Image to character animation

From one image to a living character.

Drop in a PNG, JPEG or WebP. Flat artwork is split into parts and rigged for arm waves and expressions; 3D, gradient and detailed artwork keeps its exact pixels and gets squash, stretch, tilt, hops and blinks. Either way you get the same 17 animations.

Try it with your character See plans

Formats in: PNG, JPEG, WebP · ≥ 512 px · ≤ 10 MB
Formats out: Rive, MP4, WebM, MOV, GIF, 9:16
Turnaround: Usually 1–2 hours
From: $4.99/month

Live Rive file

Loops

Play once

This is the actual .riv our engine delivers, playing in your browser — the same state machine you drive from your app with one number input and a trigger per one-shot.

Is there a tool that turns a static character into animations?

Yes. Charmotion turns one character image into 17 app-ready animations; Adobe Character Animator, Live2D and Spine animate layered or separated artwork; Meta's Animated Drawings animates human-like drawings; and AI image-to-video models generate short clips. Rig-based tools keep your exact artwork, while generated video redraws it.

Tools That Turn a Static Character Into Animation (2026)

Two engines, picked for your artwork

Vector rig — flat artwork like Pip is traced into parts with pivots: arm waves, expressions, blinks.

Motion mode — 3D artwork like Rivet keeps its exact pixels with a spine rig: squash, stretch, bend, hop, blinks.

Will my image work?

Works well

Front-facing mascots, app icons and logo characters
Solid colors and clean edges — or 3D renders and gradients in Motion mode
Plain or transparent background
Head, body and limbs clearly separated (for arm waves)

Not a fit (yet)

Photos of real people
Painterly or heavily textured art
Side and three-quarter views
Busy scenes and backgrounds

Not sure? The free preview shows your image in real layouts before you pay.

Real output

Delivered files, exactly as you'd download them.

MP4 All plans

1080 × 1080 at 60 fps. Here: Pip’s wave, straight from the delivered file.

Transparent WebM & MOV Studio

Alpha channel included — the checkerboard shows through. MOV is HEVC with alpha for Apple apps and editors.

Rivet thinking — GIF output — GIF All plans
Light previews for docs, email and chat. Rivet’s “thinking” loop.

9:16 launch video All plans

1080 × 1920 for stories and splash screens. Bolt’s launch intro.

pip.riv · 40 KB

CharacterStateMachine: number input mood
0–9: idle, happy, wave, thinking, sad, loading, listening, talking, sleeping, attention
triggers: success · error · yes · no · enter · exit
LaunchStateMachine: launch → idle, plays once

Rive state machine Studio

One tiny vector file instead of 17 videos. It’s what powers the demo at the top of this page.

import { useRive, useStateMachineInput } from "@rive-app/react-canvas";

export function Pip({ mood = 0 }) {
  const { rive, RiveComponent } = useRive({
    src: "/pip.riv",
    stateMachine: "CharacterStateMachine",
    autoplay: true,
  });
  const input = useStateMachineInput(rive, "CharacterStateMachine", "mood");
  if (input) input.value = mood; // 0 idle · 1 happy · 2 wave · 3 thinking · 4 sad · 5 loading …
  return <RiveComponent style={{ width: 320, height: 320 }} />;
}

Paste-ready code Studio

Web, React and SwiftUI components named after your character.

Formats included per plan
Format	Specs	Best for	Starter	Studio & Expert
MP4	1080 × 1080, 60 fps, all 17 animations	Apps, socials, decks, product videos	Included	Included
9:16 launch video	1080 × 1920 MP4	Stories, Reels, splash screens	Included	Included
GIF	480 px previews	Docs, email, chat, README	Included	Included
Rive (.riv)	Vector; Data Binding view model + legacy inputs: mood for loops, triggers for one-shots, launch machine	Interactive apps and sites (web, iOS, Android, Flutter)	Not included	Included
Transparent WebM	VP9 with alpha, 1080 × 1080	Web overlays on any background	Not included	Included
Transparent MOV	HEVC with alpha (ProRes 4444 on request)	Final Cut, Keynote, iOS, Safari	Not included	Included
Code	Web (HTML), React and SwiftUI components	Paste in and ship	Not included	Included
Download all (.zip)	Everything in one archive (MOVs separate)	Hand-off to your team	Included	Included

Plans

Pick the formats you need.

Need only videos and GIFs? Starter ($4.99/month) is enough. For interactive use and transparent overlays, choose Studio ($29/month). Prices in USD; tax is calculated at checkout by Polar.