Animation & Timeline

Overview

Animation Mode is where static designs come to life. KinoViz uses a keyframe-based timeline — you set property values at specific points in time, and the engine interpolates between them automatically.

Switch to Animation Mode using the Design / Animate toggle in the top bar.

Timeline Overview

The timeline appears at the bottom of the editor in Animation Mode. It has three main areas:

• Layer list (left) — All elements in the current project, mirroring the Layer Panel.
• Keyframe track (center) — Diamond markers represent keyframes for each property.
• Playhead — The vertical line showing the current time position.

Time Ruler

The ruler at the top of the keyframe area shows time in seconds and frames. Click anywhere on the ruler to jump the playhead to that time.

Duration and FPS Settings

Project duration is set from the duration selector in the timeline toolbar (the button showing the current length next to the playback controls). Frame rate is not a project setting — you choose it (15 / 24 / 30 / 60 fps, capped by your plan) in the export dialog when you render.

• Duration: Default is 10 seconds. User-configurable per project with no hard per-plan limit in the engine.
• Frame rate cap (enforced per plan):

Higher frame rates produce smoother motion but larger export file sizes.

Adding Keyframes

Keyframes record the value of a property at a specific moment in time.

Method 1 — The Keyframe Button

1. Select an element.
2. Move the playhead to the desired time.
3. In the Properties Panel, click the diamond icon (◇) next to any property to record a keyframe at the current value.

Method 2 — Scrub and Set

1. Select an element.
2. Move the playhead to a time.
3. Change a property value directly in the panel — KinoViz automatically creates a keyframe.

Method 3 — Keyboard Shortcut

Press K to add a keyframe for all animated properties at the current playhead position.

Method 4 — Right-Click on the Timeline Track

Right-click on a layer's timeline track at any position → Add Keyframe.

Editing Keyframes

• Move a keyframe — Drag it left or right along the track.
• Copy a keyframe — Ctrl/Cmd+drag a keyframe to duplicate it.
• Delete a keyframe — Click to select it, then press Delete.
• Select multiple keyframes — Click and drag to lasso-select, or Shift+click.

Easing Curves

Easing controls how a property transitions between two keyframe values. Flat easing = constant speed; curved easing = acceleration or deceleration.

Right-click a keyframe → Easing to choose a curve. An inline SVG preview is shown for each preset.

KinoViz includes 40+ easing presets:

You can also enter a custom cubic Bezier for fully precise control.

Playback Controls

Layer Timing and Staggering

Each layer has an in point and out point — the range during which the element is visible and animated.

Adjusting Layer In/Out Points

Drag the left or right edge of a layer's clip bar in the timeline to set when it enters and exits. Elements outside their clip range are invisible on the canvas and in exports.

Staggering Animations

There is no automatic stagger command yet. To create a staggered entrance:

1. Give the first element its entrance keyframes (for example opacity 0 → 1 over 0.4 s).
2. Select the next element and shift its first keyframe (or drag its clip bar) a fraction of a second later — 0.1 to 0.2 s per layer reads well.
3. Repeat down the layer list. Copying keyframes between elements and then nudging them in time is faster than re-creating each animation.

SVG artwork imported with Convert to editable keeps a built-in stagger across its sub-shapes, and the TextFX presets below include per-character stagger without manual offsets.

Animating Multiple Properties Simultaneously

Any property with a keyframe icon in the Properties Panel can be animated independently:

• Animate X and Y independently for diagonal or complex motion paths.
• Animate opacity for fade in/out effects.
• Animate scale for grow/shrink effects.
• Animate rotation for spinning elements.
• Animate fill color for color transitions.
• Animate image filter values (brightness, contrast, etc.) for color grade transitions.

Animation Presets (TextFX)

Text FX elements have 40+ built-in animation presets across 5 categories. Apply a full multi-keyframe animation in a single click.

See Physics & Effects for a full preset list.

Camera Animations

For projects using the 3D system, the camera can be keyframed. Camera motion requires Pro or above.

1. Switch to 3D View mode.
2. Move the playhead to a time.
3. Adjust the camera angle using orbit/pan controls.
4. Set a camera keyframe.

Repeat at a different time to create a camera move. See 3D System for full camera controls.

3D animation presets (animation3d) also require Pro+.

AI-Generated Animations

Use AI Generate to describe an animation in plain text and let KinoViz produce the full keyframe sequence automatically. The AI Assistant is currently paused. See AI Generation for details.

Next Steps

• Design Mode — Build your static layout first
• 3D System — Animate 3D models and camera
• Physics & Effects — Add physics simulation and TextFX
• Export & Publishing — Render your animation