---
name: hyperframes-animation
description: "All animation knowledge for HyperFrames — atomic motion rules, multi-phase scene blueprints, scene transitions, broader motion-design techniques, AND the seven runtime adapters (GSAP default, plus Lottie, Three.js, Anime.js, CSS keyframes, Web Animations API, TypeGPU). Use for any motion or animation task: pick 2-4 rules and compose, or load a blueprint, or look up runtime-specific API (e.g. GSAP eases / Lottie player / Three.js mixer). Also covers auditing an existing composition's choreography (animation map) and 24 named text-animation effects. HyperFrames-native: single paused timeline, seek-safe, deterministic."
---
**Plugin installs:** Before setup or freshness commands, follow [plugin execution rules](../hyperframes/references/plugin-installation.md) when this skill is inside a HyperFrames plugin. Standalone installs keep the update instructions below.
# HyperFrames Animation
All motion knowledge in one skill: **rules** (atomic recipes), **blueprints** (multi-phase scene templates), **transitions** (scene-to-scene), **techniques** (broader motion-design patterns), and **adapters** (per-runtime APIs).
For the composition contract (data attributes, sub-compositions, determinism) see `hyperframes-core`.
## Default: compose atomic rules
Pick 2-4 rules from `rules-index.md`, glue them together with a single paused GSAP timeline, done. This is faster and produces less code than starting from a blueprint.
## Load a blueprint when
- The scene matches an existing pre-designed multi-phase template (brand-reveal, social-proof, etc.) and reusing its phase pipeline saves real authoring time
- You want runnable ground-truth code for a complex 4-5 phase choreography
Blueprints live in `blueprints-index.md`. Each entry points to `blueprints/<id>.md` (recipe). Do not read it speculatively; load it when you've already decided you need scene-level orchestration.
## Routing
| Want to… | Read |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------- |
| Pick an atomic motion pattern by trigger / tag | `rules-index.md` |
| Read one rule's full HTML / CSS / GSAP recipe | `rules/<name>.md` |
| Pick a multi-phase scene template | `blueprints-index.md` |
| Read one blueprint's full recipe | `blueprints/<id>.md` |
| Author a scene transition (CSS-driven, between two clips) | `transitions/overview.md`, `transitions/catalog.md` |
| Look up a broader motion-design technique | `techniques.md` |
| Motion blur — shutter smear on an element, and when not to use it | `references/motion-blur.md` |
| Analyze an existing composition's animation map | `scripts/animation-map.mjs` |
| GSAP API — timeline / tweens / position parameters | `adapters/gsap.md` |
| GSAP — drop-in effect recipes | `rules/gsap-effects.md` |
| GSAP — transforms / perf | `adapters/gsap-transforms-and-perf.md` |
| GSAP — eases / stagger | `adapters/gsap-easing-and-stagger.md` |
| GSAP — timeline / labels | `adapters/gsap-timeline-and-labels.md` |
| Lottie / dotLottie (After Effects exports, `window.__hfLottie`) | `adapters/lottie.md` |
| Character animation (walk cycle, mascot, jointed puppet, gestures) | `adapters/lottie.md` → Characters |
| Three.js / WebGL (3D scenes, `AnimationMixer`, `hf-seek`) | `adapters/three.md` |
| Anime.js (`window.__hfAnime`) | `adapters/animejs.md` |
| CSS keyframes (`animation-delay` / `play-state` / `fill-mode`) | `adapters/css-animations.md` |
| Web Animations API (`element.animate()`, `currentTime` seek) | `adapters/waapi.md` |
| TypeGPU / WebGPU (`navigator.gpu`, WGSL, compute pipelines) | `adapters/typegpu.md` |
| HTML-as-texture + WebGL/GLSL post-fx (capture live DOM via `drawElementImage`) | `adapters/html-in-canvas-patterns.md` |
| Named text-animation effects (24 IDs via external `animate-text` skill) | `adapters/animate-text.md` |
## Picking a runtime
- **GSAP** is the default for 95% of motion work — covers timeline orchestration, transforms, easing, stagger. All atomic rules in this skill are GSAP-based.
- **Lottie** when an asset has its own pre-baked timeline (typically After Effects exports), including characters that walk, gesture or react.
- **Three.js** for 3D scenes, camera motion, shader-driven visuals.
- **Anime.js** for lightweight tweening when GSAP is overkill.
- **CSS** for simple repeated motifs, decoration, shimmer — no JavaScript animation cost.
- **WAAPI** for native browser keyframes without a GSAP dependency.
- **TypeGPU / WebGPU** for GPU-rendered canvases (particles, liquid glass, custom shaders).
Multiple runtimes can coexist in one composition. Each registers its instances on the runtime-specific global so HyperFrames can seek all of them in one pass.
## Critical Constraints
**Prerequisite: `hyperframes-core` → One paused timeline + Non-negotiable rules** (single paused timeline, `data-duration` governs length, no `Math.random` / `Date.now` / `performance.now`, no `repeat: -1` without a finite root `data-duration`, no page-load `gsap.set` on later-scene clips, no `display` or raw `visibility` tweens, and register the timeline only after it is fully built, including when the build runs inside an async callback such as `document.fonts.ready`). GSAP `autoAlpha` and zero-duration visibility sets at explicit timeline boundaries remain allowed by core. Use those exceptions only on non-clip elements or wrappers inside a clip; the framework owns `.clip` lifecycle. Don't restate the full contract here.
Animation-craft additions on top of core's contract:
- **Pre-calculated layout constants** — never derive positions from `getBoundingClientRect()` at tween time. Tween-time DOM measurements desync because the renderer samples in parallel; compute coordinates once at composition setup and reuse.
- **Spatial motion uses GSAP transform aliases only** (`x`, `y`, `scale`, `rotation`). Core's allowlist also permits `opacity` / `color` / `backgroundColor` / `borderRadius` for non-spatial property tweens — but never `width` / `height` / `top` / `left` for layout changes.
## Scripts
```bash
node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/animation-map.mjs <composition-dir> \
--out <composition-dir>/.hyperframes/anim-map
```
Reads every GSAP timeline registered on `window.__timelines`, enumerates tweens, samples bboxes, computes flags, outputs `animation-map.json`. Use it to audit choreography (dead zones, stagger consistency, lifecycle warnings) after authoring.
`animation-map.mjs` resolves helper packages from the current project first, then can bootstrap the bundled HyperFrames package version. Set `HYPERFRAMES_SKILL_PKG_VERSION=<version>` only when running the skill outside the bundled CLI/skill install and you need to pin that bootstrap version explicitly.
## See Also
- `hyperframes-core` — composition structure, data attributes, sub-compositions, deterministic render contract
- `hyperframes-creative` — palettes, typography, narration, beat planning (non-animation creative direction)
- `hyperframes-cli` — `npx hyperframes lint / check / snapshot / preview / render`