Anchoring 2D animation frames to a fixed point to stop characters bouncing

When sprite frames have different transparent margins, centering each cropped image in one rectangle can make a character appear to bounce. The article recommends choosing an anchor with a consistent meaning across frames, such as the supporting foot's contact point for a walk or a torso point for a flying character. Each frame stores its own local anchor coordinates, and it is drawn at the world position minus that anchor so the anchor lands on the same spot. Developers should check the motion at real size against a horizontal guide, since forcing every foot pose to the ground can flatten an intentional hop. Secondary details like weapons or scarves need separate review, and original frames should be kept with anchor metadata that is recalculated if the crop changes.