It seems animations could be easier, but it's not clear how best to improve them. Here is one option: revise the animate statement to allow for an alternate syntax:
animate leftVariable = float to float in float seconds
This alternative requires that the "to" value be given. It then creates a step value such that 30 * seconds steps are produced (30 is because the 1X frame rate is 30 FPS). The formula would be step = (end - start) / (30 * seconds). While the calculation could easily be done by the user, this syntax makes the intent clearer. If multiple variables with different ranges are being animated, using this syntax and supplying the same number of seconds for each could synchronize all the variables.
It seems animations could be easier, but it's not clear how best to improve them. Here is one option: revise the animate statement to allow for an alternate syntax:
animate leftVariable = float to float in float seconds
This alternative requires that the "to" value be given. It then creates a step value such that 30 * seconds steps are produced (30 is because the 1X frame rate is 30 FPS). The formula would be step = (end - start) / (30 * seconds). While the calculation could easily be done by the user, this syntax makes the intent clearer. If multiple variables with different ranges are being animated, using this syntax and supplying the same number of seconds for each could synchronize all the variables.