diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/build.h b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/build.h
index 3702eb444..f01885618 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/build.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/build.h
@@ -986,6 +986,7 @@ typedef struct {
 typedef struct artheader_t {
     int32_t tilestart, tileend, numtiles;
 } artheader_t;
+#define ARTv1_UNITOFFSET ((signed)(4*sizeof(int32_t) + 2*sizeof(int16_t) + sizeof(picanm_t)))
 
 int32_t    preinitengine(void);	// a partial setup of the engine used for launch windows
 int32_t    initengine(void);
@@ -1008,6 +1009,9 @@ void E_UndefineTile(int32_t const tile);
 void set_tilesiz(int32_t picnum, int16_t dasizx, int16_t dasizy);
 int32_t tile_exists(int32_t picnum);
 int32_t E_ReadArtFileHeader(int32_t const fil, char const * const fn, artheader_t * const local);
+int32_t E_ReadArtFileHeaderFromBuffer(uint8_t const * const buf, artheader_t * const local);
+int32_t E_CheckUnitArtFileHeader(uint8_t const * const buf, int32_t length);
+void E_ConvertARTv1picanmToMemory(int32_t const picnum);
 void E_ReadArtFileTileInfo(int32_t const fil, artheader_t const * const local);
 void E_ReadArtFileIntoFakeData(int32_t const fil, artheader_t const * const local);
 int32_t   loadpics(const char *filename, int32_t askedsize);
@@ -1015,6 +1019,7 @@ void E_MapArt_Clear(void);
 void E_MapArt_Setup(const char *filename);
 void   loadtile(int16_t tilenume);
 void E_LoadTileIntoBuffer(int16_t tilenume, int32_t dasiz, char *buffer);
+void E_RenderArtDataIntoBuffer(palette_t * pic, uint8_t const * buf, int32_t bufsizx, int32_t sizx, int32_t sizy);
 
 int32_t   qloadkvx(int32_t voxindex, const char *filename);
 intptr_t   allocatepermanenttile(int16_t tilenume, int32_t xsiz, int32_t ysiz);
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c b/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
index d93f77c9c..c54ef87e8 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
@@ -11930,9 +11930,9 @@ int32_t E_ReadArtFileHeader(int32_t const fil, char const * const fn, artheader_
         kclose(fil);
         return 1;
     }
-    if (local->tileend <= local->tilestart)
+    if (local->tileend < local->tilestart)
     {
-        initprintf("loadpics: localtileend <= localtilestart in %s\n", fn);
+        initprintf("loadpics: localtileend < localtilestart in %s\n", fn);
         kclose(fil);
         return 1;
     }
@@ -11942,6 +11942,65 @@ int32_t E_ReadArtFileHeader(int32_t const fil, char const * const fn, artheader_
     return 0;
 }
 
+int32_t E_ReadArtFileHeaderFromBuffer(uint8_t const * const buf, artheader_t * const local)
+{
+    int32_t const artversion = B_LITTLE32(B_UNBUF32(&buf[0]));
+    if (EDUKE32_PREDICT_FALSE(artversion != 1))
+    {
+        initprintf("loadpics: Invalid art file version\n");
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    local->tilestart = B_LITTLE32(B_UNBUF32(&buf[8]));
+    local->tileend   = B_LITTLE32(B_UNBUF32(&buf[12]));
+
+    if (EDUKE32_PREDICT_FALSE((unsigned)local->tilestart >= MAXUSERTILES || (unsigned)local->tileend >= MAXUSERTILES))
+    {
+        initprintf("loadpics: Invalid localtilestart or localtileend\n");
+        return 1;
+    }
+    if (EDUKE32_PREDICT_FALSE(local->tileend < local->tilestart))
+    {
+        initprintf("loadpics: localtileend < localtilestart\n");
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    local->numtiles = (local->tileend-local->tilestart+1);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int32_t E_CheckUnitArtFileHeader(uint8_t const * const buf, int32_t length)
+{
+    if (EDUKE32_PREDICT_FALSE(length <= ARTv1_UNITOFFSET))
+        return -1;
+
+    artheader_t local;
+    if (EDUKE32_PREDICT_FALSE(E_ReadArtFileHeaderFromBuffer(buf, &local) != 0))
+        return -2;
+
+    if (EDUKE32_PREDICT_FALSE(local.numtiles != 1))
+        return -3;
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+void E_ConvertARTv1picanmToMemory(int32_t const picnum)
+{
+    EDUKE32_STATIC_ASSERT(sizeof(picanm_t) == 4);
+    EDUKE32_STATIC_ASSERT(PICANM_ANIMTYPE_MASK == 192);
+
+    picanm_t * const thispicanm = &picanm[picnum];
+
+    // Old on-disk format: anim type is in the 2 highest bits of the lowest byte.
+    thispicanm->sf &= ~192;
+    thispicanm->sf |= thispicanm->num&192;
+    thispicanm->num &= ~192;
+
+    // don't allow setting texhitscan/nofullbright from ART
+    thispicanm->sf &= ~PICANM_MISC_MASK;
+}
+
 void E_ReadArtFileTileInfo(int32_t const fil, artheader_t const * const local)
 {
     int16_t *tilesizx = (int16_t *)Xmalloc(local->numtiles * sizeof(int16_t));
@@ -11952,19 +12011,10 @@ void E_ReadArtFileTileInfo(int32_t const fil, artheader_t const * const local)
 
     for (int32_t i=local->tilestart; i<=local->tileend; i++)
     {
-        EDUKE32_STATIC_ASSERT(sizeof(picanm_t) == 4);
-        EDUKE32_STATIC_ASSERT(PICANM_ANIMTYPE_MASK == 192);
-
         tilesiz[i].x = B_LITTLE16(tilesizx[i-local->tilestart]);
         tilesiz[i].y = B_LITTLE16(tilesizy[i-local->tilestart]);
 
-        // Old on-disk format: anim type is in the 2 highest bits of the lowest byte.
-        picanm[i].sf &= ~192;
-        picanm[i].sf |= picanm[i].num&192;
-        picanm[i].num &= ~192;
-
-        // don't allow setting texhitscan/nofullbright from ART
-        picanm[i].sf &= ~PICANM_MISC_MASK;
+        E_ConvertARTv1picanmToMemory(i);
     }
 
     DO_FREE_AND_NULL(tilesizx);
@@ -12253,6 +12303,31 @@ static void postloadtile(int16_t tilenume)
 #endif
 }
 
+// Assumes pic has been initialized to zero.
+void E_RenderArtDataIntoBuffer(palette_t * const pic, uint8_t const * const buf, int32_t const bufsizx, int32_t const sizx, int32_t const sizy)
+{
+    for (int32_t y = 0; y < sizy; y++)
+    {
+        palette_t * const picrow = &pic[bufsizx * y];
+
+        for (int32_t x = 0; x < sizx; x++)
+        {
+            uint8_t index = buf[sizy * x + y];
+
+            if (index != 255)
+            {
+                index *= 3;
+
+                // pic is BGRA
+                picrow[x].r = palette[index+2]<<2;
+                picrow[x].g = palette[index+1]<<2;
+                picrow[x].b = palette[index]<<2;
+                picrow[x].f = 255;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 //
 // allocatepermanenttile
 //