Phaser API Documentation

  Version: 
image(key, [url], [xhrSettings])

Description:

Adds an Image, or array of Images, to the current load queue.

You can call this method from within your Scene's preload, along with any other files you wish to load:

function preload ()
{
    this.load.image('logo', 'images/phaserLogo.png');
}

The file is not loaded right away. It is added to a queue ready to be loaded either when the loader starts, or if it's already running, when the next free load slot becomes available. This happens automatically if you are calling this from within the Scene's preload method, or a related callback. Because the file is queued it means you cannot use the file immediately after calling this method, but must wait for the file to complete. The typical flow for a Phaser Scene is that you load assets in the Scene's preload method and then when the Scene's create method is called you are guaranteed that all of those assets are ready for use and have been loaded.

Phaser can load all common image types: png, jpg, gif and any other format the browser can natively handle. If you try to load an animated gif only the first frame will be rendered. Browsers do not natively support playback of animated gifs to Canvas elements.

The key must be a unique String. It is used to add the file to the global Texture Manager upon a successful load. The key should be unique both in terms of files being loaded and files already present in the Texture Manager. Loading a file using a key that is already taken will result in a warning. If you wish to replace an existing file then remove it from the Texture Manager first, before loading a new one.

Instead of passing arguments you can pass a configuration object, such as:

this.load.image({
    key: 'logo',
    url: 'images/AtariLogo.png'
});

See the documentation for Phaser.Types.Loader.FileTypes.ImageFileConfig for more details.

Once the file has finished loading you can use it as a texture for a Game Object by referencing its key:

this.load.image('logo', 'images/AtariLogo.png');
// and later in your game ...
this.add.image(x, y, 'logo');

If you have specified a prefix in the loader, via Loader.setPrefix then this value will be prepended to this files key. For example, if the prefix was MENU. and the key was Background the final key will be MENU.Background and this is what you would use to retrieve the image from the Texture Manager.

The URL can be relative or absolute. If the URL is relative the Loader.baseURL and Loader.path values will be prepended to it.

If the URL isn't specified the Loader will take the key and create a filename from that. For example if the key is "alien" and no URL is given then the Loader will set the URL to be "alien.png". It will always add .png as the extension, although this can be overridden if using an object instead of method arguments. If you do not desire this action then provide a URL.

Phaser also supports the automatic loading of associated normal maps. If you have a normal map to go with this image, then you can specify it by providing an array as the url where the second element is the normal map:

this.load.image('logo', [ 'images/AtariLogo.png', 'images/AtariLogo-n.png' ]);

Or, if you are using a config object use the normalMap property:

this.load.image({
    key: 'logo',
    url: 'images/AtariLogo.png',
    normalMap: 'images/AtariLogo-n.png'
});

The normal map file is subject to the same conditions as the image file with regard to the path, baseURL, CORs and XHR Settings. Normal maps are a WebGL only feature.

Note: The ability to load this type of file will only be available if the Image File type has been built into Phaser. It is available in the default build but can be excluded from custom builds.

Parameters:

name type arguments description
key string | Phaser.Types.Loader.FileTypes.ImageFileConfig | Array.<Phaser.Types.Loader.FileTypes.ImageFileConfig>

The key to use for this file, or a file configuration object, or array of them.

url string | Array.<string> <optional>

The absolute or relative URL to load this file from. If undefined or null it will be set to <key>.png, i.e. if key was "alien" then the URL will be "alien.png".

xhrSettings Phaser.Types.Loader.XHRSettingsObject <optional>

An XHR Settings configuration object. Used in replacement of the Loaders default XHR Settings.

Returns:
Description:

The Loader instance.

Since: 3.0.0