Synfig

Synfig is an open-source project whose main application, Synfig Studio, produces 2D animation from vector and bitmap artwork. Instead of drawing every frame, animators set key positions and the software calculates the frames in between, which lets small teams make film-quality work with fewer resources.

What Synfig offers

• Vector tweening — any shape can morph into another between keyframes.
• Layer library — more than 50 layer types, including geometric shapes, gradients, filters, distortions, transformations and fractals.
• Bone system — cut-out and puppet animation for bitmap images or vector art, with a Skeleton Distortion layer for complex deformations.
• Linked parameters — layer settings can be tied together directly or through mathematical expressions to build character rigs.
• Two build channels — a stable release for everyday projects and a development build with experimental features.

Who it works with

Studios, independent animators and educators who want an open-source animation tool.

Key facts

• Licence: GNU GPL v3, with source code on GitHub
• Platforms: Windows, Linux and macOS, on a dual-core 2 GHz processor with 2 GB of memory or more
• Latest release: Synfig Studio 1.5.5
• Supporters: ASIFA-Hollywood, the Morevna Project and N-IX