What features does the rx pixel editor offer?

Updated

rx is a modern, minimalist pixel editor for Linux, macOS, and Windows (OpenGL 3.3 or later) that trades a conventional toolbar-heavy UI for a modal, command-driven workflow inspired by vi. Its feature set centers on sprite animation, simultaneous multi-file editing, and an extensible command system, so it fits artists and "hackers" who prefer keyboard-driven control and a small, hackable codebase over a large GUI. If you want a traditional menu-and-palette pixel editor, rx's minimal-UI design will likely feel unfamiliar.

Core editing features

  • Undo/redo any edit — every change is reversible, not just brush strokes.
  • Multi-brush / synchronous editing — edit with several brushes at once.
  • Brush filtering ("pixel-perfect" mode) — reduces stray pixels when drawing freehand.
  • Visual mode for pixel manipulation — a dedicated mode for selecting and transforming pixels, mirroring vi's modal approach.
  • Multiple files at once — work on several sprites simultaneously rather than one document per window.

Animation and output

  • Built-in sprite animation support with live preview — you can see the animation play as you work, without exporting first.
  • Animated GIF output — export animations directly to GIF.

Interface and display

  • HiDPI support and UI scaling — usable on high-resolution displays.
  • Minimal UI — the interface deliberately stays out of the way and focuses on the canvas.

Configuration and extensibility

  • Extensible command system — functionality is driven by commands, and you can add your own.
  • Configurable with a simple text-based language — settings live in a text config rather than a GUI preferences panel.
  • Small, hackable codebase and dependency footprint — the project's stated goal is to include only what is necessary, so extending it stays tractable.

Performance goals

rx's stated targets are no perceptible input lag and update/paint times under 8ms on commodity hardware at 1920x1080, plus low memory use and minimized battery drain. These are design goals published by the project, not benchmark results, so treat them as intent rather than a measured guarantee.

What rx does not emphasize

The feature list contains no mention of layers, palette management, tilemaps, or non-pixel raster formats. If your workflow depends on those, verify against the current guide and source before committing.

How to evaluate it for your needs

  1. Read the guide on the site to see how the modal command workflow maps to your habits.
  2. Install from source with cargo and cmake (cargo install --git https://github.com/cloudhead/rx --tag v0.5.2), or use a pre-built binary — note the site states only Linux binaries are currently available.
  3. Test the two features most likely to decide it for you: live animation preview and multi-brush editing.
  4. If you need custom behavior, check whether the text-based config and command system cover it before assuming a plugin ecosystem exists.

The community lives on Discord, which is the place to ask about workflow specifics the documentation doesn't cover.