Author editable motion with agents

Motion recipes assemble a small visual explanation from native Scribe objects and timing. A request packet, comparison chart, metric card, device frame, or kinetic title remains editable after creation. Use a recipe when its meaning fits the story; use lower-level object, keyframe, drawing, and camera commands for a precise revision.

Activecreatordesktop30 minutes

Verified against [email protected]

These authoring actions require a compatible agent client and an editable Desktop web project. They are capability workflows, with no dedicated motion recipe picker in the current UI. Availability must be discovered in the open session. Source contracts were reviewed on 7 October 2026; the downloadable API example below was imported, edited, saved, and reopened in the deployed Desktop editor on 8 October 2026. Creating a new recipe still requires live tools.

Creation and manual editing availability

The motion recipe capabilities in this guide are Desktop-only, and the current UI has no motion recipe picker. Their native results can be revised through the text, transform, and timeline controls exposed by the receiving workspace. Playback support does not certify every property editor or a phone export. Compare Mobile Lite, Desktop Studio, and agent-assisted authoring.

Before you start

1. Open the intended project and scene in Desktop. Save a local checkpoint or export a .scribe recovery copy.
2. Use the Site tools quickstart to discover the broker. Search with scribe_search_capabilities, inspect each action with scribe_get_capability, and call scribe_execute_capability with its capabilityId and input.
3. Read the scene ID, duration, project dimensions, object IDs, and project revision. Use the returned IDs; display names are not identifiers.
4. Plan the settled frame and the time the audience needs to read it. A motion recipe does not supply evidence for your metric or write your narration.
5. Inspect locks and timing ownership before changing an existing object.

Times in these contracts are scene-local milliseconds. A start time of 1000 means one second into that scene, regardless of its project start. Retrieve the live schema for every optional field; it is the authority when examples differ.

Choose the recipe by its communication job

Capability	Creates or changes	Required intent	Important boundary
motion.request_flow	Attached connector, traveling packet, optional native label, and native position keys	Existing source/target IDs, scene, start, travel duration	One scene-local flow; endpoint clearance and readable arrival hold matter
motion.comparison_bars	Native title, category/value labels, horizontal bars, and staggered entrances	Title, 2–10 items, positive scale maximum, scene, start	Nonnegative categorical values; no live data feed or numerical counter
motion.metric_reveal	Native value/label text, optional supporting text and card	Value string, meaning label, scene, start	The supplied value is static text; retain a readable final hold
motion.device_showcase	Browser or phone frame and hard-edge Clip Binding for an existing visual	Scene and eligible content object ID	Optional upward content pan moves content; it is not a camera move or live website
motion.kinetic_title	One native Text object with word/run entrances	Single-line text, scene, start	Logical word runs stay in one editable text object

The separate motion.spring_bake helper writes bounded editable transform keys for an existing object. It is useful for a settling movement after the composition already exists.

Worked example: revise an API login request

Start with the original API login project (.scribe). It is a 1920 × 1080 project with four scenes, 36 seconds overall, and 56 objects. You can follow this manual revision without a connected agent. The cards, native labels, attached connector, packet, and native Position keys are already authored.

Open and inspect the original motion

1. Save your current project, then choose File → Import .scribe and select the downloaded source.
2. Select the first scene, 01 A login request. Its duration is nine seconds.
3. Seek to 9.000 seconds to inspect the completed explanation, then compare 1.800, 3.000, and 3.850 seconds for departure, transit, and arrival.

12

The original first scene at 9.000 seconds. The full project has four nine-second scenes; this walkthrough changes one packet in the first scene.

Screenshot callouts

1. 1
   Request relationship

   The packet and connector sit between independently editable endpoint cards.
2. 2
   Scene-local playhead

   The readout is 0:09.000 in the selected first scene.

12

Original project at 1.800 seconds. Compare the packet position while retaining the same scene and endpoint cards.

Screenshot callouts

1. 1
   Packet

   The packet is at its departure position before the lead-in hold ends.
2. 2
   Timestamp

   The timeline readout identifies this 1.800-second frame.

12

Original project at 3.000 seconds. Compare the packet position while retaining the same scene and endpoint cards.

Screenshot callouts

1. 1
   Packet

   The packet is between the endpoints during the original travel segment.
2. 2
   Timestamp

   The timeline readout identifies this 3.000-second frame.

12

Original project at 3.850 seconds. Compare the packet position while retaining the same scene and endpoint cards.

Screenshot callouts

1. 1
   Packet

   The original packet has reached the API side at the final Position.X key.
2. 2
   Timestamp

   The timeline readout identifies this 3.850-second frame.

Delay arrival without changing the endpoint

1. Enter Position.X in Search tracks, then select the packet's property row. Searching only for the object name can hide this child track.

2. Inspect its three keys in KEYFRAMES:

   Scene-local time	X value	Meaning
   1.800 s	550	Appear at the departure position
   2.150 s	550	End the lead-in hold; the next segment uses ease-in-out
   3.850 s	757	Arrive at the API side

3. Change the final Time from 3.85 to 4.2 and press Enter. Keep its value at 757. This lengthens travel by 350 ms without moving the endpoint.

4. Seek to 4.200 seconds to inspect the revised arrival, and review transit and the final hold again. The supplied edit screenshot remains at 3.850 seconds.

123

The edited final key is 4.200 seconds at X 757. The playhead still reads 3.850 seconds; this capture is an edit confirmation, not a frame at the new arrival time.

Screenshot callouts

1. 1
   Revised arrival key

   The visible last row contains Time 4.2 and Value 757. Earlier table rows are above the visible area.
2. 2
   Current playhead

   The scene is paused at 0:03.850 while the later key is being inspected.
3. 3
   Position.X filter

   Search the property name so its child track stays visible.

Save and reopen the revision

Choose File → Save Locally, reload, and choose Restore. Search Position.X again and confirm keys at 1.800, 2.150, and 4.200 seconds. Then choose File → Export .scribe for a portable copy. The actual revised project (.scribe) contains the saved 4.200-second arrival; import it to compare with the source. Download checksums identify both files.

The actual Desktop captures on 8 October 2026 verify import, selected event frames, the native key edit, local save/restore, and native export. They do not establish a fresh agent creation session, a full 36-second playback review, or a video export. The deployed bundle was observed; its repository commit was not verified.

Tutorial: create a request flow with an agent

1. Build the endpoints first

Create two readable cards with native labels and leave space for the connector. Use Flow or Grid layout when its eligibility rules fit. Layout places base geometry once; moving a card later does not rerun the layout automatically.

Inspect the actual endpoints and their IDs. A recurring label that must follow a card can use Anchor Binding. Keep object placement separate from packet travel.

2. Create one flow

Replace the three IDs below with IDs returned by the current editor. The example uses a 300 ms lead-in, 1400 ms travel, and 800 ms arrival hold:

{
  "capabilityId": "motion.request_flow",
  "input": {
    "sceneId": "scene-from-query",
    "sourceObjectId": "source-card-from-query",
    "targetObjectId": "target-card-from-query",
    "startMs": 1000,
    "leadInMs": 300,
    "travelDurationMs": 1400,
    "arrivalHoldMs": 800,
    "flowType": "request",
    "packetLabel": "Request",
    "endBehavior": "hold"
  }
}

Other flow intents are response, check, token, and data. Optional source and target anchors are auto, top, right, bottom, left, or center. Packet size, endpoint padding, colors, connector width, and easing are bounded fields in the live schema. hold keeps the packet after its arrival hold; hide ends its visible interval.

3. Inspect the expanded result

Keep the returned connector, packet, optional label, track, and key IDs. Request Flow writes native transform.x and/or transform.y keys for the axes that move. These appear as Position tracks in the editor. Revise the synchronized position keys for travel timing and preserve endpoint clearance. The connector retains its endpoint attachments, and the optional label follows the packet through Anchor Binding. Canonical Path Follow is a separate route/follower workflow.

Inspect the source hold, mid-travel, arrival, and final hold. Confirm that the packet clears the card edges and that the label stays readable. Add a second response flow only after the first flow and its timing are correct.

Create a comparison, proof point, or device view

For comparison bars, give each item a distinct label and a nonnegative value no greater than scaleMax. Choose neutral, lower-is-better, or higher-is-better for comparisonDirection. A chart can fit the schema while its story is misleading: verify the unit, common scale, ordering, and source of the numbers yourself. staggerMs is start-to-start spacing, and finalHoldMs preserves a reading interval after the final reveal.

For a metric reveal, value is a short string such as “42%”, and label explains what it means. treatment is card or bare. Optional supporting text should qualify the claim rather than introduce an unrelated message. Check the longest line against the authored frame before adding motion.

For a device showcase, create and inspect the content first. Choose browser or phone as deviceStyle. Optional contentPan supplies positive travelPx and a durationMs; the result is editable upward content movement inside a viewport. Inspect the initial, middle, and final crop. Do not use this action to claim an interactive webpage or Video-on-Canvas playback inside the frame.

For a kinetic title, choose restrained-rise, scale-settle, or directional-slide. The result remains a native Text object. Review the settled copy first, then the overlapping run entrances and final hold. See the text guide for live text edits, automatic content sizing, and deliberately fixed text boxes.

Refine the native result

Clip one visual inside a shape

object.clip_binding.set takes objectId, sourceObjectId, and mode: "inside". The source is a native rectangle, rounded rectangle, or circle; the target is an eligible image, SVG/vector, drawing, or text leaf local to the same scene. The geometry stays editable. One source can clip multiple independent targets, but nested clip graphs and grouped targets are outside V1.

The source remains an ordinarily visible shape. Its visible interval must cover the target's render interval; opacity/visibility/draw-progress tracks and unfinished entrance owners can invalidate it. Moving the source is different from hiding it. Use object.clip_binding.get to inspect and .clear to remove the relationship, then recheck both objects before retrying.

Animate text runs or compatible vector geometry

text.kinetic.set, .get, and .clear control bounded word/run motion on native Text. The binding describes start, duration, stagger, easing, and starting offset/scale/rotation/opacity. Runs are not separate text boxes. The current contract is bounded to 32 logical runs; review segmentation and text edits rather than treating this as character animation for every script.

vector.morph.set references one source and a compatible target object, with start, duration, and easing. V1 requires compatible path structure; it does not match arbitrary illustrations or convert a raster image into morph geometry. Inspect .get, test partial interpolation, and use .clear when the relationship should end. Preserve the source and target identities during revision.

Add a restrained visual effect

object.effects.set, .get, and .clear apply bounded static blur, brightness, contrast, saturation, shadow, or glow to an eligible visual leaf. Shadow and glow use explicit color, blur, and opacity fields; shadow also has offsets. These effects do not supply an effect timeline or a scene-wide filter. Inspect the effect at the intended scale and inside any Clip Binding. A shadow is a visual cue, not a change in geometry or a lighting simulation.

Bake a spring into ordinary keys

motion.spring_bake requires an object, a transform binding, start/end times, target value, stiffness, damping, and mass. Supported bindings are transform.x, transform.y, transform.scale, and transform.rotation. The interval is 100–30,000 ms; maxKeys is 3–64 and defaults to 32. Optional initial velocity uses property units per second.

The operation samples a physical intent into editable keys and ends at the exact target value. It does not add a live physics simulation. Check overshoot, scene bounds, and competing placement/scale/rotation owners. Reduce the movement or change spring parameters when the sampled path becomes unreadable.

Compose timing and add attention cues

Use Timeline composition and indications to sequence, parallelize, or stagger eligible existing Draw Steps and contiguous property-key ranges. Composition moves their times while preserving duration; it does not stretch a recipe wholesale or move audio clips. Keep synchronized keys and temporary annotations together, and read back every returned range.

Choose Emphasize, Wiggle, Circumscribe, or Trace Highlight for an attention cue after the subject is visible. Check cleanup after the cue and the next reading hold. Resolve a preset, Path Follow, Scene Pose, anchor, Draw Step, audio binding, or StoryBeat conflict through its owning feature before retrying.

Verify geometry and rendered frames separately

layout.composition_inspect reads evaluated scene-space bounds at one sceneId and timeMs. Optional roles name hero, primary visual, proof, and supporting objects. V1 accepts at most 100 active bounded objects and eight unique role references total. Occupancy and spacing are conservative geometric signals, not pixel analysis or an aesthetic grade.

1. Inspect the diagnostic result and any unsupported or rejected reason.
2. Discover ui.project_frame_preview; request the intended scene/time with action: "show" and displayMode: "fit" or "actual".
3. Visually review before, during, and after each entrance, travel, cue, crop, camera transition, and hide boundary. Read the exact-frame overlay, not just a successful command response.
4. Fix one concrete issue and recheck every affected timestamp.
5. Play the whole scene for pacing, then save/reopen an editable .scribe copy.
6. Inspect a short actual MP4 when video is the deliverable.

A failed or unavailable diagnostic is NOT_RUN or REJECTED. Keep the content intact and review it manually. Metadata, a clean diagnostic, and a rendered preview are different evidence. Close the preview with Close, Escape, or action: "hide".

Limits and troubleshooting

Problem	Safe recovery
Recipe unavailable	Confirm compatible Desktop tools, project readiness, and the live schema; use manual editing or validated AI JSON where supported
Timing falls outside the scene	Inspect scene duration and full entrance/hold ranges, then extend or shorten deliberately
Locked or owned property	Inspect its owner; clear or revise that relationship through the owning capability
Text clips or wraps unexpectedly	Review copy, font readiness, and fixed/automatic bounds before changing entrance timing
Device crop is empty	Recheck eligible local content, visible clip source, placement, and pan distance
Morph rejected	Use compatible path structure or a different transition; do not force unrelated geometry
Diagnostic cannot run	Record its reason and perform exact-frame visual review without deleting content to fit the limit
Download or preview uncertain	Verify identity, status, the actual displayed frame or file, and a native reopen

These actions do not establish Mobile Lite authoring parity, universal client support, or fresh Director-package acceptance. Video/native-device results need their own review. SVG export is unavailable publicly; use MP4 for rendered motion and .scribe for editable handoff.

Related workflows and verification

• Arrange objects and anchor captions
• Keep identity across scenes and use Scene Pose
• Camera and canonical Path Follow
• Create procedural drawings
• Use Scribe Animator Director
• Reconstruct a reference

This static reference is based on the pinned production schemas, command owners, and regression tests reviewed on 7 October 2026. It describes agent contracts without simulating a product picker. The API walkthrough adds real deployed Desktop evidence captured on 8 October 2026, with current local package-import checks and zero warnings. It does not certify a new live agent creation session, all five recipes in that deployment, or visual quality for another result.