Save, Export & Import: Your Work is Always Safe

Brinimate runs entirely in your browser — no cloud account required, no servers holding your files hostage. But that means you are responsible for saving your work. This guide covers every tool Brinimate gives you to protect your projects and move them between devices.

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💾 Exporting Your Project (JSON)

The primary way to save your work is to export it as a .json file — a complete snapshot of your animation.

What’s included in the export:

• All layers and their names.
• Every keyframe and its contents (shapes, strokes, text).
• All symbol definitions and the Asset Library.
• Timeline length and frame rate settings.
• All tween/interpolation data.

How to export:

1. Click the Export button in the Header (top of the editor).
2. Your browser’s standard file download dialog opens.
3. Choose where to save the .json file on your computer.
4. Done. Your entire project is in that file.

Recommended habit: Export at the end of every drawing session. Name your files clearly: my_short_film_v01.json, my_short_film_v02.json. Version numbers save you when you need to roll back.

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📂 Importing a Project (JSON)

To continue working on a previously saved project:

1. Click Open in the Header.
2. Your browser’s file picker opens.
3. Select your .json file.
4. The project loads — all layers, symbols, keyframes, and tweens restored exactly as you left them.

Note: Importing replaces the current project in the editor. If you have unsaved changes in the current session, export first before importing another file.

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🗄️ Auto-Save with IndexedDB

For extra protection during long sessions, Brinimate supports automatic persistence to your browser’s IndexedDB — a local database built into every modern browser.

How to enable:

1. Open Settings (look for the gear icon or Settings menu in the Header).
2. Find “Auto persist to browser (IndexedDB)”.
3. Toggle it ON.

What it does:

• Automatically saves your project state to the browser’s local storage as you work.
• If your browser crashes, your computer restarts, or you accidentally close the tab, you can reopen Brinimate and recover your last session.

When to use it:

• During long, complex animation sessions where losing work would be painful.
• When working on a project over multiple days on the same computer.

When to avoid it:

• During development or testing of the editor itself (the auto-saved state can interfere with testing blank states).
• If you share a computer and don’t want sessions to bleed into each other.

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🔄 Workflow: Local-First with Manual Versions

Here’s a recommended workflow for protecting your work:

Work Session Start:
  → Import your latest .json file

During Work (if sessions are long):
  → Enable IndexedDB auto-save as a safety net

Work Session End:
  → Export .json with a new version number (v02, v03...)
  → Disable IndexedDB auto-save (optional, keeps things clean)

Before Major Changes:
  → Export a "checkpoint" file before restructuring scenes or symbols

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🖥️ Moving Projects Between Devices

Since everything is a .json file, working across devices is simple:

1. Export on Device A.
2. Transfer the .json file (email, USB, cloud storage, messaging app — your choice).
3. Import on Device B.

No accounts, no sync, no subscriptions required. Your animation goes where you go.

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💡 Pro Tip — Keep a Project Archive Folder: Create a folder on your computer called brinimate_projects. Inside it, create subfolders per project. Save exported .json files there with dates in the filename (logo_animation_2026-04-15.json). After 3 months of production, you’ll have a versioned history of your entire creative process — and the ability to recover any previous state in seconds.