Pixel Art Animator

Pixel Art Animator

Overview

This Skill handles all animation-related tasks for sprites, including frame management, timing, animation tags (sequences), and linked cels for efficient animation.

When to Use

Use this Skill when the user:

• Wants to "animate" a sprite or "add animation"
• Mentions "frames", "keyframes", or "frame rate"
• Describes motion: "walk cycle", "run cycle", "idle animation", "attack animation"
• Asks about "animation tags", "loops", or "playback"
• Wants to create "sprite sheets" for animation (coordinate with exporter Skill)

Trigger Keywords: animate, animation, frames, walk cycle, run, idle, attack, loop, movement, motion

Instructions

1. Understanding Animation Basics

Frame: A single image in an animation sequence. Sprites start with 1 frame.

Frame Duration: How long each frame displays (in milliseconds). Default: 100ms (10 FPS).

Animation Tag: Named sequence of frames (e.g., "walk" frames 1-4, "idle" frames 5-8).

Linked Cel: A cel that shares image data with another cel. Editing one updates all linked cels.

Playback Direction:

• Forward: Frames play 1 → 2 → 3 → 4, then loop
• Reverse: Frames play 4 → 3 → 2 → 1, then loop
• Ping-pong: Frames play 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 3 → 2 → 1, then loop

2. Creating Animation Frames

Adding Frames: Use mcp__aseprite__add_frame to create new frames:

• Frames are numbered starting from 1
• New frames start as copies of the current frame (or blank)

Common Frame Counts:

• Idle Animation: 2-4 frames (subtle movement)
• Walk Cycle: 4-8 frames (legs alternate)
• Run Cycle: 6-8 frames (faster, exaggerated)
• Attack Animation: 3-6 frames (windup, strike, recovery)
• Jump: 4-6 frames (crouch, ascend, peak, descend, land)

Duplicating Frames: Use mcp__aseprite__duplicate_frame to copy existing frames:

• Useful for creating variations
• Starting point for similar frames

Deleting Frames: Use mcp__aseprite__delete_frame to remove frames:

• Cannot delete the last remaining frame
• Frames are renumbered after deletion