OpenToonz: A Powerful Open-Source 2D Animation Software
OpenToonz is a remarkable software in the realm of 2D animation production. It has a rich history, being based on the "Toonz" software developed by Digital Video S.p.A. in Italy and then customized by Studio Ghibli for many years of use in creating their works.
Overview
OpenToonz is not just any animation software. It's open-source, which means anyone can freely modify its source code. This makes it highly accessible for both commercial and non-commercial projects. Whether you're a professional in the animation industry, an amateur animator, or involved in school education, OpenToonz can be a great choice.
Core Features
One of its standout features is the scanning tool "GTS" developed by Studio Ghibli, which specializes in animation and allows for efficient sequence number scanning according to in-between animation numbers. It's also compatible with different types of scanning like black & white, colored, with or without binarization.
The software supports digital painting with anti-aliased lines, making it easier to work with high definition image data. Filming is made convenient with both xsheet and timeline interfaces available, and effects can be easily synthesized using the GUI and node tree.
Moreover, OpenToonz has an effects development kit (SDK) developed by Dwango. This allows anyone to add effects to the software. For example, effects like automatically changing picture styles using deep learning technology and producing affected incident light similar to classic works have been released through this SDK.
Basic Usage
Getting started with OpenToonz is relatively straightforward. There are start-up manuals available in Japanese for both OpenToonz and GTS. For installing effects plug-ins, there are also detailed manuals in Japanese.
The system requirements vary depending on the operating system. For Windows, it requires Microsoft Windows 7 SP1/8.1/10 (64bit required), an Intel Core i series processor, 4GB or more RAM, and 500 MB or more available storage space with a 1280 x 1024 or higher monitor resolution. For macOS, it needs macOS 10.14 (Mojave) or a later version, along with similar hardware requirements.
In case you encounter any defects or problems, there's a Google group where users can solve issues, request functional improvements, and report bugs. And for developers and video researchers, there's a forum on GitHub for discussing development-related topics.
Overall, OpenToonz offers a comprehensive set of features and a user-friendly environment for 2D animation creation, making it a popular choice among animators of different levels.
