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Explainer.
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May 6, 2026·ConceptForward vs inverse kinematics for 2D characters
FK and IK are the two ways a rig can move. Most 2D pipelines use FK exclusively — and that's usually the right call.
May 6, 2026·ConceptUnderstanding frame time in mocap files
Mocap files store a frame rate. Different sources record at different rates. Ignoring it makes your animations play in slow motion or sprint.
May 6, 2026·ConceptHow PNG layers become animation
The pipeline from "stack of PNGs" to "moving character" is shorter than you'd guess. Three steps, none of them visible to the user.
May 6, 2026·ConceptWhat is 2D skeletal animation?
Skeletal animation in 2D works like skeletal animation in 3D — a hierarchy of bones drives art that's parented to them. The "2D" part just means the art is flat.
May 6, 2026·ConceptUnderstanding z-order in rigged 2D characters
Z-order is what stops your character's left arm from disappearing behind their right when they turn. In a 2D rig, it's mostly automatic — until it isn't.
May 6, 2026·ConceptThe bone anatomy of a 2D rig
A typical 2D character rig is 17 bones. Memorize the anatomy once and every character you build snaps together the same way.
May 6, 2026·ConceptWhat is mocap retargeting and why 2D needs it
Mocap data is recorded against one body. Retargeting is what makes it work on another. For a 2D rig, retargeting is the difference between "drives every clip" and "drives nothing".