Turn a still sprite into a short animation by duplicating its pose and making a few deliberate changes. This guide ends with a saved animation and a checked playback preview.
Start with an editable Pixels document containing your first pose. Separate layers for the character and shadow make it easier to move one without disturbing the other.
Create The Next Pose
•Open the animation timeline - Choose More > Window > Animation Timeline. The still image appears as one frame.
•Duplicate the frame - Choose Duplicate selected frame. The new frame appears after the current one and has its own artwork.
•Change one movement - Select the new frame and adjust a limb, the body position, or the shadow. Keep the change small enough that the motion remains readable.
•Compare both poses - Switch between the thumbnails. Confirm that the first frame still contains its original drawing.
Continue duplicating and adjusting poses until the sequence describes the movement. Use Add blank frame when the next drawing should begin independently.
Check The Timing
•Set a starting speed - Try 12 FPS, then choose Play animation. At least two frames are required.
•Inspect the loop - Enable Loop and watch the transition from the last pose back to the first. Adjust the drawings if that transition jumps unexpectedly.
•Refine the order - Pause and use Frame options to move a selected frame earlier or later. Delete an unwanted frame only after checking which thumbnail is selected.
FPS changes the speed of the entire sequence. Add intermediate drawings when the motion needs another pose; increasing FPS alone does not create them.
Save And Verify
•Save the animation - For a shared document, use More > Save and check the save feedback. For a local import, save a layered Pixels project.
•Keep a project copy - Use Save as Layered Project to retain all frames and playback settings in a .vspixels file.
•Choose any still export deliberately - Select the intended frame before exporting PNG or another image format.
The completed project contains the animation. An ordinary image export contains the active artwork, not an animated GIF, movie, or sprite sheet.
For frame behavior and playback questions, see Frame Animation.
