Children Become Frames
After objects are grouped, each child can be included in the movie. Playback advances through included children using each child's frame duration.
Group objects
Group MovieClip Animation
A group can become a frame-based MovieClip. Each child object can act like an animation frame, including groups made entirely from vector or scene objects.
What it is
A grouped animation made from real objects
Group MovieClip is useful when the animation is built from level objects instead of a single sprite sheet. The editor keeps the children as objects, but playback treats selected children as frames.
All Vector Works
The group can be made entirely from vector or scene objects. No physics child is required when the animation is only visual.
Static Parts Can Stay
Children excluded from the movie can remain as steady parts of the same group, such as a frame, housing, base, sign post, or machine shell.
One Physics Anchor Optional
If the group needs physical behavior, it can contain one non-scene physics child. The other children should stay scene objects.
Gameplay Can Drive It
Trigger zones and chips can start, stop, toggle, set a frame, or change loop ranges for the grouped movie animation.
Saves As A Reusable Object
Once tuned, the group can be saved into the library so the same animated machine or vector character can be reused in other levels.
Creator guide
Custom Movie Clip: animate the same parts
Use Custom Movie Clip to pose the same child objects across keyframes. Each body part is drawn once; frames change its position, rotation, visibility and alpha. This is the animation system used by the current Main Character skins.
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Current Child | Choose the part to edit, then set its transform for the selected keyframe. |
| Layer / Frame | Choose whether timeline actions work on layers or frames. Layers within one timeline share that timeline's current frame. |
| Add Timeline | Create an independently timed animation. Use a separate timeline when one action needs to run alongside another. |
| Timeline Name / Frame Duration / Play On Start / Loop | Name the selected timeline and control its timing and playback. |
| Layer Name / Layer Visible | Name a layer and show or hide it while editing. Layer Visible is an editor preview control. |
| Delete Timeline | Delete the selected timeline while another remains. On a Main Character, the first timeline owns the movement animation; removing it breaks that movement setup. |
When multiple running timelines move the same part, the later timeline takes precedence. Enable Weapon on a Main Character creates a Weapon timeline with an Arm layer, allowing the arm action to play alongside walking.
Create the container
Turn selected objects into one group
Grouping makes one controlled container. Moving, rotating, scaling, filtering, and saving the group affects the children together.
Group Objects
Select the frame objects, then use Group Objects from the right-side menu. The selected objects become children inside one group object.
Break Group
If the group must be rebuilt, Break Group returns children to normal objects. Group-specific MovieClip settings are lost when the group is broken.
Current Child
Selects which child/frame is being inspected. Use it to step through frames while tuning offsets, inclusion, and frame duration.
Child Offset X/Y
Moves the current child relative to the group center. Use this when one vector frame is slightly out of place or a pose needs local adjustment.
Enable Group Focus Mode
Shows only the current child while editing. This is the easiest way to inspect dense vector frames that overlap each other.
Show Previous Frame
When focus mode is enabled, the previous frame can remain visible as a ghost reference. This makes frame-to-frame alignment much easier.
Previous Frame Alpha
Controls how strong the previous-frame ghost is. Lower values are subtle; higher values help when matching complicated silhouettes.
Child Selection
Children inside a group are not selected like normal standalone objects. Use Current Child and focus controls, or break the group for full child editing.
MovieClip controls
Choose what plays and how long it stays visible
These controls turn a normal group into a frame animation. They appear on group workflows and child/frame editing workflows where supported.
Play Group As MovieClip
Enables frame-based playback for the group. When active, included children behave as movie frames instead of all appearing as a static pile.
Include In Movie
Controls whether the current child participates in playback. Turn it off for permanent group parts such as a border, shadow, stand, pivot, or machine shell.
Movie Frame Duration
Sets how long the current child/frame is displayed. Short durations make a fast animation; long durations create readable states or pauses.
Different Durations Per Frame
Each included child can have its own duration. Use longer timing for important poses and shorter timing for in-between vector frames.
Apply For All Frames
Applies compatible movie settings across all children/frames. Use it when every frame should share one timing or transition setup.
Excluded Children
An excluded child can stay visible with the group while the included frames animate. This is useful for a fixed lamp body with animated light, a fixed control panel with blinking indicators, or a machine body with changing internal parts.
Normal Object Animation
Children that are included in a group MovieClip should usually avoid their own separate object animation, because the MovieClip is already controlling visibility and frame timing.
Frame Count
The number of included children becomes the practical frame count. Add more vector frame objects for smoother animation, or fewer frames for mechanical step motion.
Gameplay connection
Drive grouped animation with triggers and chips
A grouped MovieClip can be more than decoration. It can show puzzle state, react to contact, display progress, or become an animated target controlled by logic.
Trigger Zone Movie Controls
Trigger zones can enable MovieClip changes when something enters, exits, touches, or satisfies the configured trigger filter.
Enable Movie Clip Change
Allows a trigger zone to change the target group's MovieClip playback. Use this for doors, indicators, warning lights, and animated traps.
Movie Clip Change Type
Chooses what the trigger does to playback, such as starting, stopping, toggling, or otherwise changing the current MovieClip state.
Set Movie Clip Frame
Forces the group to a specific frame. This is useful for switches, progress bars, multi-state panels, locks, doors, and puzzle counters.
Start Loop Frame / End Loop Frame
Changes the loop range so the same group can play only part of its animation after a trigger event.
Chip Outputs
Chips can drive Movie Clip Frame, Movie Clip Start Loop Frame, and Movie Clip End Loop Frame, letting values and events choose the displayed frame or loop section.
Reuse
Save the animated group into the library
After the group animation is tuned, save it as a reusable object so the same animated vector machine can be placed in other levels.
Save Object
Select the group and use Save Object. The group save keeps child records, offsets, group bounds, and supported group data.
Library Objects
Open Library Objects to place the saved animated group again. This is ideal for reusable effects, animated decorations, multi-state switches, and vector characters.
Cluster Versus Group
Use a group when the objects need shared group controls or MovieClip playback. Use a cluster when you only need to save several separate objects with preserved positions.
Export And Import
Exported level JSON includes object data, custom object data, color data, animation data, and other supported object-specific data so grouped builds can move with the level.
Practical build
Recommended MovieClip workflow
Use this checklist when turning vector objects or grouped objects into an animated MovieClip.
1. Draw The Frames
Create each pose as a separate object. For all-vector animation, keep the frame objects as vector or scene objects.
2. Align The Frames
Place each frame around the same center. If needed, use ghosted previous-frame editing later for final tuning.
3. Group The Objects
Select the frame objects and use Group Objects. Avoid nested groups, and use at most one non-scene physics child if the group needs physics.
4. Enable MovieClip Playback
Turn on Play Group As MovieClip. Step through Current Child and decide which children are included in the movie.
5. Tune Timing
Set Movie Frame Duration per child, then use Apply For All Frames only when every frame should share the same timing or transition setup.
6. Add Transitions
Enable transitions if the animation should blend. Choose Alpha, Scale, Blur, or Pixelate based on the visual style.
7. Connect Logic
Use trigger zones or chips when the animation should react to gameplay, change frame, or loop only a specific range.
8. Save The Group
Save the tuned group into the library if it should become a reusable animated object in later levels.
Connected pages
Related guides
Group MovieClip sits between group editing, animation settings, trigger-zone logic, and saved library workflows.
Multiple Selected Objects
Group controls, child offsets, focus mode, alignment, and MovieClip controls.
Right Side Group Tools
Group Objects, Break Group, library saves, clusters, import, and export.
Animation Settings
General object animation and gameplay-driven visual changes.
Trigger Zone Settings
Use triggers to change MovieClip playback or force a specific frame.
Chip Settings
Use logic outputs to drive movie frame and loop range values.