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Skyler Lehmkuhl
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README.md
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README.md
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# Lightningbeam
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An open-source vector animation tool built with Tauri. A spiritual successor to Macromedia Flash 8 / Adobe Animate.
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A free and open-source 2D multimedia editor combining vector animation, audio production, and video editing in a single application.
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[](https://github.com/skykooler/Lightningbeam/releases)
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## Screenshots
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## Overview
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Lightningbeam is a cross-platform vector animation application for creating keyframe-based animations and interactive content. Originally started in 2010 as an open-source alternative to Adobe Flash, the project has been rewritten using modern web technologies (JavaScript/Canvas) with a Tauri-based native desktop application wrapper.
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## Current Features
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## Current Status
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**Vector Animation**
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- Draw and animate vector shapes with keyframe-based timeline
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- Non-destructive editing workflow
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**⚠️ Alpha Software**: Lightningbeam is in active development and not yet feature-complete. The codebase is currently undergoing significant refactoring, particularly the timeline system which is being migrated from frame-based to curve-based animation.
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**Audio Production**
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- Multi-track audio recording
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- MIDI sequencing with synthesized and sampled instruments
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- Integrated DAW functionality
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Current branch `new_timeline` implements a major timeline redesign inspired by GarageBand, featuring hierarchical tracks and animation curve visualization.
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**Video Editing**
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- Basic video timeline and editing (early stage)
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- FFmpeg-based video decoding
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## Features
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## Technical Stack
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Current functionality includes:
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- **Frontend:** Vanilla JavaScript
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- **Backend:** Rust (Tauri framework)
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- **Audio:** cpal + dasp for audio processing
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- **Video:** FFmpeg for decode
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- **Vector Drawing Tools**: Pen, brush, line, rectangle, ellipse, polygon tools
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- **Keyframe Animation**: Timeline-based animation with interpolation
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- **Shape Tweening**: Morph between different vector shapes
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- **Motion Tweening**: Smooth object movement with curve-based interpolation
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- **Layer System**: Multiple layers with visibility controls
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- **Hierarchical Objects**: Group objects and edit nested timelines
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- **Audio Support**: Import MP3 audio files
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- **Video Export**: Export animations as MP4 or WebM
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- **Transform Tools**: Move, rotate, and scale objects
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- **Color Tools**: Color picker, paint bucket with flood fill
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- **Undo/Redo**: Full history management
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- **Copy/Paste**: Duplicate objects and keyframes
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## Project Status
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## Installation
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Lightningbeam is under active development. Current focus is on core functionality and architecture. Full project export is not yet fully implemented.
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### Pre-built Releases
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### Known Architectural Challenge
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Download the latest release for your platform from the [Releases page](https://github.com/skykooler/Lightningbeam/releases).
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The current Tauri implementation hits IPC bandwidth limitations when streaming decoded video frames from Rust to JavaScript. Tauri's IPC layer has significant serialization overhead (~few MB/s), which is insufficient for real-time high-resolution video rendering.
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Supported platforms:
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- Linux (AppImage, .deb, .rpm)
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- macOS
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- Windows
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- Web (limited functionality)
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I'm currently exploring a full Rust rewrite using wgpu/egui to eliminate the IPC bottleneck and handle rendering entirely in native code.
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### Building from Source
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## Project History
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**Prerequisites:**
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- [pnpm](https://pnpm.io/) package manager
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- [Rust](https://rustup.rs/) toolchain (installed automatically by Tauri)
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- Platform-specific dependencies for Tauri (see [Tauri Prerequisites](https://tauri.app/v1/guides/getting-started/prerequisites))
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Lightningbeam evolved from earlier multimedia editing projects I've worked on since 2010, including the FreeJam DAW. The current JavaScript/Tauri iteration began in November 2023.
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**Build steps:**
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## Goals
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```bash
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# Clone the repository
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git clone https://github.com/skykooler/Lightningbeam.git
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cd Lightningbeam
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# Install dependencies
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pnpm install
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# Run in development mode
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pnpm tauri dev
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# Build for production
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pnpm tauri build
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```
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**Note for Linux users:** `pnpm tauri dev` works on any distribution, but `pnpm tauri build` currently only works on Ubuntu due to limitations in Tauri's AppImage generation. If you're on a non-Ubuntu distro, you can build in an Ubuntu container/VM or use the development mode instead.
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## Quick Start
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1. Launch Lightningbeam
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2. Create a new file (File → New)
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3. Select a drawing tool from the toolbar
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4. Draw shapes on the canvas
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5. Create keyframes on the timeline to animate objects
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6. Use motion or shape tweens to interpolate between keyframes
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7. Export your animation (File → Export → Video)
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## File Format
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Lightningbeam uses the `.beam` file extension. Files are stored in JSON format and contain all project data including vector shapes, keyframes, layers, and animation curves.
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**Note**: The file format specification is not yet documented and may change during development.
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## Known Limitations
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### Platform-Specific Issues
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- **Linux**: Pinch-to-zoom gestures zoom the entire window instead of individual canvases. This is a [known Tauri/GTK WebView limitation](https://github.com/tauri-apps/tauri/discussions/3843) with no current workaround.
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- **macOS**: Limited testing; some platform-specific bugs may exist.
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- **Windows**: Minimal testing; application has been confirmed to run but may have undiscovered issues.
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### Web Version Limitations
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The web version has several limitations compared to desktop:
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- Restricted file system access
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- Keyboard shortcut conflicts with browser
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- Higher audio latency
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- No native file association
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- Memory limitations with video export
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### General Limitations
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- The current timeline system is being replaced; legacy frame-based features may be unstable
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- Many features and optimizations are still in development
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- Performance benchmarking has not been completed
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- File format may change between versions
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## Contributing
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Contributions are currently limited while the codebase undergoes restructuring. Once the timeline refactor is complete and the code is better organized, the project will be more open to external contributions.
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If you encounter bugs or have feature requests, please open an issue on GitHub.
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## Credits
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Lightningbeam is built with:
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- [Tauri](https://tauri.app/) - Desktop application framework
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- [FFmpeg](https://ffmpeg.org/) - Video encoding/decoding
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- Various JavaScript libraries for drawing, compression, and utilities
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## License
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**License not yet determined.** The author is considering the MIT License for maximum simplicity and adoption. Contributors should await license clarification before submitting code.
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---
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**Repository**: https://github.com/skykooler/Lightningbeam
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**Version**: 0.7.14-alpha
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**Status**: Active Development
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Create a comprehensive FOSS alternative for 2D-focused multimedia work, integrating animation, audio, and video editing in a unified workflow.
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