FAQ
Short answers to the questions people ask most about Rusting.
What is Rusting?
Rusting is free, open-source 2D animation software for macOS, Windows and Linux. You draw vector strokes and animate them frame by frame on a timeline with layers and onion skin, the way hand-drawn animation is made. See Getting started.
Is Rusting free?
Yes. Rusting is free and open source under the MIT licence. There is no paid version, no account to create and no watermark on exports.
Which operating systems does Rusting run on?
Rusting runs on macOS (one universal build for Apple silicon and Intel Macs), 64-bit Windows and 64-bit Linux (x86_64, glibc). On macOS you can also install it with Homebrew. See Download Rusting.
What kind of animation is Rusting for?
Rusting is for hand-drawn, frame-by-frame 2D animation, such as character animation, short loops and sprite animation for games. Every stroke is a vector, so drawings stay sharp at any size. It focuses on drawn frames rather than tweening or rigging.
What file formats can Rusting export?
Rusting exports single frames and image sequences as PNG or JPG, video as H.264 MP4 or MOV, and sprite sheets as PNG or JPG. Projects are saved as .rusting files. See Files & export.
Can Rusting export GIFs?
Not directly. Export an image sequence or an MP4 video and convert it to a GIF with another tool. The "GIF / small" template sets up a small, low-frame-rate canvas for this.
Can I make sprite sheets for games?
Yes. Name each action, such as walk, jump or idle, with a frame tag, then choose File → Export Sprite Sheet. You get one PNG or JPG image with one row per tag. See Frame tags.
Does Rusting support pressure-sensitive drawing tablets?
Not yet. A pen tablet works like a mouse: strokes take their width from the brush size, and pen pressure is not used.
Can Rusting open files from other animation software?
No. Rusting opens and saves its own .rusting project files and cannot import projects from other animation software.
Is Rusting ready to use?
Rusting is in early development. You can draw, animate and export with it today, but features and the project file format may change between releases. See What's new.
How can I report a bug or contribute?
Rusting is developed in the open on GitHub. Report bugs and suggest features in GitHub Issues, or build it from source with Rust 1.95 or newer and open a pull request. See Build from source.