites into one sprite sheet?

Common collocations

  • sprite sheet
  • sprite animation
  • pixel art sprite
  • draw a sprite
  • textureA 2D image wrapped around a 3D model to give it color and surface detail, such as wood grain, skin or rust. Extra textures can control shine, bumps and roughness.
  • assetAny piece of content used in a game, such as a 3D model, texture, sound effect, animation or music track, usually stored as a file and imported into the engine.
  • draw callA command the CPU sends to the graphics card to draw a group of polygons with one material. Too many draw calls per frame can slow a game down.
  • keyframeA frame in an animation where the animator sets an important pose or value; the software then fills in the movement between keyframes automatically.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Architecture, Design Patterns and Graphics

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