# Animated Sprite Generation

> Use when creating looping animated isometric sprites (water, fire, windmills, flags) as frame strips that play back smoothly in-engine.

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-0xheycat-isometric-game-skills-animated-sprite-generation`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [0xheycat](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/0xheycat)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [0xheycat](https://github.com/0xheycat)
- **Source:** https://github.com/0xheycat/isometric-game-skills/tree/master/skills/animated-sprite-generation
- **Website:** https://0xheycat.github.io/isometric-game-skills/demo/

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-0xheycat-isometric-game-skills-animated-sprite-generation
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Animated Sprite Generation

## Overview

Animation in 2D isometric games is frame-based, not skeletal. This skill produces short, seamless LOOPS as frame strips. Do NOT animate ground tiles - animate objects on top of them, or performance and visual noise explode.

## When to Use

- You need animated water, fire, smoke, windmills, or flags.
- You want idle/ambient motion without a 3D engine.
- A sprite must loop seamlessly without a visible jump.

## Process

1. Decide frame count for a clean loop (4-8 frames is plenty for ambient motion).
2. Generate frames with a FIXED seed, varying only the motion phrase per frame (e.g. wave phase, blade angle).
3. Keep the silhouette and lighting identical - only the moving part changes.
4. Assemble frames into a horizontal strip / sprite sheet.
5. Confirm frame 1 and frame N loop seamlessly (last frame flows into first).
6. Play back in-engine at a low FPS (6-12) for ambient motion.
7. NEVER animate full ground tiles - animate overlay objects only.

```bash
# assemble frames into a horizontal strip
convert frame_*.png +append spritesheet.png
```

## Rationalizations (Stop Lying to Yourself)

| Excuse | Reality |
|---|---|
| "More frames = smoother = better" | More frames = more VRAM and bigger atlas for zero visible gain on ambient loops. |
| "I will animate the water tiles directly" | Animating every ground tile tanks performance. Use an overlay object. |

## Red Flags - STOP if you catch yourself:

- Animating ground tiles instead of overlay objects.
- Loop visibly jumps between last and first frame.
- Silhouette or light changes between frames.

## Verification

You are NOT done until every box is checked:

- [ ] The loop is seamless (last frame flows into first).
- [ ] Only the intended part moves; silhouette/light stay fixed.
- [ ] Ground tiles are NOT animated; only overlay objects are.

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [0xheycat](https://github.com/0xheycat)
- **Source:** [0xheycat/isometric-game-skills](https://github.com/0xheycat/isometric-game-skills)
- **License:** MIT
- **Homepage:** https://0xheycat.github.io/isometric-game-skills/demo/

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-0xheycat-isometric-game-skills-animated-sprite-generation
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/0xheycat
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.