Disclosure: This draft was generated with AI and checked against the cited primary sources, with a separate AI editorial review. It was prepared for the FrameSprite team, which has a commercial interest in FrameSprite. Proposed examples are not executed tests unless explicitly identified as recorded fixture results.
The Clone tool's alignment setting controls how its source moves between strokes. A source marker chosen for one character frame can be wrong for the next, even when both images share a canvas. Inspect the source layer and the coordinate relationship before cloning more pixels onto the repair.
Key Takeaways
- Aligned cloning retains an offset; a new stroke does not necessarily restart at the selected sample.
- Registered cloning matches corresponding coordinates, which helps only when the artwork is registered.
- A clean texture sample still needs a pose-appropriate destination.
Identify the actual source and destination
Keep an untouched action set and repair duplicates. Select a source layer deliberately, then inspect the source marker as you move the brush over the target. If the marker travels into a different eye, glove or backdrop, the coordinate mapping already explains the wrong detail.
The official Clone reference describes the available alignment modes. None restarts each stroke from the sampled origin; Aligned retains the source-to-destination offset; Registered maps corresponding source and target positions; Fixed keeps sampling the same origin. Choose the relationship that matches the task rather than leaving a previous repair's mode active.
Decide whether correspondence really exists
Registered cloning can suit two aligned versions of the same pose. It is less useful when an AI action changes the hand's position, the body proportions or the camera. Identical image dimensions establish a coordinate system, not semantic alignment between the two gloves.
For a moved feature, resample deliberately and establish a new offset. Use a small brush and inspect a short stroke before continuing. The Paintbrush reference and common paint controls describe brush and opacity settings that also affect the visual repair. Keep those stable while diagnosing the source mapping.
| Repair goal | Mapping to investigate | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Restore pixels from an aligned clean copy | Registered | Source and target may not actually align |
| Continue a nearby surface texture | Aligned | Offset can wander into an unwanted feature |
| Repeat one tiny sample on separate strokes | None or Fixed, as appropriate | Repetition may become visibly stamped |
Review a moving feature across the action
Consider an unexecuted example with a damaged belt buckle in three poses. In pose one, the buckle is centered. In pose two, the torso turns and the buckle shifts sideways. Copying the first frame at the same image coordinates can repair the coat beside the buckle instead of the buckle itself.
Mark the buckle's intended location in each pose and decide whether a sampled repair still matches its orientation. If the surface turns, a direct clone may be the wrong technique. Paint a pose-specific replacement or regenerate the problematic motion instead of forcing a front-facing patch onto a turned torso.
After each repair, toggle it against the original and play the complete action. Look for a newly stationary detail that floats over the moving clothing. A perfect single-frame patch can produce an obvious temporal defect.
Accept the exported sequence
Reopen the exported frames and compare their intended order, canvas dimensions and repaired feature placement. Do not rely on a source marker that existed only during editing. This guide proposes a diagnosis and contains no completed GIMP or engine test.
Related guides cover Heal versus Clone, PNG sequence order and AI character consistency. Deliver the repair only after both its source mapping and its motion continuity make sense.
Written by the FrameSprite Workflow Team. Send a correction.
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