# spritecook-animate-assets

A skill for animating game assets through the SpriteCook MCP server: turns an existing sprite into a short pixel-art or detailed animation.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1000 installs · ★ 48
- Author: SpriteCook
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/SpriteCook/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/spritecook-animate-assets/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-22
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/spritecook-animate-assets

## What it does

The skill covers the animation workflow in SpriteCook. It talks to the SpriteCook MCP server and calls `animate_game_art`, which takes an existing `asset_id` and returns a job right away. Follow the returned `poll.tool` and `poll.arguments` instead of holding the request open. Animations take about 1-5 minutes.

The starting frame matters most. The model animates the input image, so that image should already show the pose, state and facing needed at the start of the motion. For a walk cycle, the skill advises editing the idle sprite into a mid-stride pose first; for a falling-asleep transition an awake pose can work. When the pose is wrong, prepare it with `generate_game_art` using `edit_asset_id` or `reference_asset_id`, and keep the character design intact.

You need a connected SpriteCook MCP server. If it is disconnected, the skill says to explain that and use the host's own connection flow, without installing software or touching authentication settings for an art task. Call parameters like `output_frames`, `output_format` and `removebg` are set per request; `negative_prompt` is not supported by `pixel-engine-v1.5`.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add SpriteCook/skills --skill spritecook-animate-assets -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/spritecook-animate-assets/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/spritecook-animate-assets/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add SpriteCook/skills --skill spritecook-animate-assets -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/spritecook-animate-assets/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add SpriteCook/skills --skill spritecook-animate-assets -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/spritecook-animate-assets/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install SpriteCook/skills spritecook-animate-assets
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/spritecook-animate-assets/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add SpriteCook/skills --skill spritecook-animate-assets -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/SpriteCook/skills --path skills/spritecook-animate-assets
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/spritecook-animate-assets/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add SpriteCook/skills --skill spritecook-animate-assets -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/SpriteCook/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/spritecook-animate-assets/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- turn a finished sprite into a short animation
- prepare a starting frame for a specific motion
- build a walk cycle that never snaps back to idle
- make a sleeping loop with steady breathing
- export an animation as webp, gif or spritesheet

## Example prompts
- animate asset `asset_id` into a continuous walk cycle in place
- edit the idle sprite into a mid-stride pose, then animate it
- animate this character into a sleeping loop with eyes closed

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: ea4b94b561006452.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE ea4b94b561006452
```text
---
name: spritecook-animate-assets
description: "Animation guide for SpriteCook. Use with spritecook-workflow-essentials when importing source images, writing stronger motion prompts, and animating existing assets."
---

# SpriteCook Animate Assets

Use this skill for animation workflows. Pair it with `spritecook-workflow-essentials` for credits, manifests, safe downloads, and shared defaults.

**Requires:** A connected SpriteCook MCP server. If disconnected, explain that connection is needed and use the host's native connection flow when authorized. Do not install software or change authentication settings as part of an art task.

## Tool

Before animation, inspect the source outline and transparency. Use `spritecook-polish-sprites` to recover edge pixels from a preserved alpha source when useful, then animate the polished asset ID. Inspect completed animations for edge flicker; the polishing workflow can compare one cutoff across all frames of a supported animation.

### `animate_game_art`

Animate an existing SpriteCook asset into a short pixel-art or detailed animation. The tool returns a job immediately; follow its `poll.tool` and `poll.arguments` instead of holding the request open.

| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|-----------|------|---------|-------------|
| `asset_id` | string (required) | - | Existing SpriteCook asset ID to animate |
| `prompt` | string (required) | - | Describe the exact motion over time. If `auto_enhance_prompt=true`, simple prompts like "Idle" or "Attack" are acceptable |
| `auto_enhance_prompt` | bool | true | Inspect the source asset and expand short prompts into a fuller animation prompt |
| `edge_margin` | int | 6 | Spacing added before animation framing. Pixel art stands on the bottom edge as a ground line, so the margin goes on the sides and top |
| `vertical_align` | string | null | Pixel art only. `"center"` for flying, floating or bouncing subjects, so `edge_margin` also leaves room below. Omit to keep the ground line |
| `pixel` | bool | null | Optional mode override. If omitted, SpriteCook infers the mode from the asset |
| `model` | string | mode default | `pixel-engine-v1.1`, `frame-engine-v1.1`, or `pixel-engine-v1.5`. Omit for the v1.1 default |
| `output_frames` | int | 8 | v1.1 uses even counts (pixel 2-16, detailed 2-24); v1.5 accepts 3-16 whole-number frames |
| `output_format` | string | "webp" | "webp", "gif", or "spritesheet" |
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE ea4b94b561006452

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the ea4b94b561006452 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2436 of 12481 bytes. © SpriteCook · MIT · https://github.com/SpriteCook/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/spritecook-animate-assets/SKILL.md

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