hyperframes-core

HyperFrames HTML composition contract. Use for composition structure, data attributes, clips, tracks, sub-compositions, variables, media playback, deterministic render rules, and validation of minimal renderable projects.

npx skills add https://github.com/heygen-com/hyperframes --skill hyperframes-core

HyperFrames Core

HyperFrames renders video from HTML. A composition is an HTML file whose DOM declares timing with data-* attributes, whose animation runtime is seekable, and whose media playback is owned by the framework.

This skill is the technical contract — how to build one hyperframes project. The body below is the build guide; per-topic detail lives in references/ (index next), read on demand. Other concerns live in the sibling domain skills — hyperframes-animation, hyperframes-creative, media-use, hyperframes-cli, hyperframes-registry. The capability map in /hyperframes says what each one covers.

References

FileRead it to…
references/minimal-composition.mdstart from the smallest renderable composition skeleton
references/composition-patterns.mdchoose monolithic vs modular; structure a modular index.html; pick a sub-comp archetype
references/data-attributes.mdlook up any data-* (root / clip / sub-comp host / legacy aliases); use class="clip"
references/tracks-and-clips.mdpick data-track-index, handle same-track overlap / z-index, time a clip relative to another
references/sub-compositions.mdwire a sub-composition (host attrs, <template>, per-instance vars) and animate inside it
references/variables-and-media.mddeclare variables; place <video>/<audio>, set volume, trim
references/determinism-rules.mdbuild a seekable timeline; determinism bans; the animatable-property allowlist; layout / text fit
references/full-screen-motion.mdauthor full-frame motion with shared backgrounds
references/storyboard-format.mdauthor a STORYBOARD.md plan (+ the parsed manifest)
references/review-loop.mdrun the plan → sketch → build review passes on a live board — shared by every storyboard-planning workflow
references/production-loop.mdtake an approved plan to a delivered video — the stage dependencies (audio, frames, assembly, transitions, captions, verify, deliver) a freeform build follows directly
references/brief-contract.mdthe brief's ground rules — mode derivation (collaborative / autonomous), shared field registry, question invariants (the asking itself lives in /hyperframes → the intent layer)
references/brief-format.mdauthor BRIEF.md — the confirmed intent document a workflow's Setup writes and every later step reads
references/script-format.mdauthor the optional SCRIPT.md locked narration
references/subagent-dispatch.mdmap subagent dispatch verbs (parallel fan-out / background / wait) to your harness
references/frame-worker-core.mdthe shared frame-worker role contract — each narrative workflow's packet builder prepends it to that workflow's sub-agents/frame-worker.md delta
references/tailwind.mdwork in a Tailwind v4 project (init --tailwind; runtime contract differs from Studio's v3)

For animation runtime specifics (GSAP API, Lottie, Three.js, etc.) go to hyperframes-animationadapters/<runtime>.md.

Building a composition

Two root forms (not interchangeable)

  • Standalone (top-level index.html) — root <div data-composition-id="…"> sits directly in <body>, no <template> wrapper (wrapping it hides all content and breaks rendering).
  • Sub-composition (loaded via data-composition-src) — root must be wrapped in <template>.

⚠ Transport rule: the runtime only clones <template> contents; everything outside (incl. <head> styles/scripts) is discarded — put <style>/<script> inside the template. ⚠ Host-id rule: the host slot's data-composition-id must exactly equal the inner template's data-composition-id and the window.__timelines["<id>"] key — no -mount/-slot/-host suffix.

File shape, host wiring, and the pre-render checklist → references/sub-compositions.md.

Root must be sized (silent layout bug)

The standalone root needs an explicit sized box (width/height in px), and every ancestor down to a height:100% element must have a resolved height — otherwise a flex/100% child collapses to ~0 and content piles into the top-left corner. Do not rely on automated gates alone to catch this; inspect a snapshot. Skeleton → references/minimal-composition.md.

One paused timeline

Each composition registers exactly one gsap.timeline({ paused: true }) at window.__timelines["<id>"] (key = root data-composition-id), built synchronously at page load. Render duration = root data-duration, not timeline length. Don't manually nest sub-timelines into the host. Full contract (incl. non-GSAP runtimes) → references/determinism-rules.md + hyperframes-animation/adapters/.

Non-negotiable rules (silent bugs automated gates may miss)

Surfaced here; full rationale in the linked reference. Do not violate:

  • No render-time clocks / unseeded Math.random / network / input-state; no repeat: -1 (use a finite count). → determinism-rules.md
  • Animate only the visual-property allowlist; never tween display or raw visibility. GSAP autoAlpha and zero-duration timeline boundary sets are the only visibility exceptions, and only on non-clip elements or wrappers inside a clip. The framework alone controls .clip visibility. Do not gsap.set later-scene clips at page load. → determinism-rules.md
  • No <br> in body text; transformed elements must be block-level + sized; pulsing absolute decoratives need peak clearance. → determinism-rules.md
  • <video>/<audio> work at any nesting depth (including inside a sub-comp <template> or wrapper); the framework owns playback and seeks/decodes media wherever it lives. The one caveat is timelines, not placement: a sub-comp timeline can't animate host-root elements. → variables-and-media.md
  • Every id must be unique across the assembled page; inside a sub-comp, prefix ids with the composition id (#<id>-hero). Duplicate <video>/<img> ids render blank — the producer injects frames by getElementById, and cross-file dupes slip past lint. → composition-patterns.md
  • A full-screen scene fill goes on a full-bleed child (position:absolute; inset:0), never on the composition root itself — the producer's frame compositing can drop the root element's own background (the frame renders black) even though preview/snapshot show it correctly. → composition-patterns.md

Editing existing compositions

  • Read the files first. Preserve unrelated timing, tracks, IDs, variables, media paths.
  • Match existing composition IDs and timeline keys.
  • Adding a clip: pick a non-overlapping data-track-index or adjust surrounding timing intentionally.
  • data-hidden on any composition element hides it in BOTH preview and render, overriding its time window; it is non-destructive/reversible and toggled by Studio's timeline eye icon.
  • Adding a sub-composition: verify its internal data-composition-id before wiring the host.

Validation

Use hyperframes-cli for command details

  • npx hyperframes check passes (0 findings across lint, runtime, layout, motion, and contrast)
  • Projects with sub-compositions: npx hyperframes snapshot --at <midpoints> and eyeball each frame
  • npx hyperframes preview for review (the user can edit anything in Studio's timeline)
  • npx hyperframes render only after the user approves

More skills from heygen-com

hyperframes-cli
heygen-com
HyperFrames CLI dev loop — `npx hyperframes` for scaffolding (init), validation (lint, inspect), preview, render, and environment troubleshooting (doctor, browser, info, upgrade). Use when running any of these commands or troubleshooting the HyperFrames build/render environment. For asset preprocessing commands (`tts`, `transcribe`, `remove-background`), invoke the `hyperframes-media` skill instead.
developmenttestingapi
hyperframes-animation
heygen-com
All animation knowledge for HyperFrames — atomic motion rules, multi-phase scene blueprints, scene transitions, broader motion-design techniques, AND the seven runtime adapters (GSAP default, plus Lottie, Three.js, Anime.js, CSS keyframes, Web Animations API, TypeGPU). Use for any motion or animation task: pick 2-4 rules and compose, or load a blueprint, or look up runtime-specific API (e.g. GSAP eases / Lottie player / Three.js mixer). HyperFrames-native: single paused timeline, seek-safe,...
creativedevelopmentdesign
hyperframes-media
heygen-com
Asset preprocessing for HyperFrames compositions — multi-provider TTS (HeyGen / ElevenLabs / Kokoro local), multi-provider BGM (Google Lyria / local MusicGen), Whisper transcription, background removal, and caption authoring. Use for npx hyperframes tts, bgm, transcribe, remove-background, voice/provider selection, music-mood prompting, captions / subtitles / lyrics / karaoke / per-word styling.
mediaaudiovideo
hyperframes-registry
heygen-com
Install and wire registry blocks and components into HyperFrames compositions. Use when running hyperframes add, installing a block or component, wiring an installed item into index.html, or working with hyperframes.json. Covers the add command, install locations, block sub-composition wiring, component snippet merging, registry discovery, and authoring a new block or component to contribute upstream (idea → scaffold → validate → PR).
developmentapicode-review
general-video
heygen-com
Use as the fallback for custom HyperFrames HTML video composition authoring when no specialized workflow fits. Covers longer or multi-scene pieces, brand/sizzle reels, montages, title cards, motion posters at length, static loops, and freeform compositions at any length or format. Not for marketed product promos (product-launch-video), general website-to-video capture (website-to-video), topic explainers (faceless-explainer), GitHub PR videos (pr-to-video), captioning existing footage...
videocreativemedia
motion-graphics
heygen-com
Use when the user wants a short, design-led motion graphic where motion is the message: kinetic typography, stat or number count-up, chart/data-viz hit, logo sting, brand lockup, lower-third, callout, social overlay, animated headline/tweet/news item, motion poster, or quick captured-page highlight. Usually under 10s and up to ~30s, with no narration arc, voice-over, or live-action subject. Can render to MP4 or transparent overlay. Not for longer, multi-scene, narrated, or brand-reel pieces...
creativevideodesign
hyperframes-read-first
heygen-com
START HERE for any request to make, create, generate, edit, animate, or render a video, animation, motion graphic, explainer, title card, overlay, captioned video, product promo, website video, PR or changelog video, data montage, motion poster, or HyperFrames HTML composition. Use before other video or animation skills when the user wants HyperFrames to author or render a finished MP4/web video, choose a workflow, or route between product-launch-video, faceless-explainer, website-to-video,...
creativevideomedia
hyperframes-creative
heygen-com
Non-animation creative direction for HyperFrames videos. Use for design spec (frame.md / design.md) handling, palettes, typography, narration, beat planning, audio-reactive visuals, composition patterns, and brand / style decisions. For atomic motion patterns and scene blueprints, use `hyperframes-animation`.
creativedesignvideo