# Help Centre

Everything you need to create, animate, and ship your mascots.

## Getting Started

1

### Create your mascot

**Describe it:** Tell us what you want — "a friendly fox wearing headphones" — and our AI generates four unique options. **Or scan a website:** Paste a URL and we'll design mascots that match your brand colours and personality. Each generation costs **5 credits** and takes about 15–30 seconds.

2

### Understand credits

New accounts get **30 free credits** to start. Generating a mascot set costs **5 credits**, animating costs **20 credits**(5-second clip) or **40 credits** (10-second clip), and refinements cost **5 credits** each (your first refinement is free!). Need more? Grab a credit pack or subscribe on the [Pricing](/content/pricing/index.html) page.

3

### Animate your mascot

Open any mascot from your dashboard, pick an animation preset (wave, dance, celebrate, and more), then hit **Animate**. Your animation will be ready in **5–8 minutes**. Preview in-browser free — download in any format (WebM, APNG, MP4, MOV, or spritesheet) on a paid plan.

## Animation Formats

Every animation is available in multiple formats. Pick the one that fits your platform:

| Format          | Best For                           | Transparency | File Size |
|----------------|------------------------------------|--------------|-----------|
| WebM           | Android, Chrome, web               | ✅ Alpha     | Small     |
| APNG           | iOS, Safari                        | ✅ Alpha     | Medium    |
| MP4            | Social media, video editing        | ❌ No       | Small     |
| MOV (ProRes)   | Professional video editing          | ✅ Alpha     | Large     |
| Spritesheet    | Game engines, custom animation      | ✅ Alpha     | Medium    |

** Tip:** Use **WebM** for Android & Chrome, and include an **APNG** fallback for iOS & Safari. This covers all major platforms with transparent animations.

## Integration Examples

### React Native — Image component

```
import { Image, Platform } from 'react-native';

const mascotSource = Platform.select({
  android: require('./mascot-wave.webm'),
  ios: require('./mascot-wave.apng'),
  default: require('./mascot-wave.webm'),
});

export function Mascot() {
  return (
    <Image
      source={mascotSource}
      style={{ width: 200, height: 200 }}
      resizeMode="contain"
    />
  );
}
```

### HTML / CSS — video + img fallback

```
<!-- WebM for Chrome/Android, APNG fallback for Safari/iOS -->
<picture>
  <source srcset="mascot-wave.webm" type="video/webm" />
  <img src="mascot-wave.apng" alt="Mascot waving" width="200" />
</picture>

<!-- Or use a video tag for more control -->
<video
  autoplay loop muted playsinline
  width="200" height="200"
  poster="mascot-static.png"
>
  <source src="mascot-wave.webm" type="video/webm" />
  <source src="mascot-wave.mp4" type="video/mp4" />
</video>
```

### Unity — Spritesheet import

```csharp
// 1. Import your spritesheet PNG into Assets/Sprites/
// 2. Select the texture → Inspector:
//    - Sprite Mode: Multiple
//    - Pixels Per Unit: 100
// 3. Open Sprite Editor → Slice → Grid By Cell Count
//    - Set columns & rows (included in download metadata)
// 4. Create Animation from sliced sprites:
//    - Select all frames → drag into Scene
//    - Unity auto-creates an Animation clip

// To play via script:
Animator anim = GetComponent<Animator>();
anim.Play("mascot-wave");
```

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How long do animations take?
Most animations are ready in 5–8 minutes. If the queue is busy, it may take a little longer — you'll get a notification when it's done.

### Can I use mascots commercially?
Yes! You own full commercial rights to every mascot and animation you create on MascotVibe. Use them in your app, website, game, marketing — wherever you like.

### What if I don't like my mascots?
Use the Refine feature to tweak a mascot's style, colours, or details. Your first refinement is free! You can also generate an entirely new set for 5 credits.

### Do you offer refunds?
Credits are non-refundable once used. However, unused credit packs can be refunded within 7 days of purchase — just reach out to us.

### What image formats work for upload?
We accept PNG, JPG, and WebP images. For best results, use a transparent PNG so the animation background stays clean.

### Can I animate a mascot I didn't create here?
Absolutely. Upload any character image — it doesn't have to be made with MascotVibe. As long as you have the rights to the image, you're good to go.

### Still stuck?
Email us at [david@softfocusapps.com](mailto:david@softfocusapps.com) and we will get back to you within 24 hours.