Pixel Motion Kit

When this helps

You want to animate pixel art, but AI never returns anything usable

What it does

Builds a pixel-art sprite sheet from a character drawing. What image AI actually returns is a single image on a checkerboard, with neither real transparency nor consistent sizing no matter how you ask. This makes it genuinely transparent, cuts it into 16 frames and aligns the feet. Preview the motion in a browser, choose speed and frames, then export GIF, numbered PNGs and a transparent sheet.

The fixes baked into this kit

This kit has not been used for real work yet. Once the fixes found in the field are in, they show up here.

What's inside

• The flow (art → sheet → fix → review → export)
• A tool that turns the checkerboard into real transparency
• A tool that aligns frames that drift
• A screen to watch the motion and set speed
• GIF, numbered PNG and transparent sheet export
• Where image AI ignores your instructions, and how to fix it

The first three decisions

1. The character (existing art is fine)
2. The motion (combat by default)
3. Frame count (start with 4×4 = 16)

What you need

• Extra costA way to produce artworkYou need character art. Your own image AI or existing illustrations both work.
• Extra costA Gemini key (optional)Only if you want to hand over a drawing and have it run start to finish. ★Image generation needs a paid plan. You can get the same result without a key by pasting the prompts yourself.
• No extra costPython (Pillow)If you do not have it, one line installs it: pip install Pillow

How to use

Just paste this into your AI.

I want to use the nice to have kit "Pixel Motion Kit". Follow https://nicetohave.app/en/g/Y3FEQLMA-•••••••••• and set it up.

Works the same in Claude Code or Codex.
Read what this tells your AI to do, before you paste it

FAQ

Can I make motions other than combat?

Yes. Swap "combat" and the motion order in the sheet prompt for something else, such as walking, idling or celebrating. For looping motions like walking or idling, add a line asking for the last frame to flow naturally back into the first.

Does a whitish character work?

Don't use large areas of white or light grey. They can't be told apart from the checkerboard background and get removed with it. In one case, a skin-toned face disappeared entirely.

Can a drawing cut off at the edge of a frame be fixed?

No. What was cut off can't be recovered, so you need to regenerate the sheet.

Can I drop the result straight into a game?

The kit delivers assets (GIF, numbered PNGs and a transparent sheet) and does not guarantee they work in a game. Hit detection and speed depend on how your game is built.

How fast should the animation be?

As a guide, each frame should last 0.08–0.1 s for combat, 0.1–0.12 s for walking and 0.15–0.2 s for idling. When unsure, go faster: too slow and it looks like still images being swapped.

Supporters

Once support opens, the people who backed this kit will be listed here.