Layers, image sequences and useful exports

Separate stage and action

Layers appear from front to back. Add layer creates empty cels for every drawing. Rename, reorder, hide, lock or change opacity in the properties panel. An eraser affects only its own layer, revealing lower layers. Locked or hidden layers cannot be drawn on.

Bring in images

Import images accepts PNG, JPEG and WebP. Each image becomes a new drawing on the active layer, fitted to the canvas. Images must be at most 3 MB and 2 MP each; the total embedded source budget is roughly 6 MB. Choose an unlocked, visible layer first.

Export a GIF or a video

Export offers an animated GIF with a chosen maximum long edge, a color budget from 16 to 256 colors, optional looping and ping-pong playback (forwards, then backwards). Flipline builds an adaptive palette from your drawings and compresses every frame, so a simple twelve-drawing study is usually a few dozen kilobytes. When Transparent background is on in Canvas settings, empty areas stay transparent in the GIF; otherwise the paper color fills them. Holds round to 10 ms units. Reduce the size if the total exceeds 24 million frame pixels.

Video (WebM) records the animation in real time in your browser, with 1–10 repeats and optional ping-pong, up to 60 seconds. Keep the tab in front while it records. Browsers without WebM recording use MP4 when they can; otherwise the option is disabled.

Export a sequence or sprite sheet

PNG sequence downloads every drawing and a timing.json file in one ZIP. Sprite sheet packs drawings in row-major order and includes an atlas.json with exact rectangles, labels, holds and durations. Choose columns and padding; sheets are limited to 16 MP. Enable Transparent background in Canvas settings if you need alpha.

Current drawing can also export as PNG, as an SVG containing a rendered PNG, or through browser print to PDF. Storyboard prints every drawing with its number, hold and label, which is handy for reviewing timing on paper.

Use the companion tools

Animation Exposure Sheet calculates timing from holds. Sprite Sheet Layout Planner returns coordinates. Animation Motion Study Generator creates a downloadable editable ball-motion project with easing. All three share the studio engine and support API and MCP.