Fix a stalled CineCode export

The skill does not load

Verify that the skill is installed in the folder for the agent you opened. Claude Code uses ~/.claude/skills/cinecode and Cursor uses ~/.cursor/skills/cinecode. Start a new session after installation or an update.

Ask the agent to use CineCode by name in a fresh film folder. If rendering commands are missing, run the dependency checks in the same shell that runs the agent.

git --version
node --version
python3 --version
ffmpeg -version

Review the setup steps

Chrome starts but frames fail or stall

Check that Chrome or a supported Chromium browser launches on the same machine and that the output folder is writable and has free space. Ask the agent to run the CineCode renderer probe and report which browser and graphics backend it found.

If the probe reports CPU rendering, try a short draft at lower resolution before a full export. If the first scene opens but fonts or media are missing, check paths relative to the film folder and verify the referenced files are present.

CineCode rendering FAQ

The MP4 is missing or the audio is wrong

Find the film folder from the path reported by your agent. Drafts and intermediate files can be in renders or review, while the finished MP4 is placed at the top of the film folder.

Open the MP4 and listen through. If you expected sound, use ffprobe to check for an audio stream, then inspect the mix and any missing input files before rerendering.

ffprobe -v error -show_entries stream=codec_type,codec_name,width,height -show_entries format=duration "<title>.mp4"

Windows reports a permissions or file-lock error

Use a dedicated writable project folder and close any player that has a draft open. Upstream tracks a permission error during initialization and an EBUSY error while renaming a temporary WAV. Check the relevant issue for current status and the exact error details.

For a new report, include the operating system, agent version, CineCode commit, the stage that failed, and the first error line.