Is C2 deduplication only limited to cloned sprites?

Based on this tutorial: https://www.scirra.com/tutorials/577/co ... imisations

How does C2 deduplicate sprites? Will it deduplicate images imported separately, not cloned?

Is C2 smart enough to identify pixel difference that even if I separately import (not clone) images, it will know that it is the same?

For example, I imported a similar spriter project (with similar images and etc.) in C2 but different scml name. Will it deduplicate the images by telling which is similar?

Thanks in advance.

Just in case Ashley is online.

It looks at the pixel data. So it doesn't matter where the images came from, if they are identical they are deduplicated (except for the limitations mentioned in the tutorial).

Amazing Ashley , very helpful for us who uses spriter projects.