Pixellab Animate Character

Available Animation Templates

Movement Animations

Combat - Basic Attacks

Combat - Advanced

Movement - Special

Utility Actions

Animation Sets by Character Role

Essential Set (All Characters)

1. breathing-idle - Rest state
2. walking-8-frames - Movement
3. falling-back-death - Death

Combat Unit Set (Soldiers, Enemies)

Essential Set +
4. fight-stance-idle-8-frames - Combat idle
5. running-6-frames - Chase/retreat
6. taking-punch - Hit reaction
7. [Attack animation based on weapon]

Player/Companion Set (Full)

Combat Unit Set +
8. drinking - Potion use
9. picking-up - Looting
10. getting-up - Recovery

Weapon-Specific Attack Recommendations

Interactive Workflow

Phase 1: Select Character

Start by listing available characters:

I'll help you add animations to a character! First, let me show your available characters:

[Call mcp__pixellab__list_characters]

Which character would you like to animate?
- Select by name or ID
- Or describe which one (e.g., "the knight", "the mage I just created")

Wait for user response.

Phase 2: Check Current Animations

After character selection:

[Call mcp__pixellab__get_character with character_id]

**Character: [Name]**
- Size: [X]px
- Directions: [4/8]
- Current Animations: [List any existing]

What animations does this character need?

Phase 3: Select Animation Type

Present categorized options:

What type of animation would you like to add?

**Movement:**
- [ ] Idle (breathing-idle) - Essential resting animation
- [ ] Walk (walking-8-frames) - Standard movement
- [ ] Run (running-6-frames) - Fast movement
- [ ] Special movement (crouch, jump, slide)

**Combat:**
- [ ] Combat idle (fight-stance-idle-8-frames)
- [ ] Attack animation (various styles)
- [ ] Hit reaction (taking-punch)
- [ ] Death (falling-back-death)

**Utility:**
- [ ] Drinking (potion use)
- [ ] Picking up (looting)
- [ ] Throwing (grenades, items)

**Quick Sets:**
- [ ] Essential Set (idle, walk, death)
- [ ] Combat Set (essential + combat idle, attack, hit reaction)
- [ ] Full Set (all standard animations)

**Custom:**
- [ ] Custom action (describe your own)

Wait for user response.

Phase 4: Custom Action Description (If Selected)

If user wants custom action:

Describe the action you want the character to perform.

**Tips for good action descriptions:**
- Focus on the MOVEMENT, not the result
- Keep it simple and clear
- Describe the pose/motion

**Good examples:**
- "walking stealthily with weapon drawn"
- "casting spell with hands raised"
- "swinging sword in horizontal slash"
- "blocking with shield raised"
- "kneeling in prayer"

**Avoid:**
- Environmental details ("walking through forest")
- Complex sequences ("attack then dodge then attack")
- Emotions without movement ("feeling angry")

Your action description:

Phase 5: Confirm and Generate

Present summary before generating:

**Animation Summary:**
- Character: [Name] ([ID])
- Animation: [Template or Custom]
- Action Description: [If custom]
- Directions: [Will match character's directions]

**Estimated Time:** 2-4 minutes per animation

Ready to generate? [Yes / Modify / Add More]

Phase 6: Execute Generation

Call the PixelLab API:

# Use mcp__pixellab__animate_character with:
{
  "character_id": "[character UUID]",
  "template_animation_id": "[template ID]",
  "animation_name": "[optional custom name]",
  "action_description": "[optional - for custom actions]"
}

After submission:

Animation queued!

**Job Details:**
- Character: [Name]
- Animation: [Type]
- Status: Processing
- Estimated Time: 2-4 minutes

The animation will automatically generate for all [4/8] directions.

**Next Steps:**
1. Queue more animations while this processes
2. Check status with get_character
3. Download when complete

Batch Animation Workflow

For adding multiple animations efficiently:

Would you like to add a standard animation set?

**Essential Set (3 animations):**
1. breathing-idle
2. walking-8-frames
3. falling-back-death

**Combat Set (6 animations):**
Essential Set +
4. fight-stance-idle-8-frames
5. cross-punch (or weapon-appropriate attack)
6. taking-punch

**Full Set (10 animations):**
Combat Set +
7. running-6-frames
8. drinking
9. picking-up
10. getting-up

Select a set and I'll queue all animations at once.

Queue multiple animations in sequence:

Queuing Essential Set for [Character Name]:

1/3 - breathing-idle... ✓ Queued
2/3 - walking-8-frames... ✓ Queued
3/3 - falling-back-death... ✓ Queued

All animations queued! Total processing time: ~6-12 minutes

I'll check on them periodically, or ask me "check animations for [character]"

Custom Action Guidelines

Writing Effective Action Descriptions

DO:

• Focus on body movement and pose
• Describe the motion arc
• Keep under 50 words
• Match the character's role

DON'T:

• Include environmental context
• Describe emotions without motion
• Request multiple sequential actions
• Use overly complex descriptions

Examples by Character Type

Fighter/Knight:

"swinging sword in wide horizontal arc"
"raising shield in defensive block"
"thrusting spear forward"
"heavy overhead axe chop"

Rogue/Assassin:

"quick dagger stab"
"throwing knife with side-arm motion"
"rolling dodge to the side"
"sneaking with low crouch"

Mage/Cleric:

"raising staff with magical energy gathering"
"hands together in prayer pose"
"throwing magical projectile"
"reading from spell book"

Archer/Ranger:

"drawing bow and releasing arrow"
"notching arrow while moving"
"kneeling to aim"
"rolling while drawing bow"

Animation Naming Conventions

Recommended naming for Godot import:

[character]_[action]_[direction]

Examples:
- ironmark_fighter_idle_s
- ironmark_fighter_walk_sw
- ironmark_fighter_attack_e
- ironmark_fighter_death_n

Animation names in PixelLab:

• Use descriptive names: "Combat Idle", "Sword Slash", "Hit Reaction"
• These help identify animations in the character list
• Names can include the action type for clarity

Post-Animation Workflow

After animations complete:

1. Check Status:

   mcp__pixellab__get_character(character_id, include_preview=true)
   

2. Review Animations:

   • Verify all directions animated correctly
   • Check timing feels right
   • Confirm style matches base character

3. Download Assets:

   • Individual frame PNGs
   • Sprite sheets per animation
   • Combined character ZIP

4. Import to Godot:

   assets/sprites/characters/[faction]/[character]/
   ├── idle/
   │   ├── idle_s.png
   │   ├── idle_sw.png
   │   └── ...
   ├── walk/
   ├── attack/
   └── death/
   

5. Setup AnimationPlayer:

   • Create animation tracks for each action
   • Set appropriate frame rates (8-12 FPS typical)
   • Configure looping (idle/walk loop, attack/death don't)

Quick Animation (Skip Interactive)

If user specifies animation directly:

User: "Add a walk animation to the Ironmark fighter"

Skip to Phase 6 with:
- character_id: [find by name match]
- template_animation_id: "walking-8-frames"
- animation_name: "Walk Cycle"

User: "Give the knight a sword slash attack"

Skip to Phase 6 with:
- character_id: [find by name match]
- template_animation_id: "cross-punch"
- action_description: "swinging sword in horizontal slash"
- animation_name: "Sword Slash"

Error Handling

If animation fails:

1. Verify character exists and is complete
2. Check template_animation_id is valid
3. Simplify custom action description
4. Ensure character has directional views generated

If style doesn't match:

1. Animation inherits character's style settings
2. If mismatch, may need to regenerate character
3. Try different template that better fits character type

Example Invocations

User: "Add animations to my knight character" User: "I need walk and attack animations for the new enemy" User: "Animate the Ironmark fighter with combat moves" User: "Give all my characters idle animations" User: "Add a custom spell casting animation to the mage"

Reference: Animation Processing Times

Times are per animation, processing is sequential per character.