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SPECIFICTION
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Parallax Studio

longweekendlabs.github.io

Free plan WindowsmacOSLinux
Visit longweekendlabs.github.io
Spec score 7.4 #20 of 27 in Photo Animation Software

What it is

Parallax Studio turns a still image into a looping 2.5D animation, for artists who want motion from artwork without a 3D pipeline. Auto Depth uses Depth Anything V2 to separate a subject from its background, while Body Relief detects people and poses to create depth across body parts. A brush provides adjustable size, hardness, strength, and depth value, with a colour-ramped overlay and undo and redo. Motion settings include focus, path, zoom, loop type, duration, and intensity; previews are available at 24, 30, or 60 fps. Export as MP4 or GIF at a selected resolution and frame rate, with optional NVIDIA GPU rendering and NVENC encoding. The app imports PNG, JPG, JPEG, and WebP files, and saves .parlx JSON projects that refer to source images by path. The maker says downloaded models run locally and pictures are not uploaded to a cloud service. Parallax Studio is free and open source for Windows, Linux x86_64, and Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 12 or newer. The optional 389 MB Depth Anything V2 Base model is licensed CC-BY-NC-4.0; its output is not for commercial use.

Spec sheet

Purpose
Parallax Studio turns a still image into a looping 2.5D parallax animation.Read 30 Sep 2026 · longweekendlabs.github.io
Intended users
The maker describes the product as built for artists who want motion from still art without a 3D pipeline, including visual novel scenes and short loops.Read 30 Sep 2026 · longweekendlabs.github.io
Privacy
The maker says models run locally after download and that pictures are not uploaded to a cloud service.Read 30 Sep 2026 · longweekendlabs.github.io
Support
The maker directs users to open a GitHub issue for bugs or feature requests.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
Auto Depth
Auto Depth uses Depth Anything V2 to separate a subject from its background and feather the depth map around hard outlines.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
Body Relief
Body Relief detects people and their poses, then creates separate depth across body parts for parallax motion.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
Depth painting
The depth brush offers adjustable size, hardness, strength and depth value, with a colour-ramped overlay and undo and redo.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
Export formats
The app exports MP4 or GIF at a chosen resolution and frame rate, with optional NVIDIA GPU rendering and NVENC encoding.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
Image and project formats
It imports PNG, JPG, JPEG and WebP, and saves projects as .parlx JSON files that reference source images by path.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
Model licensing limit
The optional 389 MB Depth Anything V2 Base model is CC-BY-NC-4.0, and the README says not to use its output commercially.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
Motion preview
Motion controls include focus, path, zoom, loop type, duration and intensity, with preview options of 24, 30 or 60 fps.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com
Supported systems
Downloads are available for Windows, Linux x86_64 and Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 12 or newer.Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com

Plans and prices

Free and open source Free No licence key · no subscription Read 30 Sep 2026 · github.com

Every Parallax Studio plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Creates looping 2.5D motion from still images.
  • Includes automatic depth and body-pose tools.
  • Exports MP4 and GIF at chosen settings.
  • The maker says images stay off cloud services.
  • Free and open source.

Limits

  • The optional 389 MB model cannot be used commercially.
  • macOS support requires macOS 12 or newer.
  • Projects reference source images by file path.

Who it suits

Parallax Studio suits artists who want to animate still art, including visual novel scenes and short loops, without a 3D pipeline. It is available for desktop systems, not mobile.

Verdict

Parallax Studio offers several ways to build depth and motion from still images, with local model processing according to its maker. Check the optional model’s commercial-use restriction and keep project source images at their referenced paths.

Where Specifiction places it

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