generate-texture

name	generate-texture
description	Generate seamless block textures. You must use this skill when creating game assets / textures / art.
allowed-tools	mcp__art-gen__generate_image, Bash, Read

Generate Block Texture

Generate 16-bit style seamless block textures for the Slopmine voxel game using the art-gen MCP.

Base Prompt Template

When generating textures, ALWAYS use this base prompt combined with the user's description:

Seamless tileable square texture for a voxel game block: {user_description}.

Style requirements:
- 16-bit retro pixel art aesthetic with crisp, visible pixelation
- Classic 16-bit era color depth and dithering techniques
- Rich surface detail using color variation and subtle noise patterns
- Natural organic feel, not flat or uniform
- Cohesive limited color palette (4-8 main colors with subtle gradients, 16-bit style)
- Must tile seamlessly on all edges (critical for 3D cube faces)
- Top-down orthographic view, no perspective or 3D shading
- No text, no logos, no borders, no frames
- Square 1:1 aspect ratio
- Inspired by 16-bit era games and modern voxel games like Minecraft but with more textural detail

Workflow

1. Generate using mcp__art-gen__generate_image with the combined base prompt + user description
2. Convert to 64x64 WebP: convert "{output}.png" -resize 64x64 -quality 60 "{name}.webp"
3. Place in src/world/blocks/types/{block_name}/assets/

---

Generate Item Icons

For inventory item icons (food, tools, ores, etc.), the workflow is different from block textures.

CRITICAL: Background Removal

Item icons MUST have transparent backgrounds. The AI generator does NOT create true transparency.

Prompt Rules

ALWAYS request a WHITE background, NEVER say "transparent":

• If you say "transparent background", the AI generates a fake gray checkered pattern that is NOT transparent and is hard to remove
• WHITE backgrounds are solid and easy to remove cleanly

Item Icon Workflow

1. Generate with WHITE background:

   A pixel art icon of {item_description} for a Minecraft-style game inventory.
   32x32 pixel art style, simple blocky aesthetic. On a plain solid WHITE background.
   

2. Remove background using magic select from corner (REQUIRED):

   convert "{output}.png" -fuzz 10% -fill none -draw "color 0,0 floodfill" -quality 90 "{name}.webp"
   

   This selects contiguous white pixels starting from corner (0,0) with 10% tolerance, preserving any white pixels INSIDE the item (like bones, highlights, etc.)

3. Verify transparency:

   identify -verbose "{name}.webp" | grep "Type:"
   # Must show "TrueColorAlpha"
   

4. Place in src/items/{category}/{item_name}/assets/

Why This Approach

• Magic select from corner + fuzz = only removes the CONTIGUOUS background, not white pixels inside the item
• DO NOT use -transparent white alone - this removes ALL white pixels including bones, highlights, teeth, eyes, etc.
• DO NOT say "transparent" in prompts - AI generates non-transparent checkerboard patterns

Example Descriptions

• Stone: "dark gray rock with brown speckling and grainy organic noise texture"
• Obsidian: "dark purple-black volcanic glass with subtle reflective highlights"
• Marble: "white and gray veined marble stone with elegant swirling patterns"
• Moss Stone: "gray cobblestone with patches of vibrant green moss in crevices"
• Packed Ice: "compressed blue-white ice with crystalline structures and air bubbles"

Style Reference

The game uses 16-bit pixel art textures at 64x64 resolution with these characteristics:

• Vibrant but natural colors
• Visible pixelation with refined detail
• Organic noise patterns (not flat/uniform)
• Seamless tiling for cube faces