diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/CharacterComponent.java b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/CharacterComponent.java
index ffa73a95..af6008dc 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/CharacterComponent.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/CharacterComponent.java
@@ -70,6 +70,18 @@ public class CharacterComponent implements Serializable
         return _frameProvider.getFrames(this, action, type);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the path to the image frames for the specified action animation or null if
+     * no animation for the specified action is available for this component.
+     *
+     * @param type null for the normal action frames or one of the custom
+     * action sub-types: {@link StandardActions#SHADOW_TYPE}, etc.
+     */
+    public String getFramePath (String action, String type)
+    {
+        return _frameProvider.getFramePath(this, action, type);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns true if this component is equal to the other component. The
      * comparison is made on <code>componentId</code>.
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/FrameProvider.java b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/FrameProvider.java
index 41b37030..1efdb731 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/FrameProvider.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/FrameProvider.java
@@ -34,4 +34,12 @@ public interface FrameProvider
      */
     public ActionFrames getFrames (
         CharacterComponent component, String action, String type);
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the file path of the animation frames (in the eight sprite directions) for
+     * the specified action of the specified component. May return null if
+     * the specified action does not exist for the specified component.
+     */
+    public String getFramePath (
+        CharacterComponent component, String action, String type);
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundledComponentRepository.java b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundledComponentRepository.java
index 47ad0c9e..cb09bdeb 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundledComponentRepository.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/cast/bundle/BundledComponentRepository.java
@@ -350,6 +350,17 @@ public class BundledComponentRepository
             }
         }
 
+        // from interface FrameProvider
+        public String getFramePath (CharacterComponent component, String action, String type)
+        {
+            String imgpath = action;
+            if (type != null) {
+                imgpath += "_" + type;
+            }
+            String root = component.componentClass.name + "/" + component.name + "/";
+            return _bundle.getIdent() + root + imgpath + BundleUtil.IMAGE_EXTENSION;
+        }
+
         @Override // from IMImageProvider
         public Mirage getTileImage (String path, Rectangle bounds, Colorization[] zations)
         {