[ENHANCEMENT] Optional Roo loading animation #8747
Description
Problem (one or two sentences)
In the Roo Code Podcast episode 24 from Sep 25, 2025, @hannesrudolph mentioned the wish for a kangaroo loading animation.
Users currently only have a standard spinner for progress indication during API requests and tool usage. Some users may prefer a more playful or brand-aligned animation that better represents the Roo Code identity.
Context (who is affected and when)
All Roo Code users who interact with the chat interface. The ProgressIndicator is used in 5 total locations across 3 different chat-related components:
1 API requests
2 Command execution
3 MCP server operations
4 Context condensing
5 Browser session actions
Desired behavior (conceptual, not technical)
Users should be able to choose between the standard spinner and a jumping kangaroo animation for progress indicators. This setting should be:
- Easy to toggle in Settings > UI section
- Persistent across sessions
- Apply to all progress indicators consistently
- Default to the standard spinner (no breaking changes)
Constraints / preferences (optional)
- Must not break existing functionality or change default behavior
- Animation should be smooth and not distract from workflow
- Should be lightweight (no external dependencies)
- Must work across all themes (light/dark)
- Should match the existing spinner's size (16px) for UI consistency
Request checklist
- I've searched existing Issues and Discussions for duplicates
- This describes a specific problem with clear context and impact
Roo Code Task Links (optional)
No response
Acceptance criteria (optional)
- Settings > UI contains a "Use Jumping Roo Animation" toggle
- When enabled, all progress indicators show a jumping kangaroo instead of spinner
- When disabled, standard spinner remains (default behavior)
- Setting persists when reopening VSCode
- Animation is smooth, non-disruptive, and matches existing UI size
- No console errors or performance degradation
Proposed approach (optional)
I have already made a working version which can be found in PR:
Trade-offs / risks (optional)
No response