Glaxnimate is a free and open‑source 2 D animation editor designed for creating vector‑based animations. It is cross‑platform, running on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and is developed primarily in C++ using the Qt application framework. The software is distributed under the GNU General Public License version 3 (GPL‑3.0).
History and Development
Glaxnimate was first publicly released in 2020 by an independent development team hosted on the public code‑hosting platform GitHub. The project’s repository is maintained by a community of contributors, and its development follows an open‑source model with source code, issue tracking, and release announcements publicly accessible.
Key Features
- Vector and Raster Layers: Supports creation and manipulation of vector shapes, as well as the inclusion of raster images.
- Keyframe Animation: Provides a timeline with keyframe support for animating properties such as position, rotation, scale, opacity, and custom SVG attributes.
- Import/Export Capabilities: Can import Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) files and export animations in formats including Lottie (JSON), GIF, and video containers via external encoders.
- User Interface: Offers a dockable, multi‑panel interface typical of Qt applications, allowing customization of workspace layout.
- Extensibility: Supports plugins and scripts for additional functionality, though the core feature set focuses on lightweight, real‑time preview and editing.
Reception and Usage
Glaxnimate is positioned as a lightweight alternative to more complex animation suites such as Synfig Studio or commercial tools like Adobe After Effects. It is used by hobbyists, educators, and developers who require a free tool for creating vector animations, particularly for integration with web and mobile applications that consume Lottie animations.
Licensing
The software is released under the GPL‑3.0 license, which permits redistribution, modification, and commercial use provided that derivative works also adhere to the same license terms.
Availability
Pre‑compiled binaries and source code are distributed via the project's GitHub releases page. Package managers for various Linux distributions also provide glaxnimate packages, and installers are available for Windows and macOS.
References
- Glaxnimate GitHub repository (https://github.com/glaxnimate/glaxnimate)
- Official documentation and release notes provided by the development team.