Stretchy Studio

What Stretchy Studio is

Stretchy Studio is a free, open-source web tool for rigging and animating see-through anime models. It imports see-through PSD files and builds skeletons with DWPose AI detection or heuristic rigging. Bones and vertex skinning drive mesh deformation, while the timeline lets users keyframe transforms and mesh vertices. The editor accepts .stretch projects, PSD files, and PNG files. Animation features include eye clipping, limb bending, shape keys, and synced audio tracks; finished rigs and animations can be exported in Spine JSON format. The project’s See-Through model is trained on anime and VTuber-style illustrations, so realistic and other non-anime styles may not decompose correctly. It is available on the web and can be self-hosted. The software is free forever, with no account or subscription required, and is released under the MIT License. Users seeking help, sharing animations, or proposing features are directed to the project’s Discord.

Who it suits

It suits artists making anime or VTuber-style 2D animations from see-through PSDs, especially those who want to adjust rigs and animate mesh vertices. The stated model limitations may make it unsuitable for realistic or other non-anime artwork.

Limits

The See-Through model is trained on anime and VTuber-style illustrations, and realistic or other non-anime styles may not decompose correctly. The listed export format is Spine JSON.

Getting started

1. Visit the Stretchy Studio website or use the self-hosted option.
2. Open a .stretch project or import a PSD or PNG file.
3. Rig a see-through PSD with DWPose AI detection or heuristic rigging.
4. Animate transforms or mesh vertices on the timeline.
5. Export the rig or animation to Spine JSON, or visit Discord for help.

Verdict

Stretchy Studio brings PSD rigging, mesh animation, and Spine JSON export together in a free, open-source tool. Its stated art-style limitation is worth considering before using it for non-anime illustrations.