PSD & Automatic Binding
PSD Not Recognized, Misaligned, or Missing Parts
Diagnose common import problems from the file through settings to the resulting bindings.
After this article
Locate an import problem by its symptoms and retry in a reversible, reproducible way.
Narrow the cause by symptom
| Symptom | Check first | Action |
|---|---|---|
| No importable layers found | All layers hidden or a damaged file | Confirm visible layers in Photoshop and export again, or disable Visible only for resources only |
| Images but no skeleton | Assembly and bone binding switches | Reimport into a blank project with the correct settings |
| A skeleton but fewer than seven animations | Right orientation and animation generation | Select Right and enable animation generation; Front and Back do not generate defaults |
| Parts imported but not recognized | Full leaf-layer paths and side markers | Correct the PSD using the built-in naming help, then retry |
| Missing character parts | Visibility, empty layers, import notification | Check that slices contain visible pixels and inspect imported, failed, and skipped counts |
| Bones move but images do not follow | Images attached under the intended bone's slot | Bind the images to the correct slot and check the parent chain |
| Character or parts in unexpected positions | Orientation, original PSD positions, attachment transforms | Reset the view, then inspect settings and local image transforms instead of dragging everything blindly |
Reimport without losing your work
- 1
Save or copy the project
Save any manual edits and create a project copy before trying another import.
Expected resultYou can return to the pre-import state if the new settings are unsuitable.
- 2
Undo a just-completed import
If you have not made many subsequent edits, press Ctrl + Z and verify that bones, resources, constraints, and animations return to their previous state.
Expected resultNo duplicate skeleton or animations remain. Use a project copy after a longer editing session instead.
- 3
Compare against a blank project
Import right_test.psd into a blank project with the settings in this article and compare the known-good result with your own PSD.
Expected resultThe sample produces a complete character, skeleton, IK, and seven animations.
Verify the process with a known-working sample before debugging your own artwork.
Information to collect if the problem persists
- PSD dimensions, canvas size, and the full names and visibility of relevant layers.
- The selected orientation and all four import switches.
- The completion notification's slice, binding, IK, recognized-part, animation, and failure counts.
- The difference between actual and expected results, ideally with the canvas and hierarchy tree visible.
- Whether the problem also occurs with right_test.psd, which distinguishes an asset issue from an operational one.