diff --git a/apps/acoustic-camera/timeline.js b/apps/acoustic-camera/timeline.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9adb1b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/acoustic-camera/timeline.js
@@ -0,0 +1,250 @@
+import { sceneAtTime } from "/packages/acoustics-core/trajectory.js";
+
+export const DEFAULT_TARGET_MAP_HZ = 8;
+export const DEFAULT_MAX_ANALYSIS_FRAMES = 120;
+
+function requirePositiveFinite(value, label) {
+  if (!Number.isFinite(value) || value <= 0) {
+    throw new RangeError(`${label} must be a positive finite number.`);
+  }
+  return value;
+}
+
+function requirePositiveInteger(value, label) {
+  if (!Number.isInteger(value) || value <= 0) {
+    throw new RangeError(`${label} must be a positive integer.`);
+  }
+  return value;
+}
+
+function requireScene(scene) {
+  if (!scene || typeof scene !== "object") {
+    throw new TypeError("scene must be an object.");
+  }
+  requirePositiveFinite(scene.duration, "scene.duration");
+  requirePositiveFinite(scene.sampleRate, "scene.sampleRate");
+  if (!Array.isArray(scene.sources)) {
+    throw new TypeError("scene.sources must be an array.");
+  }
+  return scene;
+}
+
+function requireFramePlan(plan) {
+  if (!plan || typeof plan !== "object" || !Array.isArray(plan.frames) || plan.frames.length === 0) {
+    throw new TypeError("plan.frames must be a non-empty array.");
+  }
+  requirePositiveFinite(plan.duration, "plan.duration");
+  let previousSampleTime = -Infinity;
+  plan.frames.forEach((frame, index) => {
+    if (
+      !frame ||
+      !Number.isFinite(frame.startTime) ||
+      !Number.isFinite(frame.endTime) ||
+      !Number.isFinite(frame.sampleTime) ||
+      frame.startTime < 0 ||
+      frame.endTime <= frame.startTime ||
+      frame.endTime > plan.duration ||
+      frame.sampleTime < frame.startTime ||
+      frame.sampleTime > frame.endTime ||
+      frame.sampleTime < previousSampleTime
+    ) {
+      throw new RangeError(`plan.frames[${index}] contains an invalid time range.`);
+    }
+    previousSampleTime = frame.sampleTime;
+  });
+  return plan;
+}
+
+function clamp(value, minimum, maximum) {
+  return Math.min(maximum, Math.max(minimum, value));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Return whether at least one source has a usable trajectory. This is a
+ * feature check only; scene contract validation remains the caller's job.
+ */
+export function sceneHasTrajectories(scene) {
+  return Array.isArray(scene?.sources) && scene.sources.some(
+    (source) => Array.isArray(source?.trajectory) && source.trajectory.length >= 2,
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Build a serializable, deterministic set of analysis windows for a scene.
+ *
+ * Frames are distributed from the beginning to the end of the scene. The
+ * windows are wide enough to avoid gaps, never shorter than one FFT when the
+ * scene itself permits it, and capped so precomputation cannot grow without
+ * bound. A shorter-than-FFT scene produces one full-scene frame which the
+ * signal/STFT layer can zero-pad.
+ */
+export function createAnalysisFramePlan(scene, options = {}) {
+  requireScene(scene);
+  const fftSize = requirePositiveInteger(options.fftSize, "fftSize");
+  const targetMapHz = requirePositiveFinite(
+    options.targetMapHz ?? DEFAULT_TARGET_MAP_HZ,
+    "targetMapHz",
+  );
+  const maxFrames = requirePositiveInteger(
+    options.maxFrames ?? DEFAULT_MAX_ANALYSIS_FRAMES,
+    "maxFrames",
+  );
+  const requestedWindowDuration = options.windowDuration === undefined
+    ? 1 / targetMapHz
+    : requirePositiveFinite(options.windowDuration, "windowDuration");
+
+  const duration = scene.duration;
+  const minimumWindowDuration = fftSize / scene.sampleRate;
+  const desiredFrameCount = Math.max(1, Math.ceil(duration * targetMapHz));
+  let frameCount = Math.min(desiredFrameCount, maxFrames);
+  let windowDuration = Math.min(
+    duration,
+    Math.max(minimumWindowDuration, requestedWindowDuration, duration / frameCount),
+  );
+
+  // More than one full-scene window would produce duplicate analysis frames.
+  if (windowDuration >= duration) {
+    frameCount = 1;
+    windowDuration = duration;
+  }
+
+  const frames = [];
+  if (frameCount === 1) {
+    frames.push({
+      index: 0,
+      startTime: 0,
+      endTime: duration,
+      sampleTime: duration / 2,
+      duration,
+    });
+  } else {
+    const firstSampleTime = windowDuration / 2;
+    const lastSampleTime = duration - windowDuration / 2;
+    const sampleInterval = (lastSampleTime - firstSampleTime) / (frameCount - 1);
+    for (let index = 0; index < frameCount; index += 1) {
+      const sampleTime = index === frameCount - 1
+        ? lastSampleTime
+        : firstSampleTime + sampleInterval * index;
+      let startTime = index === 0 ? 0 : sampleTime - windowDuration / 2;
+      if (index > 0 && startTime > frames[index - 1].endTime) {
+        startTime = frames[index - 1].endTime;
+      }
+      const endTime = index === frameCount - 1 ? duration : startTime + windowDuration;
+      frames.push({
+        index,
+        startTime,
+        endTime,
+        sampleTime: startTime + (endTime - startTime) / 2,
+        duration: endTime - startTime,
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  const frameInterval = frameCount > 1
+    ? (frames[frameCount - 1].sampleTime - frames[0].sampleTime) / (frameCount - 1)
+    : duration;
+  return {
+    duration,
+    sampleRate: scene.sampleRate,
+    fftSize,
+    targetMapHz,
+    maxFrames,
+    minimumWindowDuration,
+    windowDuration,
+    frameInterval,
+    effectiveMapHz: frameInterval > 0 ? 1 / frameInterval : 0,
+    frameCount,
+    zeroPaddingRequired: duration < minimumWindowDuration,
+    frames,
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Select the precomputed frames surrounding an arbitrary playback time.
+ * `progress` is the blend amount from the left frame to the right frame, while
+ * `frameIndex` identifies the nearest single frame for renderers that do not
+ * blend heatmaps.
+ */
+export function playbackFrameAtTime(plan, time) {
+  requireFramePlan(plan);
+  if (!Number.isFinite(time)) throw new TypeError("time must be finite.");
+
+  const clampedTime = clamp(time, 0, plan.duration);
+  const { frames } = plan;
+  const lastIndex = frames.length - 1;
+  if (frames.length === 1 || clampedTime <= frames[0].sampleTime) {
+    return {
+      time: clampedTime,
+      sceneProgress: clampedTime / plan.duration,
+      leftFrameIndex: 0,
+      rightFrameIndex: 0,
+      frameIndex: 0,
+      framePosition: 0,
+      progress: 0,
+    };
+  }
+  if (clampedTime >= frames[lastIndex].sampleTime) {
+    return {
+      time: clampedTime,
+      sceneProgress: clampedTime / plan.duration,
+      leftFrameIndex: lastIndex,
+      rightFrameIndex: lastIndex,
+      frameIndex: lastIndex,
+      framePosition: lastIndex,
+      progress: 0,
+    };
+  }
+
+  let low = 0;
+  let high = lastIndex;
+  while (high - low > 1) {
+    const middle = (low + high) >> 1;
+    if (frames[middle].sampleTime <= clampedTime) low = middle;
+    else high = middle;
+  }
+
+  if (clampedTime === frames[low].sampleTime) {
+    return {
+      time: clampedTime,
+      sceneProgress: clampedTime / plan.duration,
+      leftFrameIndex: low,
+      rightFrameIndex: low,
+      frameIndex: low,
+      framePosition: low,
+      progress: 0,
+    };
+  }
+
+  const span = frames[high].sampleTime - frames[low].sampleTime;
+  const progress = (clampedTime - frames[low].sampleTime) / span;
+  return {
+    time: clampedTime,
+    sceneProgress: clampedTime / plan.duration,
+    leftFrameIndex: low,
+    rightFrameIndex: high,
+    frameIndex: progress < 0.5 ? low : high,
+    framePosition: low + progress,
+    progress,
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Resolve moving sources at playback time while also returning the map-frame
+ * blend metadata needed by the renderer. Inputs are not mutated.
+ */
+export function scenePlaybackState(scene, plan, time) {
+  requireScene(scene);
+  const playback = playbackFrameAtTime(plan, time);
+  if (Math.abs(scene.duration - plan.duration) > Number.EPSILON * Math.max(1, scene.duration)) {
+    throw new RangeError("scene.duration must match plan.duration.");
+  }
+  const sampledScene = sceneAtTime(scene, playback.time);
+  return {
+    ...playback,
+    scene: sampledScene,
+    sourcePositions: sampledScene.sources.map((source) => ({
+      sourceId: source.id,
+      position: [...source.position],
+    })),
+  };
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/camera.test.js b/tests/unit/camera.test.js
index 8f9492b..0c08985 100644
--- a/tests/unit/camera.test.js
+++ b/tests/unit/camera.test.js
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+import {
+  createAnalysisFramePlan,
+  playbackFrameAtTime,
+  sceneHasTrajectories,
+  scenePlaybackState,
+} from "/apps/acoustic-camera/timeline.js";
+
 import {
   alignExperimentToScene,
   canonicalStringify,
@@ -15,6 +22,154 @@ function assertNear(actual, expected, tolerance, label) {
   );
 }
 
+function assertThrows(callback, expectedText, label) {
+  let error;
+  try {
+    callback();
+  } catch (caught) {
+    error = caught;
+  }
+  assert(error instanceof Error, `${label}: expected an error`);
+  assert(error.message.includes(expectedText), `${label}: unexpected message ${error.message}`);
+}
+
+test("Camera detects moving source trajectories", () => {
+  assertEqual(sceneHasTrajectories(null), false, "missing scene");
+  assertEqual(sceneHasTrajectories({ sources: [{ id: "fixed", position: [0, 0, 2] }] }), false, "fixed scene");
+  assertEqual(sceneHasTrajectories({
+    sources: [{
+      id: "moving",
+      position: [0, 0, 2],
+      trajectory: [
+        { time: 0, position: [0, 0, 2] },
+        { time: 1, position: [1, 0, 2] },
+      ],
+    }],
+  }), true, "moving scene");
+});
+
+test("Camera analysis plan covers a scene and respects its frame budget", () => {
+  const scene = { duration: 2, sampleRate: 1000, sources: [] };
+  const options = { fftSize: 100, targetMapHz: 4, maxFrames: 3 };
+  const first = createAnalysisFramePlan(scene, options);
+  const second = createAnalysisFramePlan(scene, options);
+
+  assertEqual(first.frameCount, 3, "frame count is capped");
+  assertNear(first.minimumWindowDuration, 0.1, 1e-12, "minimum FFT window");
+  assertNear(first.windowDuration, 2 / 3, 1e-12, "windows grow to cover capped timeline");
+  assertEqual(first.frames[0].startTime, 0, "first frame begins at zero");
+  assertEqual(first.frames.at(-1).endTime, 2, "last frame reaches scene end");
+  first.frames.forEach((frame, index) => {
+    assertEqual(frame.index, index, `frame ${index} index`);
+    assertNear(frame.sampleTime, (frame.startTime + frame.endTime) / 2, 1e-12, `frame ${index} midpoint`);
+    if (index > 0) {
+      assert(frame.startTime <= first.frames[index - 1].endTime, `frame ${index} leaves no timeline gap`);
+    }
+  });
+  assertEqual(JSON.stringify(second), JSON.stringify(first), "frame planning is deterministic");
+});
+
+test("Camera analysis windows obey FFT and short-scene constraints", () => {
+  const fftLimited = createAnalysisFramePlan(
+    { duration: 1, sampleRate: 1000, sources: [] },
+    { fftSize: 400, targetMapHz: 10, maxFrames: 100 },
+  );
+  assertEqual(fftLimited.frameCount, 10, "requested timeline frames");
+  assertNear(fftLimited.windowDuration, 0.4, 1e-12, "FFT-sized window");
+  assertEqual(fftLimited.frames[0].startTime, 0, "overlapping first window");
+  assertEqual(fftLimited.frames.at(-1).endTime, 1, "overlapping last window");
+  assert(fftLimited.frames.every((frame) => frame.duration >= 0.4 - 1e-12), "no window is shorter than one FFT");
+
+  const shortScene = createAnalysisFramePlan(
+    { duration: 0.05, sampleRate: 1000, sources: [] },
+    { fftSize: 100, targetMapHz: 100, maxFrames: 50 },
+  );
+  assertEqual(shortScene.frameCount, 1, "short scene avoids duplicate frames");
+  assertEqual(shortScene.windowDuration, 0.05, "window is bounded by scene duration");
+  assertEqual(shortScene.zeroPaddingRequired, true, "short scene reports FFT padding requirement");
+  assertNear(shortScene.frames[0].sampleTime, 0.025, 1e-12, "short scene midpoint");
+});
+
+test("Camera playback selects and interpolates bounded analysis frames", () => {
+  const plan = createAnalysisFramePlan(
+    { duration: 1, sampleRate: 1000, sources: [] },
+    { fftSize: 100, targetMapHz: 4, maxFrames: 10 },
+  );
+  const middle = playbackFrameAtTime(plan, 0.5);
+  assertEqual(middle.leftFrameIndex, 1, "middle left frame");
+  assertEqual(middle.rightFrameIndex, 2, "middle right frame");
+  assertEqual(middle.frameIndex, 2, "nearest frame resolves midpoint ties forward");
+  assertNear(middle.progress, 0.5, 1e-12, "middle interpolation progress");
+  assertNear(middle.framePosition, 1.5, 1e-12, "fractional frame position");
+
+  const before = playbackFrameAtTime(plan, -10);
+  assertEqual(before.time, 0, "negative playback time is clamped");
+  assertEqual(before.frameIndex, 0, "negative playback selects first frame");
+  const after = playbackFrameAtTime(plan, 10);
+  assertEqual(after.time, 1, "late playback time is clamped");
+  assertEqual(after.frameIndex, 3, "late playback selects last frame");
+  assertEqual(after.sceneProgress, 1, "late playback progress");
+});
+
+test("Camera playback resolves moving positions without mutating the scene", () => {
+  const movingSource = {
+    id: "moving",
+    position: [99, 99, 99],
+    trajectory: [
+      { time: 0, position: [0, 0, 2] },
+      { time: 1, position: [4, 2, 2] },
+    ],
+  };
+  const fixedSource = { id: "fixed", position: [-1, 1, 3] };
+  const scene = { duration: 1, sampleRate: 1000, sources: [movingSource, fixedSource] };
+  const plan = createAnalysisFramePlan(scene, { fftSize: 100, targetMapHz: 4 });
+  const state = scenePlaybackState(scene, plan, 0.25);
+
+  assertNear(state.scene.sources[0].position[0], 1, 1e-12, "moving x");
+  assertNear(state.scene.sources[0].position[1], 0.5, 1e-12, "moving y");
+  assertEqual(state.scene.sources[1].position.join(","), "-1,1,3", "fixed source");
+  assertEqual(state.sourcePositions[0].sourceId, "moving", "position metadata source id");
+  assertEqual(state.sourcePositions[0].position.join(","), "1,0.5,2", "position metadata value");
+  assertEqual(movingSource.position.join(","), "99,99,99", "input source remains unchanged");
+  assert(state.scene !== scene && state.scene.sources[0] !== movingSource, "sampled scene is immutable");
+});
+
+test("Camera timeline rejects non-finite and invalid planning inputs", () => {
+  const scene = { duration: 1, sampleRate: 1000, sources: [] };
+  assertThrows(
+    () => createAnalysisFramePlan({ ...scene, duration: Number.NaN }, { fftSize: 100 }),
+    "scene.duration",
+    "NaN duration",
+  );
+  assertThrows(
+    () => createAnalysisFramePlan(scene, { fftSize: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY }),
+    "fftSize",
+    "infinite FFT size",
+  );
+  assertThrows(
+    () => createAnalysisFramePlan(scene, { fftSize: 100, targetMapHz: 0 }),
+    "targetMapHz",
+    "zero map rate",
+  );
+  assertThrows(
+    () => createAnalysisFramePlan(scene, { fftSize: 100, maxFrames: 1.5 }),
+    "maxFrames",
+    "fractional frame limit",
+  );
+  assertThrows(
+    () => createAnalysisFramePlan(scene, { fftSize: 100, windowDuration: Number.NaN }),
+    "windowDuration",
+    "NaN analysis window",
+  );
+  const plan = createAnalysisFramePlan(scene, { fftSize: 100 });
+  assertThrows(() => playbackFrameAtTime(plan, Number.NaN), "time", "NaN playback time");
+  assertThrows(
+    () => scenePlaybackState({ ...scene, duration: 2 }, plan, 0.5),
+    "scene.duration",
+    "scene and plan mismatch",
+  );
+});
+
 test("Camera input hash is canonical across object key order", async () => {
   const first = {
     arrayDefinition: {