OpenToonz

OpenToonz: A Comprehensive Overview

OpenToonz in Japanese | OpenToonz in Simplified Chinese

What is OpenToonz?

OpenToonz is a versatile 2D animation software published by DWANGO. It stands on the shoulders of Toonz Studio Ghibli Version, a system originally developed in Italy by Digital Video, Inc., and later customized and honed through years of production by Studio Ghibli. The project embodies a fusion of traditional animation workflows and modern digital tools, offering a powerful environment for artists who want to craft expressive hand-drawn animations with digital efficiency. OpenToonz is maintained as an open-source project, inviting artists, technicians, and developers to participate in its evolution while honoring the legacy of its predecessors.

Key background ideas include:

• An inheritance from the Toonz lineage, which brought robust scanning, ink-and-paint integration, and a range of specialized tools designed to support animated features and television work.
• A collaborative development model that blends contributions from the open-source community with industry-tested features, ensuring that the software remains accessible, extensible, and capable of handling professional workflows.
• A philosophy that combines the artistic flexibility of traditional 2D animation with the reproducibility and efficiency of digital production pipelines.

OpenToonz in Practice

OpenToonz is designed to accommodate a spectrum of production needs—from hobbyists exploring 2D animation to studios managing complex projects. The software provides an array of drawing, painting, and animation tools, as well as powerful node-based effects and a flexible rendering pipeline. Artists can leverage a combination of frame-by-frame drawing, clean-up, coloring, and compositing to realize their visions. The software’s architecture supports plug-ins, custom stylesheets, and a variety of workflows that can be adapted to personal or studio standards.

Program Requirements

For the most up-to-date and detailed hardware and software prerequisites, refer to the OpenToonz site: https://opentoonz.github.io/e/index.html. The project’s requirements span operating system compatibility, graphics capabilities, and dependent libraries. While the core is designed to be accessible across common platforms, ensuring a comfortable experience typically means meeting a reasonable baseline for:

• A modern multi-core CPU with adequate processing power for real-time editing and rendering.
• Sufficient RAM to manage large projects with multiple layers and effects.
• A capable GPU in order to accelerate compositing and preview rendering where available.
• Supported operating system versions that align with the distributions OpenToonz targets.

If you are planning a local build or a contribution, consult the Build Guides described below for platform-specific nuances that can affect compilation, dependencies, and tooling.

Installation

Getting OpenToonz onto your machine is straightforward for most users. The project distributes installers and binaries designed to streamline setup, along with access to older versions and nightly builds for experimentation and testing.

• Download and install the latest installer from the official page: https://opentoonz.github.io/e/index.html.
• If you prefer exploring earlier iterations or cutting-edge nightly builds, you can find them at https://github.com/opentoonz/opentoonz/releases.
• After installation, you can launch OpenToonz and begin exploring its workflow. The interface and toolset are designed to accommodate both newcomers and experienced users, with a balance between traditional animation techniques and modern digital production methods.

How to Build Locally

If you are interested in building OpenToonz from source, the project provides platform-specific guides to help you compile the software on your machine. The build documentation is organized by operating system, ensuring you can follow a tailored path depending on your development environment.

• Windows: How to Build on Windows
• macOS: How to Build on macOS
• Linux: How to Build on Linux
• BSD: How to Build on BSD

Each guide includes prerequisites, dependency management, and step-by-step commands to configure, build, and test the application. In addition, there is guidance on building stylesheets (which control the aesthetic appearance of the user interface) to match your branding or preferred work environment. If you are not a developer but still want to contribute, there are instructions for testing individual pull requests to help ensure changes are robust before they are merged into the main repository.

• How to build stylesheets: See the dedicated stylesheet-building instructions in the documentation.
• How to test pull requests: There are steps designed to help non-developers participate by testing changes before merging.

Community and Support

OpenToonz fosters a community-centric ecosystem where artists and developers can connect, share knowledge, and troubleshoot. You can engage through various channels:

• Google OpenToonz Users Forum: A place to share tips, ask questions, and troubleshoot common issues with fellow users. This forum is ideal for beginners as well as seasoned artists who want to exchange workflows, tips, and experiences.
• GitHub Issues: If you encounter a bug or want to propose enhancements, the project’s issue tracker on GitHub is the right place. Developers monitor this space to triage bugs, discuss feature requests, and coordinate improvements.
• Documentation Hub: General and project-specific documentation can be found in the OpenToonz docs repository, which provides guides, tutorials, and background information to support users and contributors.

Documentation

Comprehensive documentation helps users navigate the software and understand its capabilities. The OpenToonz documentation repository contains:

• General guides on getting started, basic workflows, and common tasks.
• Tutorials and walkthroughs that demonstrate how to exploit the animation pipeline, from drawing and inking to coloring and compositing.
• Technical references for advanced users who want to customize or extend OpenToonz, including information about plug-ins, scripts, and stylesheet customization.

Licensing

OpenToonz is distributed under a Modified BSD License for most of its components, with a few caveats related to third-party code and bundled assets. The license details emphasize the freedom to use, modify, and distribute the software for both business and personal purposes.

• Core files outside of the thirdparty and the stuff/library/mypaint brushes directories use the Modified BSD License.
• The project’s main license is accessible in the LICENSE.txt file.
• This licensing framework allows broad use and adaptation of the software, subject to license terms. You can modify the code or even build commercial products around it, while respecting attribution and license requirements as applicable.
• For files inside the thirdparty directory, licenses may vary. Please consult the individual READMEs or source licenses located within those folders to understand any restrictions or obligations.
• For files in the stuff/library/mypaint brushes directory, see the Licenses.txt file present in that directory for licensing details.

Special Thanks

This open-source program is developed from Toonz, a software originally created by Digital Video, S.p.A., based in Rome, Italy. The OpenToonz project carries forward that heritage, translating it into an accessible, collaborative, community-driven platform that continues to serve animators worldwide. The special thanks section acknowledges the historical contribution of the original creators and the ongoing community effort that sustains and evolves the software.

Putting It All Together: Why OpenToonz Matters

OpenToonz stands at the intersection of tradition and innovation. It preserves the expressive potential of classic 2D animation while offering modern tools that support efficient production pipelines. The open-source nature of the project invites artists to contribute not only their artwork but also their technical expertise—whether that means improving the core animation tools, expanding the suite of effects, refining the user interface, or enhancing the documentation and tutorials.

From a practical perspective, the software is suitable for:

• Independent artists who want a capable, free alternative to proprietary animation tools.
• Small studios that need a robust toolset for 2D production without licensing constraints.
• Educational environments where students can study animation workflows, experiment with different styles, or contribute to an open-source project.
• Technologists who are interested in building on top of the software, creating plugins, or integrating OpenToonz into broader production pipelines.

Practical Tips for New Users

• Start with the basics: Explore the drawing and cleanup tools, practice creating a short sequence, and experiment with simple color treatment to understand how frames, layers, and composites interact.
• Leverage presets and styles: Stylesheets and default presets can significantly speed up setup. If you like a particular look, you can adapt or design your own styles to match your project’s visual language.
• Use the node-based effects: The node architecture for effects gives you flexible control over how layers blend, how color is processed, and how output is composed. Take time to learn how nodes connect and influence the final render.
• Participate in the community: Join the Google OpenToonz Users forum to share tips, ask questions, and learn from other artists. If you encounter bugs or stability issues, report them on GitHub so developers can address them in future releases.
• Build and test responsibly: If you are building from source, follow the platform-specific build guides closely. Regularly test changes with local builds and, if possible, run the project’s tests to verify that new changes do not break existing functionality.

Notes on Accessibility and Localization

OpenToonz’s accessible design supports a diverse user base. The presence of multilingual resources at various documentation endpoints reflects the project’s commitment to global adoption. The top repository and documentation pages include language-specific links (for example, Japanese and Simplified Chinese) to help non-English-speaking artists engage with the project more effectively. Community resources and translation status badges indicate ongoing efforts to improve accessibility across languages.

Recent and Ongoing Developments

As an actively developed open-source project, OpenToonz benefits from regular updates, bug fixes, and feature improvements contributed by a broad community. The project’s release cycle, combined with nightly builds and platform-specific CI pipelines, supports continuous integration and quicker iteration. The translation status badge underscores the project’s emphasis on global accessibility, ensuring that non-English speakers can access documentation and community resources.

Why This Description Matters

A detailed understanding of OpenToonz helps new users decide whether the software aligns with their creative and technical needs. It also provides potential contributors with a roadmap for getting involved, whether through coding, testing, documentation, or community outreach. By combining historical context, practical usage information, licensing clarity, and guidance on building and contributing, this overview aims to equip readers with a holistic picture of what OpenToonz offers and how to engage with it effectively.

Images from the Input

• Build and status badges at the top reflect the project’s CI and translation progress:
• https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/oa5l5pc964h8fv49/branch/master?svg=true
• https://github.com/opentoonz/opentoonz/actions/workflows/workflow_windows.yml/badge.svg?branch=master
• https://github.com/opentoonz/opentoonz/actions/workflows/workflow_macos.yml/badge.svg?branch=master
• https://github.com/opentoonz/opentoonz/actions/workflows/workflow_linux.yml/badge.svg?branch=master
• https://hosted.weblate.org/widgets/opentoonz/-/svg-badge.svg

In Summary

OpenToonz represents a collaborative, evolving platform for 2D animation that honors its storied roots while actively embracing community-driven development. Its combination of traditional animation sensibilities with modern software engineering—paired with generous licensing and accessible documentation—makes it a compelling option for artists, educators, and studios alike. Whether you are just starting your animation journey or you are a producer seeking flexible tools for a production pipeline, OpenToonz offers a robust toolkit, a welcoming community, and a path to contribute to a free, open-source project with a storied legacy.