diff --git a/tools/smoke_visual_assets.gd b/tools/smoke_visual_assets.gd
index a9acee9..69dd5a2 100644
--- a/tools/smoke_visual_assets.gd
+++ b/tools/smoke_visual_assets.gd
@@ -5536,9 +5536,8 @@ func _check_alpha_cutout_path(failures: Array[String], path: String, context: St
 	if not FileAccess.file_exists(path):
 		failures.append("%s references missing image: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
-	var image := Image.new()
-	var err := image.load(path)
-	if err != OK:
+	var image := _load_smoke_image(path)
+	if image == null:
 		failures.append("%s references unreadable image: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
 	if image.get_width() < 512 or image.get_height() < 512:
@@ -5569,9 +5568,8 @@ func _check_toolbar_icon_path(failures: Array[String], path: String, context: St
 	if not FileAccess.file_exists(path):
 		failures.append("%s references missing icon: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
-	var image := Image.new()
-	var err := image.load(path)
-	if err != OK:
+	var image := _load_smoke_image(path)
+	if image == null:
 		failures.append("%s references unreadable icon: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
 	if image.get_width() < 128 or image.get_height() < 128:
@@ -5613,9 +5611,8 @@ func _check_panel_texture_path(failures: Array[String], path: String, context: S
 	if not FileAccess.file_exists(path):
 		failures.append("%s references missing panel texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
-	var image := Image.new()
-	var err := image.load(path)
-	if err != OK:
+	var image := _load_smoke_image(path)
+	if image == null:
 		failures.append("%s references unreadable panel texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
 	if image.get_width() < 512 or image.get_height() < 512:
@@ -5668,9 +5665,8 @@ func _check_button_texture_path(failures: Array[String], path: String, context:
 	if not FileAccess.file_exists(path):
 		failures.append("%s references missing button texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
-	var image := Image.new()
-	var err := image.load(path)
-	if err != OK:
+	var image := _load_smoke_image(path)
+	if image == null:
 		failures.append("%s references unreadable button texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
 	if image.get_width() < 512 or image.get_height() < 192:
@@ -5726,9 +5722,8 @@ func _check_icon_button_texture_path(failures: Array[String], path: String, cont
 	if not FileAccess.file_exists(path):
 		failures.append("%s references missing icon button texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
-	var image := Image.new()
-	var err := image.load(path)
-	if err != OK:
+	var image := _load_smoke_image(path)
+	if image == null:
 		failures.append("%s references unreadable icon button texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
 	if image.get_width() < 256 or image.get_height() < 256:
@@ -5790,6 +5785,27 @@ func _image_visible_warm_bias(image: Image, sample_step: int) -> float:
 	return total_bias / float(visible_samples)
 
 
+func _load_smoke_image(path: String) -> Image:
+	var bytes := FileAccess.get_file_as_bytes(path)
+	if bytes.is_empty():
+		return null
+	var image := Image.new()
+	var lower_path := path.to_lower()
+	var err := OK
+	if lower_path.ends_with(".png"):
+		err = image.load_png_from_buffer(bytes)
+	elif lower_path.ends_with(".jpg") or lower_path.ends_with(".jpeg"):
+		err = image.load_jpg_from_buffer(bytes)
+	elif lower_path.ends_with(".webp"):
+		err = image.load_webp_from_buffer(bytes)
+	else:
+		var disk_path := ProjectSettings.globalize_path(path) if path.begins_with("res://") or path.begins_with("user://") else path
+		err = image.load(disk_path)
+	if err != OK:
+		return null
+	return image
+
+
 func _check_tile_marker_texture_path(failures: Array[String], path: String, context: String) -> void:
 	if path.is_empty():
 		failures.append("%s has an empty marker path" % context)
@@ -5800,9 +5816,8 @@ func _check_tile_marker_texture_path(failures: Array[String], path: String, cont
 	if not FileAccess.file_exists(path):
 		failures.append("%s references missing tile marker texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
-	var image := Image.new()
-	var err := image.load(path)
-	if err != OK:
+	var image := _load_smoke_image(path)
+	if image == null:
 		failures.append("%s references unreadable tile marker texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
 	if image.get_width() < 512 or image.get_height() < 512:
@@ -5855,9 +5870,8 @@ func _check_class_icon_texture_path(failures: Array[String], path: String, conte
 	if not FileAccess.file_exists(path):
 		failures.append("%s references missing class icon texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
-	var image := Image.new()
-	var err := image.load(path)
-	if err != OK:
+	var image := _load_smoke_image(path)
+	if image == null:
 		failures.append("%s references unreadable class icon texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
 	if image.get_width() < 512 or image.get_height() < 512:
@@ -5910,9 +5924,8 @@ func _check_map_badge_texture_path(failures: Array[String], path: String, contex
 	if not FileAccess.file_exists(path):
 		failures.append("%s references missing map badge texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
-	var image := Image.new()
-	var err := image.load(path)
-	if err != OK:
+	var image := _load_smoke_image(path)
+	if image == null:
 		failures.append("%s references unreadable map badge texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
 	if image.get_width() < 512 or image.get_height() < 512:
@@ -5965,9 +5978,8 @@ func _check_terrain_texture_path(failures: Array[String], path: String, context:
 	if not FileAccess.file_exists(path):
 		failures.append("%s references missing texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
-	var image := Image.new()
-	var err := image.load(path)
-	if err != OK:
+	var image := _load_smoke_image(path)
+	if image == null:
 		failures.append("%s references unreadable texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
 	if image.get_width() < 128 or image.get_height() < 128:
@@ -5995,9 +6007,8 @@ func _check_terrain_feature_texture_path(failures: Array[String], path: String,
 	if not FileAccess.file_exists(path):
 		failures.append("%s references missing terrain feature texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
-	var image := Image.new()
-	var err := image.load(path)
-	if err != OK:
+	var image := _load_smoke_image(path)
+	if image == null:
 		failures.append("%s references unreadable terrain feature texture: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
 	if image.get_width() < 512 or image.get_height() < 512:
@@ -6046,9 +6057,8 @@ func _check_image_path(failures: Array[String], path: String, context: String) -
 	if not FileAccess.file_exists(path):
 		failures.append("%s references missing image: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
-	var image := Image.new()
-	var err := image.load(path)
-	if err != OK:
+	var image := _load_smoke_image(path)
+	if image == null:
 		failures.append("%s references unreadable image: %s" % [context, path])
 		return
 	if image.get_width() < 512 or image.get_height() < 512: