This is the manual for OpenToonz, an open-source full-featured 2D animation creation software.

Creating an animation in Plastic is quite an easy task: just select the vertices and move them to the desired positions at a specific frames and animation keyframes will be automatically created. Play back the sequence to check the results.

To create a cutout animation: Place each section (that can be a single drawing or an animated level) of your character in a different column/layer. Use the Skeleton tool to link each section to the other and set the related pivot points. Create keyframes for each section at different frames to animate the cutout character.

Using the Stage Schematic¶ The Stage Schematic contains nodes for all of the objects used in a scene, making it possible to manage the way they are linked to each other. It’s organized in a hierarchy starting from the animation table, where all the columns/layers and pegbars are placed.

The following is an example of how OpenToonz allows the management of a traditional animation production. Scanning ¶ Hand-drawn elements are first defined in an OpenToonz Xsheet, and then acquired by using a scanner.

New animation levels can be defined by using a dialog that lets you set the number of drawings the level is made of, the animation step used to expose the frames in the Xsheet/Timeline, and the increment, that sets the way the level drawings are numbered.

You can download the appropriate version of OpenToonz for your operating system from the Download page in the official OpenToonz web site. Choose either the Windows or macOS version to start downloading the installer application.

The appearance of the OpenToonz interface can be customized to suit any production need by choosing a specific language and interface theme. OpenToonz allows users to choose a specific language for the software interface, including menus, …

The Flipbook is an image viewer where animation levels, images, clips and rendered frames can be displayed. In OpenToonz it is used to display the scene contents in the Viewer, including the Preview mode, and to display the previewed or rendered animations.

OpenToonz supports directly, by using internal drivers, some specific scanners via a USB connection; all the other scanners are supported via any type of connection by using TWAIN drivers.