Save, open and recover
Save your project as a .styk file, keep versions with Save as, and get your work back with Restore after a crash.
- Press Ctrl+S to save your project as a .styk file. Ctrl+Shift+S saves a copy under a new name.
- Next to the project’s name, Edited means there are unsaved changes and Saved means everything is in the file.
- If StykAnimate closes unexpectedly, open it again and click Restore in the Restore unsaved work message.
Your animation is saved as a project: one .styk file with every frame, figure, layer, effect, camera move and sound in it. This guide shows you how to save and open projects, how to get your work back after a crash, and how saving works in the browser editor.
Save your project
- Press Ctrl+S, click Save in the top bar, or choose File → Save.
- The first time, choose a folder and type a name, then confirm.
- Look at the top bar. When the dot next to the name turns green and it says Saved, your work is in the file.
- Keep working and press Ctrl+S often. After the first time it saves straight to the same file, without asking.
Street fightSaved- Pose Blue. The top bar changes to Edited.
- Press Ctrl+S (point at the editor first) or click Save, and watch it say Saved.
- Pose him again, wait a few seconds, then Simulate a crash. Click Restore when StykAnimate opens again.
- Crash once more and open Manage copies instead.
- Make a change, then Close the window. Choose Save, Don’t save or Cancel.
The grey outline is the last saved pose. Everything happens in this page only.
StykAnimate keeps recovery copies so a crash can’t take your work, but your .styk file only changes when you save. Wait for Saved before you close the app or copy the file somewhere.
Save a new version with Save as
Before a big change, keep the version you have. If the change goes wrong, the old file is still there.
- Choose File → Save as… or press Ctrl+Shift+S.
- Type a new name, for example Street fight 2, and confirm.
- From now on you’re working in the new file: the top bar shows its name and Ctrl+S saves there. The old file stays exactly as it was.
To rename the project without making a copy, click its name in the top bar or choose File → Rename project….
Open a project
In the desktop app, File → Open recent… lists the projects you opened last. You can also drop a .styk file onto the editor. To open old Pivot or Stick Nodes files, see Open Pivot and Stick Nodes files.
Which file is which
| File | What’s inside | How you make it |
|---|---|---|
| .styk | A whole project: every frame, figure, layer, effect, camera move and sound. | Ctrl+S |
| .stkz | One figure, to reuse in other projects. | Select it, then File → Save figure… |
| .stykmov | One movieclip with its animation. | Select it, then File → Save figure… |
| .mp4, .gif, .png… | A video or pictures to share. You can’t edit them again in StykAnimate. | Export (Ctrl+Shift+E) |
Sounds and pictures you added are stored inside the .styk file, so you can move it to another computer and nothing goes missing. Opening a .stkz or .stykmov adds it to the animation you have open.
Get your work back after a crash
While you work, StykAnimate keeps a recovery copy of anything you haven’t saved, every 2.5 seconds by default. It never touches your real file.
- Open StykAnimate again after a crash, a power cut or a forced restart.
- A message appears across the top of the stage: Restore unsaved work in Street fight from 10:01 PM?
- Click Restore. Your changes come back and the project shows Edited.
- Save straight away with Ctrl+S to put them in your file.
Not now keeps the copy and asks again next time. Manage copies opens a window where you can pick which copy to restore (if several projects left one) or Discard copy to delete it for good.
To change how often copies are kept, open Settings → Animation → Recovery → Autosave interval and choose Off, 2.5 seconds, 5, 10 or 30 seconds, or 1 minute. With Off, a crash loses everything since your last save.
Closing with unsaved changes
If you close StykAnimate, open another project or start a new one while the project says Edited, it asks Save changes to Street fight?
- Save saves, then closes. The safe choice.
- Don’t save throws the changes away.
- Cancel takes you back to your animation with nothing changed.
Saving in the browser editor
- Recovery copies live in your browser’s storage: one per tab, up to 8 copies.
- Browsers can clear that storage: private windows, a full disk, or Safari after 7 days without a visit. Save a file for anything you care about.
If saving doesn’t finish
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| The file picker closed but it still says Edited | You probably cancelled the picker, so nothing was saved. Press Ctrl+S again and confirm. |
| A folder or permission error | Use Save as… and pick a folder you can write to, like Documents. Check there’s free space on the disk. |
| A message that the save was cancelled | You were still dragging or drawing. Let go, wait a moment and save again. Your previous file is untouched. |
Common questions
Where are my recovery copies?
Open StykAnimate again after a crash and it offers them. If you clicked Not now, you’ll be asked again next time.
My file won’t open in an older version.
Files saved by a newer StykAnimate may not open in an older one. Update the app on that computer (Help → Check for updates…).
The canvas went blank and says “Reconnect canvas”.
Your graphics card reset (this can happen after sleep or a driver update). Click Reconnect canvas; your work is still there.
Can I save a GIF or a video?
That’s exporting. Always keep the .styk too: a video can’t be edited again.
Keep going
Still stuck?
Ask the community, or tell us what’s missing from the docs.