# OpenToonz — Professional 2D Animation Studio Used by Studio Ghibli

> A free, open-source 2D animation tool based on the Toonz software used by Studio Ghibli. It supports traditional hand-drawn workflows, scanning, coloring, and compositing for production animation.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# OpenToonz — Professional 2D Animation Studio

## Quick Use
```bash
# Install on Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install opentoonz

# Install on macOS via Homebrew
brew install --cask opentoonz

# Or download installers from the official site
# https://opentoonz.github.io/e/download/opentoonz.html
```

## Introduction
OpenToonz is a free, open-source 2D animation suite derived from the commercial Toonz software that Studio Ghibli used to produce films like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. DWANGO open-sourced it in 2016 and continues to maintain it alongside community contributors.

## What OpenToonz Does
- Provides a full traditional animation pipeline from pencil test to final composite
- Supports bitmap and vector drawing with pressure-sensitive pen input
- Handles scanning and cleanup of hand-drawn frames on paper
- Offers a node-based effects compositor for lighting, particles, and distortion
- Includes a timeline and X-sheet (exposure sheet) for professional frame management

## Architecture Overview
OpenToonz is written in C++ with a Qt-based UI. The rendering pipeline processes raster and vector levels through a scene graph, applying effects via a node compositor. The X-sheet drives frame exposure and timing. Plugin support through a C SDK allows extending the effects library, and GTS (a proprietary Ghibli scanning module) has been partially open-sourced as well.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Download pre-built installers for Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Linux users can also install from distribution repositories or compile from source
- Set up a project folder structure with scenes, levels, and output directories
- Configure tablet input and pressure curves in Preferences
- Customize the workspace layout and keyboard shortcuts to match your workflow

## Key Features
- Battle-tested in professional anime production at Studio Ghibli
- Combined raster and vector drawing engine for flexible art styles
- Node-based compositor with dozens of built-in effects
- Traditional X-sheet and timeline views for frame-by-frame control
- Plugin SDK for extending effects and tool capabilities

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Toon Boom Harmony** — industry-standard commercial tool; OpenToonz is free with many comparable features
- **Synfig Studio** — vector-focused 2D animation; OpenToonz supports both bitmap and vector workflows
- **Krita** — excellent painting tool with animation support, but lacks OpenToonz's compositing pipeline
- **Pencil2D** — simpler open-source option for beginners; OpenToonz targets production use

## FAQ
**Q: Is OpenToonz really used by professional studios?**
A: Yes. Studio Ghibli used the original Toonz for decades. The open-source version retains most of those capabilities.

**Q: Can I use a drawing tablet with OpenToonz?**
A: Yes. It supports Wacom and other pressure-sensitive tablets natively.

**Q: Does OpenToonz support audio sync?**
A: Yes. You can import audio tracks and scrub through them on the timeline for lip-sync work.

**Q: What file formats does it export?**
A: Individual frames as PNG/TGA/TIF, or rendered sequences. Video export is available via FFmpeg integration.

## Sources
- https://github.com/opentoonz/opentoonz
- https://opentoonz.github.io

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Author: AI Open Source