Frames & cels
Frames#
A frame is one moment in the animation. Every layer has a cel for it (or leaves it empty).
⋯ ▸ Frame or the timeline buttons:
| Command | Result |
|---|---|
| New Frame | Insert a copy of the current frame after it. |
| Empty Frame | Insert a blank frame. |
| Delete Frame | Remove the selected frame(s). |
| Duplicate | Copy the selected frame(s). |
| Reverse Frames | Reverse the whole sequence (or a selected range). |
| Move Left / Right | Reorder the active frame. |
Drag frame headers to reorder them by hand.
Duration#
Each frame has its own duration in milliseconds. Select a frame and use the − [N ms] + control, or drag the slider. The FPS readout is derived from the current frame's duration.
Cels#
A cel is one layer's art on one frame.
| Command (timeline menu) | Result |
|---|---|
| Copy Cel / Paste Cel | Move artwork between cels. |
| Clear Cel | Erase the active cel. |
| Link Cel | Make the active cel share data with another frame's cel — edit one, both change. Marked with L on the timeline. |
| Unlink Cel | Give a linked cel its own independent copy. |
| Cel properties | Opacity, X/Y offset, and link status. |
Linked cels#
Linking is how you hold a pose across several frames without duplicating pixels. A Continuous layer (layer properties) links every new frame automatically — useful for a static background that shouldn't be re-drawn per frame.
Cel offset#
A cel can be positioned with its own X/Y offset (in cel properties, or by moving with no selection). The art can extend past the canvas edge without being cropped — handy for a character that walks off-screen.
To animate a background that scrolls, keep it on its own non-continuous layer and nudge its cel offset a few pixels per frame.