Supported import and export formats

File support has three separate meanings:

1. the picker lets you choose a file;
2. the current browser or native runtime can decode it; and
3. Scribe can preserve the required behavior through save, reopen, preview, and export.

A listed extension confirms the first boundary, not every codec variant or malformed file. The matrices below reflect frontend@2.0.0 as reviewed on 31 August 2026.

Project and structured-content input

Input	Entry point	What it becomes	Important limitation
.scribe	File/Project Files → Import .scribe	The active editable project, scenes, timeline, and supported packaged assets	Import replaces the current workspace; back it up first
Scribe Template v1 .json	File → Import AI JSON	A validated project, scene, or block template	JSON must match or normalize to the current template schema
.scribe-template	Project-template file picker	A project/scene/block template envelope	It is template JSON, not a .scribe ZIP package
.scribe-scene	Scene-template file picker	One validated scene template	Apply mode determines whether the current scene is replaced or appended
Pasted JSON	AI JSON import	The same validated structured template data	Prototype-pollution keys, excessive depth/size, invalid IDs, and broken references are rejected

Use .scribe for an editable backup or handoff. Use template JSON for reusable or generated structure. Renaming one format to another does not convert it.

Visual input

Vector Import

Format	Current Desktop chooser	Processing path	Notes
SVG (.svg)	Yes	Sanitize, parse, normalize, and extract paths	Scripts and SVG animation are removed or rejected
SVGZ (.svgz)	Not advertised	Lower-level guarded decompression exists	Decompress to plain SVG for the reliable public workflow
PNG	Yes	Raster preprocessing and optional tracing	Good for transparency and flat artwork
JPEG/JPG	Yes	Raster preprocessing and optional tracing	Good for photographs; no alpha channel
WebP	Yes	Raster preprocessing and optional tracing	Browser decode support is required
GIF	Yes	Raster preprocessing; supported source bytes can retain animated-image behavior	Test preview and export on the target platform
BMP	Yes	Raster preprocessing and optional tracing	Usually larger; convert when intake is slow
TIFF/TIF	Yes	Raster preprocessing and optional tracing	Decode support can vary; PNG is a safer fallback

The image preprocessor does not currently promise HEIC/HEIF or AVIF decode. Convert those files to PNG, JPEG, or WebP before import.

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The visible chooser is the public contract: SVG, PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, BMP, and TIFF.

Screenshot callouts

1. 1
   File intake

   Choose or drop one trusted source for sanitization, preprocessing, or tracing.
2. 2
   Visible format contract

   The current chooser explicitly lists SVG, PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, BMP, and TIFF.
3. 3
   Validated result

   Inspect the processed preview, warnings, dimensions, path count, and chosen output before placement.

Normal images and backgrounds

Surface	File choices shown by that surface
Mobile Lite image insertion	PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF
Desktop custom background	JPEG, PNG, GIF
Mobile Lite custom background	PNG, JPEG, WebP
Desktop custom/image library upload	The individual picker declares its accepted raster formats; use the visible list

Background and image-object workflows are not interchangeable. A background is not a normal selectable, timed object.

Video input and screen recording

Input	Current Desktop entry point	What it becomes	Important boundary
MP4 or M4V	Video → Upload video, file drop, or clipboard File	One ordinary scene-scoped video object	Container and codec must decode in the current runtime
WebM	Video → Upload video, file drop, or clipboard File	One ordinary scene-scoped video object	Safari and native WebView codec support can vary
MOV/QuickTime	Video → Upload video, file drop, or clipboard File	One ordinary scene-scoped video object	HEVC support depends on the Apple/browser environment
Browser screen capture	Video → Record screen	One ordinary video scene per accepted recording step	Desktop web only; requires getDisplayMedia and MediaRecorder

Local video intake warns above 60 MB, rejects one clip above 100 MB, and rejects a clip longer than 60 seconds. Screen recording preserves that one-minute clip architecture: a complete session can contain several steps, but each step is independently recorded and inspected before it can become a scene. The overall recorder stops after five minutes of active captured time.

The recorder negotiates MP4 or WebM output from the formats the current browser actually reports as supported. It does not infer validity from the MIME label: every completed step passes through the same metadata inspection, project-local asset repository, renderer, persistence, and export path as an uploaded file. The resulting recording container is input media; the public final-video output remains MP4/H.264.

See Record your screen and turn steps into editable scenes and Import and explain video on the canvas for the task workflows.

Audio input

The current Mobile Lite audio picker lists:

• MP3;
• M4A and AAC;
• WAV;
• OGG;
• WebM audio;
• FLAC;
• AIFF;
• CAF;
• Opus;
• WMA;
• AMR; and
• MP4 containers that contain decodable audio.

Desktop audio surfaces accept browser-recognized audio/* files. In both cases, the browser, WebView, or native decoder determines whether the codec inside the container is playable.

For the most portable project and export workflow:

Choice	Recommended use
MP3	Compressed music, narration, or sound effects
WAV	Predictable local recording/generation and uncompressed interchange
M4A/AAC	Apple/mobile-origin audio after a target-device test
OGG/WebM Opus	Browser-origin recording after a cross-platform decode test

The current media-upload policy limits one account/cloud audio upload to 5 MB. This is an upload boundary, not a claim that every larger local file can or cannot decode.

Direct output

Output	Current public status	Preserves	Does not preserve
MP4/H.264 video	Active	Rendered scenes, animation, camera, drawing, and mixed audio when supported	Editable Scribe objects and timeline controls
Static SVG	Active	Scalable geometry from the current scene	Multi-scene playback, timing, audio, and camera motion
.scribe project package	Active	Editable project snapshot and supported packaged assets	Guaranteed availability of preserved external URLs
WAV voiceover	Available from the local voiceover workflow where generation/download is supported	Generated audio waveform	Project scene/timeline structure
Template JSON	Available through documented structured template workflows	Reusable project, scene, or block structure	A rendered final video or universal packaged media

The video exporter clamps requests to MP4 even if an older integration asks for WebM. WebM is not an end-user video output in the current interface.

Scribe does not currently advertise direct GIF, animated SVG, PNG-sequence, or JPEG-still export as a supported public delivery format.

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The current final-video contract is MP4/H.264 with an effective resolution and encoder path determined by plan and platform.

Screenshot callouts

1. 1
   Resolution

   Choose project size, 1080p, 720p, or 480p; the active plan can clamp the effective result.
2. 2
   Frame rate and quality

   24, 30, or 60 fps and the selected bitrate change render work and file size.
3. 3
   MP4 output

   The visible final-video format is MP4 using H.264.
4. 4
   Local render boundary

   Keep the app open and foregrounded until encoding and download finish.

.scribe package limits

The importer validates archive structure before replacing the project. Current hard acceptance ceilings include:

Boundary	Maximum
Package file	200 MB
Files in archive	10,000
Total uncompressed content	500 MB
One extracted file	200 MB
Manifest JSON	5 MB
Snapshot JSON	50 MB
Project objects	10,000

These are security ceilings, not recommended project sizes. A project close to a ceiling can still exceed device memory or be impractical to edit.

The package exporter applies separate soft and hard embed budgets while collecting assets. If a source cannot be embedded, the manifest can retain a reference and warning. Always reopen an important package in a clean test session.

Format verification checklist

After any import:

1. confirm scene count, canvas size, and object count;
2. inspect transparent and cropped edges;
3. preview animation and audio from the beginning;
4. save to a new target;
5. close and reopen;
6. verify remote or local assets still resolve; and
7. retain the untouched source file.

After any export:

1. open the downloaded file outside Scribe;
2. verify dimensions and duration;
3. inspect the first scene, transitions, and last frame;
4. listen for missing or drifting audio;
5. inspect thin strokes and small text at 100%; and
6. keep the .scribe source separately.

Related workflows

• Record your screen and turn steps into editable scenes
• Import and explain video on the canvas
• Import SVG and vector artwork
• Add images, assets, and backgrounds
• Add voiceover, music, and synchronized audio
• Choose and verify an export
• Save, import, and recover projects