Create a new pixel art canvas saved as a PNG file.

The canvas is true-size (one canvas pixel = one image pixel); keep sprites small (e.g. 16x16, 32x32, 64x64) and upscale later with pixel_export_png. Parent directories are created automatically. Refuses to replace an existing file unless overwrite=true.

Returns: JSON {"canvas", "width", "height", "background"}; plus a rendered image of the canvas when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Set individual pixels on a canvas in one batch.

Each point may carry its own color; points without one use the batch default color. Drawing 'transparent' erases pixels. Out-of-bounds points are skipped and counted, not fatal. Batch as many points per call as possible — one call per sprite region, not one call per pixel.

Returns: JSON {"canvas", "pixels_drawn", "skipped_out_of_bounds"?}; plus a rendered image when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Draw a straight line between two points on a canvas.

Endpoints may lie outside the canvas; the visible segment is drawn. Drawing 'transparent' erases. Returns JSON {"canvas", "line", "color"}; plus a rendered image when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Draw a filled or outlined rectangle on a canvas.

(x, y) is the top-left corner; width/height are in pixels. Drawing 'transparent' erases the region. Returns JSON {"canvas", "rect", "color", "filled"}; plus a rendered image when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Draw a filled or outlined ellipse inside a bounding box on a canvas.

(x, y) is the bounding box's top-left corner; equal width and height give a circle. Drawing 'transparent' erases. Returns JSON {"canvas", "ellipse", "color", "filled"}; plus a rendered image when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Flood-fill the contiguous region containing (x, y), like a paint bucket.

Fills all connected pixels that exactly match the seed pixel's color. Returns JSON {"canvas", "seed", "color"}; plus a rendered image when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Replace every pixel of one exact color with another across the canvas.

Useful for palette swaps and recoloring sprites. Matching is exact RGBA. Returns JSON {"canvas", "find", "replace", "pixels_changed"}; plus a rendered image when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Flip or rotate the entire canvas in place.

Operations: flip_horizontal, flip_vertical, rotate_90_cw, rotate_90_ccw, rotate_180. 90-degree rotations swap the canvas dimensions. Returns JSON {"canvas", "operation", "width", "height"}; plus a rendered image when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Render a canvas as an image so you can see its current state.

Small canvases are upscaled with nearest-neighbor (crisp pixels) to about 512px on the long edge unless an explicit scale is given. Use this after a series of edits to check your work. Returns a text summary plus the rendered image. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Report a canvas's dimensions and color palette without rendering it.

Returns JSON: {"canvas", "width", "height", "unique_colors", "has_transparency", "top_colors": [{"color", "count"}, ...]} with the up to 16 most-used colors (fully transparent pixels reported as 'transparent'). On failure returns "Error: ...".

Export a canvas as an upscaled PNG with crisp nearest-neighbor pixels.

The source canvas is untouched; the export is written to out_path (parent directories are created). Use scale 1 for game-ready true-size assets and larger scales for display or sharing. Returns JSON {"source", "exported", "scale", "width", "height"}. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Combine same-size canvas PNGs into a looping animated GIF.

Frames play in the order given at duration_ms per frame (or per-frame durations_ms). ping_pong=true plays forward then backward for seamless bounce/idle loops. Transparency is preserved as GIF binary transparency (alpha <= 128 becomes transparent). Source canvases are untouched. Returns JSON {"exported", "frames", "frames_played", "scale", "width", "height"}. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Pack same-size canvas PNGs into a single spritesheet PNG grid.

Frames are placed left-to-right, top-to-bottom, columns per row (all in one row if omitted), with no padding — ideal for game engines. Source canvases are untouched. Returns JSON {"exported", "frames", "columns", "rows", "frame_width", "frame_height", "width", "height"}. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Copy a canvas to a new file — the standard way to start the next animation frame from the current one, then edit only what moves.

Refuses to replace an existing file unless overwrite=true. Returns JSON {"source", "canvas", "width", "height"}. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Copy a rectangular region from one canvas onto another (or within the same canvas) — for moving limbs between frames, stamping repeated parts, or compositing a sprite onto a background.

mode='over' (default) respects transparency like layering; mode='replace' overwrites the destination rect including alpha. Destination coordinates may be negative or overhang; the region clips to the destination canvas. Returns JSON {"source", "canvas", "region", "pasted_at", "mode"}; plus a rendered image of the destination when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Shift the whole canvas by (dx, dy) pixels — quick motion between animation frames (bobbing, jumping, sliding).

Without wrap, pixels shifted past the edge are lost and vacated space is transparent; with wrap=true they re-enter from the opposite edge (good for scrolling backgrounds). Returns JSON {"canvas", "shift", "wrap"}; plus a rendered image when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Change the canvas bounds without scaling the art — grow the canvas (new space is transparent) or crop it, with the existing art held at the chosen anchor.

Pixel sizes are unchanged; use pixel_scale_canvas to actually rescale art. Example: after squashing a sprite, resize back to the original height with anchor='bottom' to keep it grounded. Returns JSON {"canvas", "width", "height", "anchor"}; plus a rendered image when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Rescale the canvas and its art to new dimensions with nearest-neighbor sampling (no blurring).

Integer multiples or divisors keep pixels perfectly crisp; other ratios will distort — useful deliberately for squash-and-stretch animation frames. Returns JSON {"canvas", "width", "height"}; plus a rendered image when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Snap every opaque pixel to the nearest color in a given palette — enforce a consistent game palette across sprites or clean up stray colors.

Nearest match is by RGB distance; each pixel's alpha is preserved and fully transparent pixels are untouched. Returns JSON {"canvas", "palette_size", "pixels_changed"}; plus a rendered image when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Draw a 1px outline around all opaque art on the canvas — the classic finishing pass that makes sprites pop against any background.

The outline occupies transparent pixels adjacent to the art; the art itself is untouched. If the sprite touches the canvas edge, grow the canvas first with pixel_resize_canvas so the outline has room. Returns JSON {"canvas", "color", "pixels_outlined"}; plus a rendered image when preview=true. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Render the current frame over faded ghosts of up to 3 earlier frames — onion-skinning, the standard way to judge motion between animation frames.

List previous_paths most-recent first; ghosts fade with distance (35%, 20%, 12% opacity). Pass a tint color to show ghosts as silhouettes when frame colors overlap too much. Nothing is written to disk. Returns a text summary plus the rendered image. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Render several same-size canvases side by side as one filmstrip image — review a whole animation or sprite set at a glance.

Frames are laid out left-to-right, top-to-bottom on a neutral gray backdrop with thin separators, in the order given. Nothing is written to disk. Returns a text summary naming each frame position plus the rendered image. On failure returns "Error: ...".

Split a spritesheet PNG into individual frame canvases — the way to bring existing game assets in for editing or re-animation.

Tiles are read left-to-right, top-to-bottom on a strict frame_width x frame_height grid (partial tiles at the right/bottom edges are ignored) and written to out_dir as '_f00.png', '_f01.png', .... Fully transparent tiles are skipped unless skip_empty=false. Returns JSON {"source", "out_dir", "frames_written", "skipped_empty", "frame_paths"}. On failure returns "Error: ...".