A small manifest for reviewing hand-picked animation frames

When a character animation is assembled from reviewed frames, filenames alone often do not explain which frames belong in the loop or how long each should be shown. A small manifest can make the decision explicit and easier to review.

Here is a deliberately simple example you can adapt to your own renderer. It is an illustrative format, not a claim about any tool's export format:

{
  "animation": "idle",
  "frames": [
    { "file": "idle_00.png", "duration_ms": 120 },
    { "file": "idle_03.png", "duration_ms": 80 },
    { "file": "idle_07.png", "duration_ms": 120 }
  ],
  "loop": true
}

The sequence is defined by array order, so gaps in the filenames are fine: they can represent frames you chose to omit. The three durations add up to 320 ms. A renderer must define how it handles missing files or invalid durations; silently substituting another image can conceal an error.

What to check before handoff

  • Confirm that every referenced file exists with exactly the spelling and capitalization shown.
  • Keep durations positive and specify their units. A number without a unit can be interpreted very differently.
  • Review the sequence at its intended display size. Exported frame count is not a substitute for checking the motion.
  • Keep the original frames and the selected manifest together, and record the source version when making a revision.

When crop sizes differ, a per-frame pivot may also be necessary to keep a character aligned. Its coordinate system needs its own documentation; do not assume every engine uses the same origin.

MotifDeck’s public demo shows a video-first workflow where users inspect motion before selecting frames. I’m Allen, part of the MotifDeck team. The free plan offers limited preview; generated-file downloads require a paid unlock. This guide was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed.

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