Describe animation in plain language. WhyCavalry generates the Cavalry JavaScript and fires it live in your open scene via AppleScript. Zero copy-paste. Zero context switching.
Zero copy-paste — The standard workflow: write in ChatGPT → copy → switch to Cavalry → paste in Scripts → run. WhyCavalry eliminates every step after the first sentence. The file bridge writes to ~/.whycavalry/, AppleScript triggers Cavalry's Scripts menu, the animation runs — while you are still looking at the chat.
Cavalry native — Claude knows the full Cavalry.js API: shapes, modifiers, expressions, connectors, timing functions. Not a wrapper around generic code generation. It generates Cavalry-idiomatic scripts that work on first run.
Conversation memory — The sidebar stores all sessions. "Make it 30% faster" works because Claude has the previous script in context. Iterative motion design without re-describing from scratch.
Zero API cost — Claude Code CLI runs on a Claude Pro subscription. No API key. No per-request billing. Use it all day for every animation.
Chat UI → Claude Code CLI → bridge file → Cavalry (Scripts menu)
↑
current scene context
| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| UI | Electron chat app, dark, conversation sidebar |
| AI | Claude Code CLI — knows full Cavalry.js API |
| Bridge | File bridge ~/.whycavalry/ + osascript trigger |
| Cavalry | Executes the generated script via Scripts menu |
| Describe | What runs |
|---|---|
| "Circles exploding from center, pastel colors, infinite loop" | Particle emitter with radial velocity + color array + loop |
| "Text 'Hello' entering with spring physics from the left" | Text layer, spring easing on X, overshoot and settle |
| "Smooth morph between circle and square, 2 seconds" | Shape morph modifier, ease in/out, seamless loop |
| "Background shifting from teal to black, sinusoidal" | Color animation with sine expression on background layer |
| "Duplicate the main layer and rotate it 45° every frame" | Layer duplication + rotation expression |
| "Make it 30% faster and add a white flash on impact" | Claude reads previous script, modifies timing, adds flash overlay |
| WhyCavalry | AI + copy-paste | Manual Cavalry scripting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy-paste required | Never | Every time | N/A |
| Context switching | None | Constant | N/A |
| Iteration speed | Under 3s | 30–60s | Minutes |
| Cavalry API coverage | Full | Generic | Full |
| Conversation memory | Yes | No | N/A |
- App: Electron + Node.js
- UI: HTML/CSS/JS native renderer
- AI: Claude Code CLI (
claude --print) - Bridge: File system + AppleScript → Cavalry Scripts menu
- Prerequisite: Cavalry installed + Claude Code authenticated
git clone https://github.com/OfficialWhyEd/WhyCavalry
cd WhyCavalry
npm install
npm start
# or
open /Applications/WhyCavalry.appCavalry must be open with an active scene.
WhyCavalry/
├── electron-main.js # Electron main process
├── preload.js # Secure bridge renderer ↔ main
├── renderer/ # Chat UI
├── app.js # AI pipeline + file bridge
└── cavalry-scripts/ # Predefined Cavalry scripts
- Discord — discord.gg/cQQckfnN
- Instagram — @whyed.music
- Reddit — r/motiondesign, r/LocalLLaMA
Pull requests welcome.
- Windows port — replace AppleScript with a cross-platform trigger
- Cavalry script library — predefined high-quality animations
- Better context injection — feed current scene state to Claude
Built by @whyed · macOS · Cavalry + Claude · website · MIT License