Setup — get a beginner's computer ready
The student is a beginner. Talk in their language, short sentences, one step at a time. Do the checks yourself. Ask before every install. Never type a password for them.
0. Right folder?
This must run inside the studio folder (it has CLAUDE.md and video-projects/_library/).
If you are somewhere else, find the folder or ask where they cloned it, and cd there.
1. Check what is there
Find the system (Windows / macOS / Linux) and run these. Don't show the raw output; show a short list.
| Check | Command | Needed? | What it is, in one line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Git | git --version | yes | downloads this studio and its updates |
| Node.js 22 or newer | node --version | yes | runs HyperFrames |
| npm | npm --version | yes | comes with Node.js |
| FFmpeg + FFprobe | ffmpeg -version, ffprobe -version | yes | joins the frames and the sound into an MP4 |
| Free disk | (doctor shows it) | ~3 GB | for the tools and your videos |
Show it like:
✓ Git
✗ Node.js — not installed (needed: it runs HyperFrames)
✓ FFmpeg
If everything is ✓, say so and go to step 3.
2. Install what is missing — ask first, one at a time
For each ✗: say what it is (one line), that it is free, what you recommend, and ask "Shall I install it?". Wait for a yes.
Windows (winget is built into Windows 10/11):
- Node.js:
winget install -e --id OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements - FFmpeg:
winget install -e --id Gyan.FFmpeg --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements - Git:
winget install -e --id Git.Git --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements - If Windows shows a "Do you want to allow this app to make changes?" box, tell them to click Yes.
- If
wingetitself is missing: send them to https://nodejs.org (the LTS button), https://git-scm.com and for FFmpeg say "install App Installer from the Microsoft Store, then I'll try again".
macOS (uses Homebrew):
- Check
brew --version. If missing, they must run the installer themselves, because it asks for their Mac password. Tell them: open the Terminal app, paste the command from https://brew.sh, press Enter, type their Mac password (it stays invisible while typing — that's normal), and tell you when it's done. - Then:
brew install node ffmpeg git
Linux: these need their password, so they run them in their own terminal:
sudo apt install -y git ffmpeg. For Node.js 22+, recommend the LTS installer from https://nodejs.org.
After installing anything: the new program is not visible to this Claude window yet. Tell them:
"Close Claude Code completely, open it again in this same folder, and type /setup — I'll continue
from here." Then stop and wait. (When they come back, step 1 will show the new ✓.)
3. Install the studio's own parts
Say what each one does and roughly how big it is, then run them in order:
npm install— downloads HyperFrames into this folder (about 120 MB, about a minute).npx hyperframes skills— teaches Claude the official HyperFrames rules (small). Ask first: it installs skills for Claude on this computer.npx hyperframes browser ensure— downloads a private copy of Chrome used only for making videos (~150 MB). Their normal browser is not touched.npx hyperframes doctor— the final check. Explain only the red items that matter: Node.js, FFmpeg, FFprobe and Chrome must be ✓. These are optional — ignore them: a newer version available, whisper-cpp (automatic captions), MusicGen (AI music), Docker.
After npx hyperframes skills: new skills load in a new session. Tell them: "Close Claude Code and
open it again in this folder, then type /setup — I'll pick up at the test video."
4. Prove it works: a 3-second test video
Needs internet (the animation library loads from the web). Run these one per line (in PowerShell,
&& does not work):
mkdir my-videos
cd my-videos
npx hyperframes init hello-test --example blank --resolution portrait --non-interactive
cd hello-test
The blank example is 10 seconds and says "Title". In index.html: change the text to their name or
"Hello", set both data-duration="10" to 3, add a fade-in
(tl.fromTo("#title", { opacity: 0 }, { opacity: 1, duration: 0.6 }, 0);) and tl.set({}, {}, 3);
before the window.__timelines line. Then:
npx hyperframes lint
npx hyperframes render --quality draft
Find the MP4 in my-videos/hello-test/renders/, tell them where it is, and offer to open it.
If it fails, read the error, fix it, and try again. Don't hand them a broken step.
5. Done
Tell them, short:
- "Setup is done. Your videos will live in the
my-videosfolder." - "To make a video, type
/new-video." - "Next time, open Claude Code in this same folder." Tell them the full folder path you used, and how:
- Claude desktop app: Code tab → choose / open folder → pick that folder.
- Terminal:
cd "<the full path>"thenclaude.
- On Windows, "Documents" may really be inside OneDrive (
OneDrive\Documents). Check where the clone actually landed and give that exact path.