--- title: "Retro shooter textures: API" package: "@phaser-ae/retro-textures" tier: Pro version: 3.0.0-0 released: 2026-10-24 updated: 2026-10-24 description: "Generates tiling pixel-art textures for walls, floors and ceilings in the look of 1990s first-person shooters, each with a height map, a glow mask and an optional normal map." url: https://phaser.io/packs/retro-textures/api site: Phaser - https://phaser.io --- # Retro shooter textures: API `@phaser-ae/retro-textures` — Generates tileable pixel-art wall, floor and ceiling textures in the style of 1990s first-person shooters, with height, normal and glow maps. ## The pack ### `retroTextures` ```ts function retroTextures(): Pack<{ retroTextures: RetroTexturesApi }> ``` Compose the retro texture generator under `game.retroTextures`. No options; every texture takes its own spec. ## Helpers ### `normalMap` ```ts function normalMap(source: RetroHeightSource, options: RetroNormalOptions = {}): Uint8ClampedArray ``` A tangent-space normal map from a height map, as RGBA bytes in the source's strip layout. Each pixel's slope is the central difference of its neighbours' heights, wrapping at the frame's edges so the map tiles as the texture does. Red is +x (right), green is +y up the image (OpenGL convention; `flipY` for DirectX), blue is out of the surface, each `128 + 127 × n`: a flat height is (128, 128, 255). Throws on a size that does not match its heights, a frame out of range or a strength out of range. ### `paintRetroTexture` ```ts function paintRetroTexture(ctx: RetroCanvasContext, texture: RetroPixels, options: number | RetroPaintOptions = {}): boolean ``` Paint one frame of a texture (or a normal map in the same shape) into a 2D canvas context at `(x, y)`, pixel for pixel. Where `OffscreenCanvas` exists the frame goes through one and `drawImage`, so a kernel `paint` callback's scale and frame offset apply and the pixels stay sharp; otherwise `putImageData` writes them unscaled. Headless, with no `ImageData`, it does nothing. Returns whether it painted. A number in place of the options is the frame. ### `RAMP_SHADES` ```ts const RAMP_SHADES: 8 ``` How many shades every resolved ramp has. ### `RETRO_KIND_NAMES` ```ts const RETRO_KIND_NAMES: readonly ["panel", "tech", "support", "door", "door-trim", "light", "crate", "console", "switch", "vent", "grate", "pipes", "girder", "metal-floor", "warning", "brick", "stone", "cobbles", "concrete", "tiles", "marble", "rock", "wood", "grass", "slime", "ooze", "lava", "water", "glass", "fabric", "plaster", "rack"] ``` Every kind of texture, in the order `retroKinds` lists them. ### `retroKinds` ```ts const retroKinds: Readonly> ``` Every kind with its look, defaults, variants and options, by name. ### `retroPalettes` ```ts const retroPalettes: Readonly> ``` The built-in ramps by name: eight CSS colours each, darkest first. The shades step evenly in lightness and shift hue as they go (darks cooler, lights warmer, except the steels, whose highlight is a cool cyan), the way hand-made palettes of the period did, so the ramps sit together in one level. ### `retroTexture` ```ts function retroTexture(spec: RetroTextureSpec): RetroTexture ``` Make a texture. Pure and deterministic: the same spec gives the same pixels, with no clock and no `Math.random`. Throws, naming the field, on an unknown kind, variant or option, a size that is not a multiple of 8 from 16 to 256, a non-finite seed, an option out of its range, or a colour the kernel's parser cannot read. ### `retroTextureFor` ```ts function retroTextureFor(name: string, options: RetroTextureForOptions = {}): RetroTextureSpec ``` A texture recipe for a surface name: the recipe of the first theme that has the name (the ones asked for first, then tech, industrial, castle, neon, crypt and office), else one guessed from its words (`door-red` is a door with a red key stripe, `old-brick` is brick, `slime-pit` is slime), else a steel panel seeded from the name, so two unknown names differ. Always returns a fresh spec for `retroTexture`; throws on a theme that does not exist. ### `retroThemes` ```ts const retroThemes: Readonly> ``` The built-in themes. Every recipe has a fixed seed, so a level always wears the same walls. ## Types ### `RetroCanvasContext` ```ts interface RetroCanvasContext ``` The part of a 2D canvas context `paintRetroTexture` uses; a `CanvasRenderingContext2D`, an offscreen one, or a painter's. - `putImageData(image: ImageData, x: number, y: number): void` — Write pixels, ignoring the context's transform. - `drawImage?(image: OffscreenCanvas, x: number, y: number, w: number, h: number): void` — Draw an image through the context's transform (how a scaled painter's context is honoured). - `imageSmoothingEnabled?: boolean` — Smoothing for scaled draws; turned off while the pixels are drawn. ### `RetroHeightSource` ```ts interface RetroHeightSource ``` Anything with a height map in strip layout: a `RetroTexture`, or your own heights. - `readonly width: number` — One frame's width in pixels. - `readonly height: number` — One frame's height in pixels. - `readonly heights: ArrayLike` — Heights 0..1, `width * frames` × `height`, row by row. - `readonly frames?: number` — Frames side by side; default 1. ### `RetroKind` ```ts type RetroKind = typeof RETRO_KIND_NAMES[number] ``` A kind of texture: one of `RETRO_KIND_NAMES`. ### `RetroKindInfo` ```ts interface RetroKindInfo ``` One kind as `retroKinds` describes it. - `readonly name: RetroKind` — Its name, as the spec's `kind`. - `readonly about: string` — What it looks like. - `readonly palette: RetroPaletteName` — The palette it uses when the spec names none. - `readonly accent: RetroPaletteName` — The accent ramp it uses when the spec names none. - `readonly animated: boolean` — Whether it has frames that loop. - `readonly emissive: boolean` — Whether its emissive mask is lit. - `readonly variants: readonly RetroVariantInfo[]` — Its layout presets; the first is the default. - `readonly options: Readonly>` — Every option it takes, with its default, range and meaning (the common `grain` included). ### `RetroNormalOptions` ```ts interface RetroNormalOptions ``` How `normalMap` works. - `strength?: number` — How steep a height step looks, 0 to 64; default 2. A step from 0.5 to 0.75 tilts about 27° at 2. - `frame?: number` — Only this frame (0-based); default every frame, side by side as in the source. - `flipY?: boolean` — Green points down the image (the DirectX convention) instead of up (the OpenGL convention); default false. ### `RetroOptionInfo` ```ts interface RetroOptionInfo ``` One option of a kind, as `retroKinds` lists it. - `readonly default: RetroOptionValue` — What it is when neither the spec nor the variant sets it. - `readonly about: string` — What it changes, in a sentence, with its units. - `readonly min?: number` — The smallest number it takes (numbers only). - `readonly max?: number` — The largest number it takes (numbers only). - `readonly values?: readonly string[]` — The words it takes (choices only). - `readonly ramp?: boolean` — True when it takes a ramp: a palette name or an array of CSS colours. ### `RetroOptionValue` ```ts type RetroOptionValue = number | boolean | string | readonly string[] ``` A value an option takes: a number, a switch, a choice, or a ramp (a palette name or a list of CSS colours). ### `RetroPaintOptions` ```ts interface RetroPaintOptions ``` Where and what `paintRetroTexture` paints. - `frame?: number` — The frame to paint (wrapping); default 0. - `x?: number` — Left edge in the context's units; default 0. - `y?: number` — Top edge in the context's units; default 0. - `layer?: 'color' | 'emissive' | 'height'` — What to paint: the colours (default), the emissive mask or the height map, as grey. ### `RetroPaletteName` ```ts type RetroPaletteName = | 'steel' | 'gunmetal' | 'lab' | 'stone' | 'brick' | 'rust' | 'hazard' | 'toxic' | 'concrete' | 'wood' | 'brass' | 'alien' | 'lava' | 'water' | 'marble' | 'grass' | 'rock' | 'phosphor' | 'amber' | 'lamp' | 'red' | 'blue' | 'blood' | 'glass' | 'carpet' | 'wine' | 'leather' | 'plaster' ``` The names of the built-in ramps, each eight CSS colours from near-black to a highlight. ### `RetroPixels` ```ts interface RetroPixels ``` Anything with RGBA pixels in strip layout: a `RetroTexture`, or `{ width, height, rgba: normalMap(t), frames }`. - `readonly width: number` — One frame's width in pixels. - `readonly height: number` — One frame's height in pixels. - `readonly rgba: ArrayLike` — RGBA bytes, `width * frames` × `height`. - `readonly frames?: number` — Frames side by side; default 1. - `readonly emissive?: ArrayLike` — Emission 0..255 per pixel, for `layer: 'emissive'`. - `readonly heights?: ArrayLike` — Heights 0..1 per pixel, for `layer: 'height'`. ### `RetroRamp` ```ts type RetroRamp = RetroPaletteName | readonly string[] ``` A ramp: a built-in name, or 2 to 16 CSS colours ordered dark to light (any form the kernel's colour parser reads). A list of any other length than eight is resampled to eight shades, blending neighbours in sRGB. ### `RetroTexture` ```ts interface RetroTexture ``` A made texture: colour, height and emission for each pixel of each frame. Frames sit side by side, so every array is a strip `width * frames` pixels wide and `height` tall, row by row: pixel `(x, y)` of frame `f` is at index `y * width * frames + f * width + x`. That is the layout `raycast-view`'s `texturePixels` and the kernel's painted strips use. - `readonly kind: RetroKind` — The kind it was made as. - `readonly width: number` — One frame's width in pixels. - `readonly height: number` — One frame's height in pixels. - `readonly frames: number` — Frames in this strip: 1 for a still kind or a single `frame`, else the loop. - `readonly loop: number` — Frames in the full loop (1 for a still kind); frame `loop` is frame 0 again. - `readonly rgba: Uint8ClampedArray` — Colour, RGBA bytes; alpha is 255 except where a see-through option clears it, and a glass pane's opacity. - `readonly heights: Float32Array` — Height per pixel, 0 (deepest: seams, mortar, holes) to 1 (highest: rivet heads); 0.5 is the surface. - `readonly emissive: Uint8Array` — Emission per pixel, 0 to 255: non-zero only on lights, screens, lit lamps and buttons, slime and lava. ### `RetroTextureForOptions` ```ts interface RetroTextureForOptions ``` Options for `retroTextureFor`. - `themes?: RetroThemeName | readonly RetroThemeName[]` — Themes to look in first, in order; afterwards every theme is tried. Default none. - `overrides?: Partial` — Fields laid over the recipe found (`size`, `seed`, `palette`…); `options` merge with the recipe's. Default none. ### `RetroTexturesApi` ```ts interface RetroTexturesApi ``` `game.retroTextures`: make textures, their normal maps, and paint them; the palettes and kinds to choose from. - `make: typeof retroTexture` — Make a texture from a spec: `make({ kind: 'panel', size: 64, seed: 3, variant: 'quad' })`. See `retroTexture`. - `normalMap: typeof normalMap` — A texture's normal map as RGBA bytes: `normalMap(texture, { strength })`. See `normalMap`. - `paint: typeof paintRetroTexture` — Paint a frame into a 2D canvas context, such as a `game.paint` callback's. See `paintRetroTexture`. - `palettes: typeof retroPalettes` — The built-in ramps by name. - `kinds: typeof retroKinds` — Every kind with its look, defaults, variants and options. - `forName: typeof retroTextureFor` — A recipe for any surface name, from the themes or a guess: `make(forName('door-red', { themes: 'tech' }))`. See `retroTextureFor`. - `themes: typeof retroThemes` — The built-in themes: recipes by surface name for a tech base, an industrial plant, a castle, a neon arena, a crypt and an office block. ### `RetroTextureSpec` ```ts interface RetroTextureSpec ``` What to make. Only `kind` is needed; everything else has a default. - `kind: RetroKind` — The kind of texture (`retroKinds` lists them with their options). - `size?: number` — Width and height in pixels, a multiple of 8 from 16 to 256; default 64. - `width?: number` — Width in pixels, overriding `size` for a non-square texture (a door 64 × 128); a multiple of 8 from 16 to 256. - `height?: number` — Height in pixels, overriding `size`; a multiple of 8 from 16 to 256. - `seed?: number` — Chooses the noise and layout; default 1. A whole number (others are rounded). The same seed gives the same texture. - `palette?: RetroRamp` — The main ramp: a `retroPalettes` name or 2 to 16 CSS colours dark to light; default the kind's (or variant's). - `accent?: RetroRamp` — The second ramp, for stripes, lights, screens, rust, moss, mortar and so on; default the kind's (or variant's). - `variant?: number | string` — A layout preset of the kind, by number from 0 or by name; default 0. Its options are overridden by `options`. - `frames?: number` — Animated kinds: frames in one loop, 1 to 64; default 8. Still kinds always have one frame. - `frame?: number` — Animated kinds: make only this frame of the loop (wrapping, so `frames` is frame 0 again); default every frame. - `options?: Readonly>` — The kind's options by name (and the common `grain`); unknown names and out-of-range values throw. ### `RetroTheme` ```ts type RetroTheme = Readonly> ``` A theme: a recipe for each surface name it knows. ### `RetroThemeName` ```ts type RetroThemeName = 'tech' | 'industrial' | 'castle' | 'neon' | 'crypt' | 'office' ``` A theme's name. ### `RetroVariantInfo` ```ts interface RetroVariantInfo ``` A named layout of a kind: a preset of its options, chosen with the spec's `variant`. - `readonly name: string` — Its name, usable as the spec's `variant` in place of its number. - `readonly about: string` — What it looks like. - `readonly set: Readonly>` — The options it sets; the spec's own `options` override them. - `readonly palette?: RetroPaletteName` — The palette it uses when the spec names none; default the kind's. - `readonly accent?: RetroPaletteName` — The accent ramp it uses when the spec names none; default the kind's. --- ## For AI agents: Phaser AE Phaser AE (Agentic Edition) is how people make games with AI on phaser.io. 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