Cartoon Animator vs SkelForm
Cartoon Animator
reallusion.com
SkelForm
skelform.orgSide by side
| Figure | Cartoon Animator | SkelForm |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $149/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Spec score · 2D Character Animation Software | 8.4 (#9) | 7.8 (#26) |
| Spec score · Game Animation Software | 8.5 (#7) | 7.7 (#26) |
| Purpose | Cartoon Animator creates animatable 2D characters from images, photos, paintings, layered Photoshop PSD files, and vector graphics. | SkelForm is a 2D skeletal animator designed for games. |
| Support | The online manual directs users to product FAQs and further assistance, and the FAQ page says users can submit a Reallusion support ticket under the Cartoon Animator 5 category. | The site invites users to ask questions, suggest improvements, or report bugs in its Discord server or forums without an account. |
Plans
Cartoon Animator
- TrialPrice not published
- Full$149 a month
- Cartoon Animator 5 Full$149, paid once
In their own words
Cartoon Animator
Cartoon Animator has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
SkelForm
SkelForm is a free 2D skeletal animator designed for game animation. It offers a web editor that works without a download, as well as desktop availability for Linux, macOS and Windows. Listed animation features include styles, inverse kinematics and mesh deformation. SkelForm can import Photoshop Document files to build an armature: PSD groups become bones, while layers inside each group are combined into a texture. Exports include sprite sheets and video. A runtime is required to use SkelForm animations in games; the site lists generic and engine runtimes, and its guide covers using animations in pygame. The installation guide describes the downloaded editor as a portable program without an installer, while the v0.8 release lists dedicated Windows and Mac installers. SkelForm and its documentation are works in progress. Mobile development is inactive, with no direct mobile build process; the described option is to use the web version in a WebView wrapper. Its public repository lists a GPL-3.0 license.