Export Optimization

Prepare Excalimate animated diagrams for high-quality export across formats and platforms. This skill covers camera framing, format selection, aspect ratios, clip ranges, and pre-export verification.

Export Workflow

Follow these steps in order before every export:

1. Verify visibility — call items_visible_in_camera({time: 0}) and check at key animation times. All important elements should appear in the results.
2. Verify centering — call is_camera_centered({axis: "both"}). If off-center, adjust camera position with set_camera_frame.
3. Set clip range — call set_clip_range({start: 0, end: lastKeyframeTime + 500}). The padding gives breathing room after the last animation.
4. Save or share — call save_checkpoint() to persist the final state, or share_project() to generate an E2E encrypted share URL.
5. Export from web app — the user selects format and downloads from the Excalimate web interface.

Always verify before exporting. A missing element or clipped animation is the most common export issue.

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Format Selection Quick Guide

Format	Best For	Quality	File Size
MP4 (H.264)	Presentations, video, sharing	★★★★★	Medium
WebM (VP9)	Web embedding, documentation sites	★★★★	Small
GIF	Slack, README, universal embed	★★	Large
SVG (Animated)	Documentation, print, scalable	★★★★★	Small

Decision flow:

• Need universal compatibility? → MP4
• Embedding on a website? → WebM (falls back to MP4)
• Needs to auto-play everywhere (chat, docs)? → GIF
• Need vector/scalable output? → SVG

See format-guide.md for detailed pros/cons and encoding notes.

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Camera Framing

Use set_camera_frame to define what the exported video/image will show:

set_camera_frame({
  x: 50,
  y: 50,
  width: 1600,
  aspectRatio: "16:9"
})

Parameters

Parameter	Description
x	Left edge of the camera view (pixels)
y	Top edge of the camera view (pixels)
width	How wide the camera sees — controls zoom level
aspectRatio	"16:9", "4:3", "1:1", or "9:16"

Width Controls Zoom

• width: 1600 — shows a 1600px-wide area (standard view)
• width: 800 — shows an 800px-wide area (zoomed in 2×)
• width: 3200 — shows a 3200px-wide area (zoomed out 2×)

Padding Rule

Always add 50px padding around your content on all sides. If your diagram spans x=100–1500 and y=100–900:

set_camera_frame({
  x: 50,       // 100 - 50 padding
  y: 50,       // 100 - 50 padding
  width: 1500, // (1500 - 100) + 100 padding
  aspectRatio: "16:9"
})

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Aspect Ratio Guide

Choose based on the destination platform:

Ratio	Use Case	Camera Width	Resulting Height
16:9	Presentations, YouTube, widescreen	1600	900
4:3	Classic slides, documentation	1200	900
1:1	Social media, thumbnails	1000	1000
9:16	Mobile stories, vertical video	600	1067

Common Setups

Presentation (16:9):

set_camera_frame({ x: 0, y: 0, width: 1600, aspectRatio: "16:9" })

Social post (1:1):

set_camera_frame({ x: 250, y: 0, width: 1000, aspectRatio: "1:1" })

Vertical story (9:16):

set_camera_frame({ x: 400, y: 0, width: 600, aspectRatio: "9:16" })

See aspect-ratios.md for detailed dimensions and safe zone guidance.

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Clip Range

The clip range defines the time window that gets exported.

set_clip_range({ start: 0, end: 5500 })

Rules

• Start is usually 0 unless you want to skip an intro.
• End should be the last keyframe time + 500–1000ms padding.
• Padding gives the viewer a moment to absorb the final state.
• For looping GIFs, consider adding a 1000–2000ms hold at the end.

Calculating End Time

1. Identify your last keyframe time (e.g., an arrow finishes drawing at 5000ms).
2. Add 500ms minimum padding: end: 5500.
3. For presentations or complex diagrams, add 1000ms: end: 6000.

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Pre-Export Verification Checklist

Run these checks before every export:

1. Element Visibility

items_visible_in_camera({ time: 0 })
items_visible_in_camera({ time: 2500 })  // mid-animation
items_visible_in_camera({ time: 5000 })  // end of animation

Check at multiple times throughout the animation. Every important element should appear in at least one check. Elements that animate in later may not be visible at time 0 — that's expected.

2. Camera Centering

is_camera_centered({ axis: "both" })
is_camera_centered({ axis: "x", tolerance: 50 })

The camera should be centered on your content. Use tolerance to allow small offsets (default is tight). For asymmetric layouts, check each axis independently.

3. Animation Timing

animations_of_item({ targetId: "title" })
animations_of_item({ targetId: "final_arrow" })

Verify that key elements have the expected keyframes and that the last animation ends before your clip range end time (minus padding).

4. Final Review

Check	Tool	Expected
All elements visible	items_visible_in_camera	Key elements present at relevant times
Camera centered	is_camera_centered	Centered on both axes
Clip covers animation	set_clip_range	End ≥ last keyframe + 500ms
Checkpoint saved	save_checkpoint / share_project	State persisted or share URL generated

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Platform Quick Reference

Platform	Format	Ratio	Max Duration	Notes
Google Slides	GIF / MP4	16:9	Any	GIF auto-plays in slides
Slack	GIF	1:1 / 16:9	< 15s	Keep under 10MB
Twitter/X	MP4	16:9	< 30s	MP4 required for quality
YouTube	MP4	16:9	Any	Highest quality settings
README / Docs	GIF	Any	< 10s	Small dimensions, low file size
Email	GIF	Any	< 5s	Many clients block video
Figma	SVG	Any	N/A	Vector preserves editability
Website embed	WebM	16:9	Any	Falls back to MP4

See platform-requirements.md for detailed per-platform optimization settings.

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Common Export Recipes

Presentation Export

set_camera_frame({ x: 0, y: 0, width: 1600, aspectRatio: "16:9" })
set_clip_range({ start: 0, end: totalAnimationTime + 1000 })
save_checkpoint()
// or: share_project()
// Export as MP4 for embedded video, or GIF for auto-play in slides

Social Media Export

set_camera_frame({ x: centerX - 500, y: centerY - 500, width: 1000, aspectRatio: "1:1" })
set_clip_range({ start: 0, end: totalAnimationTime + 500 })
save_checkpoint()
// or: share_project()
// Export as MP4 for Twitter, GIF for other platforms

Documentation Export

set_camera_frame({ x: contentLeft - 50, y: contentTop - 50, width: contentWidth + 100, aspectRatio: "16:9" })
set_clip_range({ start: 0, end: totalAnimationTime + 500 })
save_checkpoint()
// or: share_project()
// Export as GIF for README, WebM for docs sites, SVG for technical docs

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Key Rules

• Always verify before exporting — run items_visible_in_camera and is_camera_centered checks
• Always add padding — 50px spatial padding around content, 500ms+ temporal padding after last keyframe
• Match aspect ratio to platform — 16:9 for video/presentations, 1:1 for social, 9:16 for mobile
• MP4 is the safe default — use it when unsure about the destination
• GIF for universal auto-play — but accept larger files and lower quality
• Save checkpoint before export — save_checkpoint() persists the state; share_project() is the sharing alternative

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Reference Files

File	Content
references/format-guide.md	Detailed format comparison with pros, cons, and encoding details
references/aspect-ratios.md	Camera dimensions, safe zones, and positioning for each ratio
references/platform-requirements.md	Per-platform export settings, size limits, and optimization tips