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Moho (software)
Moho (software)
Moho (software)
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Moho
Original authorMike Clifton
DeveloperLost Marble LLC
Stable release
Windows: 14.3, Mac: 14.3 / 19 December 2024; 10 months ago (2024-12-19)
Written inC++, Lua
Operating systemWindows, macOS
TypeAnimation software
LicenseProprietary, trialware
Websitemohoanimation.com

Moho (formerly marketed as Anime Studio) is a proprietary vector-based 2D Computer animation software.

History

[edit]

The software was originally developed under the name "Moho" in 1999 by Mike Clifton at Lost Marble. The software was distributed by E Frontier until 2007, when it was acquired by Smith Micro Software[1] and renamed to Anime Studio.

In 2010, Smith Micro released Anime Studio 7, which added features such as physics, 3D creation, and an improved interface.

In 2011, Anime Studio 8 added features such as the character Wizard, layered Photoshop import, and real-time media connection. Version 8.1 also supported the new Poser 9 SDK and integrated the Wacom multi-touch API, allowing it to work natively with Wacom's Bamboo and Intuos tablets.

In 2012, Smith Micro released Anime Studio 9, with new features including smart bones, editable motion graphs, and bézier handles. It also included enhancements to the timeline, keyframes, and onion skin.

In 2014, Anime Studio 10 contained upgraded features and new mechanics to its predecessor. Some of these include new drawing tools, improved inverse kinematics, squash & stretch, and rendering improvements. Version 10.1 added the ability to copy keyframes between similar characters.

In 2015, Anime Studio 11 added frame-by-frame animation, layer referencing, animated shape ordering, enhanced tools and brushes, JSON file format support, and other features.

In 2016, Anime Studio was rebranded as its original name Moho by Smith Micro Software to reflect the software's ability to create more animated content than anime.[2]

In 2016, Moho 12 was released with pin bones, optimized bézier handles, improved free hand tools, smart warp, real motion blur, and more.[3] Moho Pro 12 was released in August 2016. In October 2016, Moho became available for the Microsoft Surface Studio. Smith Micro worked with Microsoft to develop Moho functionality for the Surface Dial peripheral. This feature set enabled users to create animations more quickly and easily through functions such as a new overlay timeline, rigged characters, rotating canvases, and frame-by-frame animation.

In June 2019, Moho 13 introduced new bitmap tools, including bitmap frame to frame capabilities, and re-engineered 3D object support.[4]

On 22 December 2020, it was announced that the Moho 2D animation software had been acquired by Lost Marble LLC, a company founded by Mike Clifton, the original creator of Moho, Victor Paredes, Supervisor of Moho animation at Cartoon Saloon and former Moho Product Manager[5] and Fahim Niaz, Founder at Graphixly LLC and former Moho Product Manager.

On 26 April 2021, Lost Marble LLC released Moho 13.5, with new features including Vitruvian Bones, Wind Dynamics, Quad meshes, and a slightly refreshed user interface.

On 12 September 2023, Lost Marble LLC released Moho 14, with new features including a new graphics engine, improved drawing and frame-by-frame tools, liquid shapes, curvers, new freehand styles, smart line boil, easier follow through and overlapping with dynamics, delayed constraints, an updated scripting interface, a better timeline, and improved SVG support and user interface.

Version Release date Publisher Improvements, features
1.0 June 1, 1999 LostMarble Initial release[6]
1.1 September 20, 1999 LostMarble
2.2 January 8, 2001 LostMarble Mac OS Version, Switch layers
3.0 November 30, 2001 LostMarble Particles, Image Wrapping, Layer masks, Modeless UI, Onion skins, Virtual Camera with depth effect image warping
4.0 November 24, 2002 LostMarble Graphical animation curves, Bone constraints, Batch rendering, Audio support, Object naming, Keyframe scaling, Resizable projects
5.0 October 9, 2004 LostMarble Improved SWF Export, New Layer Types, Actions, Styles, LUA script system
5.6 2006 LostMarble Introduction of lip-synching, Flash output, improved text, Illustrator import, vector drawing tools
6.0 June 9, 2009 Smith Micro Built-in lip-syncing and sequencer, improved interface
6.1 September 22, 2009 Smith Micro Upload to Facebook, French and German versions, the ability to enter non-English characters in text fields.
7.0 June 9, 2010 Smith Micro Improvements to physics, 3D creation, interface
7.1 October 13, 2010 Smith Micro Contains several fixes including switch layer fix
8.0 June 8, 2011 Smith Micro Character wizard, layered Photoshop import, real-time media connection, support for Poser 9 SDK, integrated Wacom multi-touch API
8.1 July 7, 2011 Smith Micro Fixes to the library window, mouse focus, window-location memory, stroke construction when welding curves closed, some layer masking issues, auto-save issues that cause bone rigs to occasionally reset themselves
9.0 September 10, 2012 Smith Micro Features like smart bones, editable motion graphs, bézier handles, enhancements to the timeline, key frames, onion skin
9.1 October 22, 2012 Smith Micro Fixed a problem where deleting a style could sometimes lead to a crash; fixed issue related to specifying a user-content location on first launch; rendered RLE AVI now imports properly into AS; revamped script management
9.2 January 9, 2013 Smith Micro Updated English manuals for Debut and Pro; changes can be applied to multiple layers; added buttons to reveal source images and audio; fixed Lua DLL module loading
9.5 August 12, 2013 Smith Micro Smart Bones enhancements; nested Layer controls with more hierarchical control over rigs; flexi-binding isolate tshe influence of bones; depth shifting helps preserve the size of objects; viewing of real-time changes on the canvas; switch layer enhancements
10.0 March 6, 2014 Smith Micro Updated content library with free characters, props, scenes, enhanced drawing tools, multiple document support, combined bone tools, combined point tools, point hiding, edit multiple Layers simultaneously, automatic updates
10.1 July 25, 2014 Smith Micro The application now runs in English, German, or Spanish; fixed over 200 bugs; layers can be copied and pasted between documents; added an image layer cropping tool
10.2 October 13, 2014 Smith Micro Several bug fixes (no blog post to specify exact features or fixes)
10.3 March 25, 2014 Smith Micro Several bug fixes (no blog post to specify exact features or fixes)
11.0 June 3, 2015 Smith Micro Vector-based draw, paint and fill tools, bone rigging, animation timeline, audio recording, sound effects, improved lip-syncing
11.1 July 15, 2015 Smith Micro Several bug fixes (no blog post to specify exact features or fixes)
11.2 January 4, 2016 Smith Micro Added a tool to sketch bones; added additive cycles; many bug fixes
12.0 August 4, 2016 Smith Micro Bone-rigging, timeline, enhanced drawing tools, improved audio recording, sound effects, automatic lip-synching, beginner mode, character wizard, automatic image tracing, path tool, motion tracking, multi-touch support, multiple document support
12.1 October 18, 2016 Smith Micro New 4K ultra HD and 4K digital cinema dimension presets; improved smoothing for freehand strokes; many bug fixes
12.2 November 15, 2016 Smith Micro Added support for Microsoft Surface Studio and Surface Dial, new Layer Comps window, fixed bug where sometimes PSD layers were lost, fixed bug where a duplicated vector layer didn’t show Bezier handles
12.3 September 10, 2017 Smith Micro Ability to paste images from the clipboard to create new image layers, new document preferences and bug fixes
12.4 November 23, 2017 Smith Micro Switch layer interpolation now works on nested layers (group and switch); re-sync all channels; triangulated mesh layers now have a distinct layer icon for easy distinction; several bug fixes
12.5 October 4, 2018 Smith Micro Many bug fixes (no blog post to specify exact features or fixes)
12.5.1 November 14, 2018 Smith Micro Bug fix release for Mac only to support changes in macOS 10.10 and above
13.0 June 25, 2019 Smith Micro Introduced improved bitmap tools including bitmap brushes and frame by frame support, improved handling of 3D objects
13.0.1 August 20, 2019 Smith Micro Multiple bug fixes[7]
13.0.2 September 26, 2019 Smith Micro Bug fixes and usability improvements[8]
13.5 April 26, 2021 Lost Marble LLC Introduced Vitruvian Bones, Wind Dynamics, Quad meshes, UI refresh, bug fixes and usability improvements. The 13.5 release was based on an upgrade from Moho 12.5, thus regressed some of the new incomplete features (Bitmap tools, enhanced Actions, new 3D object engine) introduced in the earlier Moho 13 release[9]
13.5.1 June 25, 2021 Lost Marble LLC New options to create masks. New Blending modes Soft Light and Color Dodge to improve the compatibility with Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, other graphic software; bug fixes
13.5.2 November 9, 2021 Lost Marble LLC Improved Photoshop PSD file handling, faster, more stable, more flexible than ever with support for layer masks, enhanced video and audio media import and export, Live Mesh creation and Auto-triangulation, Deep Frame Copy-Paste, new 13.5 characters added to library, bug fixes, other usability improvements
14.0 September 12, 2023 Lost Marble LLC Introduced new Graphics Engine, improved drawing and frame-by-frame tools, Liquid Shapes, Curvers, New Freehand Styles, Smart Line Boil, easier Follow Through and Overlapping with Dynamics, Delayed Constraints, Updated Scripting Interface, better Timeline and frame-by-frame animation, improved SVG Import and user interface[10]

Notable uses

[edit]

Feature films

[edit]

Short films, TV and Web series

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Moho (software)

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Moho is a vector-based 2D animation software developed by Lost Marble LLC, designed for creating professional-grade animations through intuitive drawing, rigging, and timeline tools. It offers two editions—Moho Pro for advanced users and Moho Debut for beginners and hobbyists—supporting both Windows and macOS platforms with features like , physics simulation, and vector import from formats such as and PSD. Originally created by Mike Clifton as a hobbyist application known as Moho in 1999, the software evolved through multiple iterations into a robust professional tool after Lost Marble acquired it in late 2020. The software gained prominence in the animation industry for its efficient skeletal rigging system and vector tools, which streamline character animation and scene design without requiring frame-by-frame drawing. Key milestones include its adoption by studios for high-profile projects, such as the Oscar-nominated films The Breadwinner (2017), Song of the Sea (2014), The Secret of Kells (2009), and Wolfwalkers (2020), where it facilitated complex 2D workflows. Moho Pro 14, the flagship version released in 2023 with updates through version 14.4 in November 2025, includes advanced capabilities like Smart Bones for intuitive posing, particle systems for effects, 3D object rotation in a 2D space, scripting for customization, and export to video game engines such as Unreal, Unity, and Godot. In contrast, Moho Debut 14 provides essential tools such as basic , a content library of pre-built assets, and audio integration, making it accessible for entry-level creators while limiting advanced physics and layer imports to encourage progression to the Pro edition. The software emphasizes a perpetual license model without subscription fees or AI dependencies, supporting multilingual interfaces in over a dozen languages to broaden its global user base.

History

Origins and Early Development

Moho was initially developed by Mike Clifton at Lost Marble, beginning in 1998 as a hobbyist project programmed in C++ on the operating system. The software emerged as a tool for vector-based 2D , aimed at users seeking accessible frame-by-frame creation without the complexity of professional suites. Clifton's focus was on simplifying workflows for non-experts, leveraging BeOS's efficient capabilities to prototype core drawing and motion tools. The first public beta of Moho appeared in August 1999, followed by version 1.1 in September, marking the initial commercial release with basic vector drawing, tweening for smooth interpolation between keyframes, and early export options including SWF for Flash compatibility. A standout innovation was the bone rigging system, which allowed users to deform vector shapes using skeletal structures, enabling efficient character animation by controlling multiple points with hierarchical bones rather than manual adjustments per frame. Priced at around $100, these versions targeted hobbyists and independent animators, emphasizing ease of use for personal projects. Following BeOS's commercial discontinuation in 2001, Clifton ported Moho to Windows and Mac OS X, releasing version 2.2 in January 2001 with support for switch layers to facilitate sprite-based animation. This transition broadened accessibility, as BeOS's niche user base limited adoption, and subsequent updates like Moho 3.0 in November 2001 introduced particle effects, image wrapping for distortion, and a virtual camera for simulated depth. By 2004, Moho had evolved to version 5.0, incorporating significant refinements for streamlined workflows, alongside new layer types such as 3D layers for basic spatial manipulation and note layers for project annotations. These enhancements, including scripting for custom tools, solidified Moho's reputation as a versatile 2D platform for hobbyists transitioning to semi-professional use, while maintaining its core emphasis on vector efficiency and mechanics.

Acquisitions and Name Changes

In 2006, Lost Marble, the original developer of the software, was acquired by e frontier, which rebranded it as Anime Studio to align with its existing Manga Studio product and appeal to creators in the anime-style market. This shift emphasized the software's potential for stylized 2D workflows, building on its early vector-based foundations established by Lost Marble. e frontier's ownership continued until 2007, when Smith Micro Software acquired e frontier's graphics division, including Anime Studio, integrating it into its portfolio of creative tools. Under Smith Micro, development proceeded with a focus on professional enhancements, leading to the release of Anime Studio versions 6 through 11 between 2009 and 2015. These iterations introduced advanced and effects capabilities, such as motion tracking and integrated lip-syncing in version 6, simulated physics and 3D shape design in version 7, and Bézier handles alongside 64-bit architecture in version 9. Later versions built on this with smart bones for intuitive character deformation in version 9, enhanced particle systems for dynamic simulations like adjustable emission sources in version 10, and further smart bone refinements with animated bone targets in version 11, solidifying its role in professional 2D production. By 2016, Smith Micro decided to revert the name to Moho with the release of version 12, aiming to broaden its appeal beyond anime-specific connotations and highlight its versatile animation tools. This rebranding coincided with key updates including pin bones for precise asset manipulation, optimized Bézier handles for smoother curve editing, and realistic for enhanced visual fidelity.

Recent Developments and Ownership

In December 2020, Smith Micro Software sold its Moho 2D animation software line to Lost Marble LLC, a company founded by Mike Clifton, the original creator of the software, and Victor Paredes, its longtime supervisor, thereby returning creative control to its foundational developers. Prior to the repurchase, Smith Micro released Moho 13 in June 2019, introducing enhancements to character rigging and animation tools. Following the acquisition, Lost Marble issued Moho 13.5 in April 2021, which added support for alongside stability improvements and architectural updates. In September 2023, the company launched Moho 14, featuring a new graphics engine for real-time effects previews, liquid shapes for dynamic deformations, and optimized drawing tools. As of 2025, Lost Marble has continued refining Moho through free updates, with Moho 14.3 released in December 2024 emphasizing workflow enhancements and bug fixes, while the Moho 14.4 Side Quest update, released on November 11, 2025 following its announcement in September 2025, focuses on stability, expanded export options to tools like and game engines, and architectural changes for long-term compatibility. The software has garnered endorsements from prominent studios, including , which described Moho as a "crucial creative tool" for productions like the 2017 Academy Award-nominated feature film The Breadwinner.

Technical Features

Vector Tools and Layer System

Moho's vector tools enable users to create scalable, resolution-independent artwork directly within the software, forming the foundation for 2D animation projects. The primary instruments include the Add Point tool, which facilitates the construction of precise Bézier curves by placing and adjusting control points to define smooth or angular paths. Complementing this, the Freehand tool allows for intuitive sketching of organic lines and shapes, with options to convert strokes into editable vectors and apply smoothing algorithms for refined results. Additionally, fill tools support solid colors, patterns, and gradient fills, where users can define linear, radial, or custom gradient types to add depth and shading to enclosed shapes, ensuring artwork remains editable and animatable. These tools collectively mimic a dedicated 2D vector editor, emphasizing precision and flexibility for character design and scene composition. Brushes and style presets further enhance the vector workflow, offering predefined options like wet ink, , or to simulate traditional media while maintaining vector scalability. Users can customize brush parameters such as sensitivity, line width variation, and texture application, with the ability to animate these attributes for dynamic effects like fluctuating opacity or along paths. The optimized vector system ensures that shapes retain consistency during manipulation, supporting operations like reshaping, merging, and subtracting points to iteratively refine artwork without loss of quality. The layer system in Moho organizes complex scenes through a hierarchical structure managed in the Layers window, where elements are stacked from background to foreground to control visibility and . Vector layers serve as the core container for all native drawings, holding points, curves, fills, and styles that can be edited at any stage. Image layers accommodate raster content, preserving pixel-based details for imported artwork. Group layers bundle multiple sublayers for modular organization, while bone layers integrate skeletal structures to influence deformation—though the focus remains on static layering. Particle layers generate and simulate dynamic emitters for effects like fire or smoke, and switch layers enable selective display of alternatives, such as swapping character expressions or outfits by activating only one sublayer at a time. This diverse set of layer types supports intricate project builds, with each type inheriting parent transformations for efficient management. Layer ordering is visually represented by the vertical stack in the Layers window, where dragging adjusts draw priority; within group or layers, enabling animated layer order allows reordering to be keyframed over time, facilitating dynamic compositions like overlapping elements in motion. Switch layers extend this capability by linking visibility to scripts or data files, ideal for asset variation without duplicating content. Moho also integrates external assets seamlessly, supporting direct import of raster images in formats like and for quick placement in image layers, layered PSD files from to retain folder structures and masks, and files for vector compatibility, which convert to native editable points and paths upon import. These import features bridge traditional workflows with Moho's environment, ensuring versatility in artwork sourcing.

Rigging and Animation Mechanics

Moho's rigging system employs a hierarchical structure to deform vector shapes, enabling efficient by linking bones in parent-child relationships that propagate movements through the . This setup supports forward kinematics (FK) for direct control of individual bones and (IK) for manipulating end effectors while automatically adjusting intermediate bones, along with target bones for precise positioning and constraints to limit joint ranges. Pin bones serve as specialized control points that allow localized deformation within the hierarchy, ideal for fine-tuning areas like facial features or fabric folds without affecting the broader . Automatic effects further enhance realism by dynamically adjusting bone lengths based on and . Smart bones extend this framework by transforming standard bones into multifunctional dials or levers, facilitating reusable poses such as head turns, limb gestures, or full-body expressions with minimal distortion. Users define smart bone actions by recording sequences of bone transformations, which can then be triggered via rotation or scaling of the smart bone itself, allowing animators to cycle through complex setups—like a character's smile variations or walking cycles—with a single control. This feature is particularly valuable for maintaining consistency in repetitive motions, as actions can be copied and adapted across similar skeletons in a project. Animation in Moho relies on a keyframe-based timeline that interpolates bone properties including position, , and scale across frames, supporting smooth transitions through various easing modes such as linear, ease-in/out, bounce, and elastic curves. The timeline's graph editor provides granular control over curves, enabling adjustments to and for more lifelike motion paths. Tweening automates these interpolations, incorporating dynamics for secondary effects like follow-through or scale oscillation, which simulate and without manual keyframing every nuance. Cycles can loop keyframed segments indefinitely, streamlining the creation of ongoing actions like or idling. For non-rigid deformations, Moho offers free-form tools including automatic mesh generation and quad meshes, which subdivide vector or image layers into deformable grids for perspective-correct animations of elements like cloth or elastic bodies. Warp tools, such as curvers, enable bending and twisting of shapes along curved paths controlled by bones or smart bones, with options to animate line widths for effects like flowing hair or tails. These mechanics integrate seamlessly with the bone system, allowing hybrid approaches where rigid skeletal motion combines with flexible warps to achieve fluid, organic movements in character rigging. Actions and styles automate repetitive animations by encapsulating smart bone setups into reusable modules, where styles apply consistent deformation behaviors—like proportional scaling or constraint enforcement—across multiple instances. This reduces setup time for variants of the same character, such as different outfits or ages, while ensuring synchronized responses during playback.

Effects, Rendering, and Export

Moho provides a suite of built-in effects to enhance post-animation processing, including motion blur for simulating realistic movement, for lighting simulation, and a capable of generating dynamic elements such as rain, smoke, or grass with integrated physics simulations. These effects are supported by real-time previews in the new graphics engine introduced in Moho 14, allowing artists to apply and adjust blur, shadow, noise, opacity, deep masking, smooth vectors, gradients, and blending modes without rendering delays. The camera system in Moho enables advanced scene composition through a full 3D space setup, supporting pans, zooms, and multi-layer depth simulations to create parallax effects in 2D animations. Features like and depth shifting further facilitate multiplane scenes, where layers can be positioned at varying distances to mimic three-dimensional depth. This system integrates seamlessly with the animation timeline, processing raw keyframe data to produce layered compositions ready for effects application. Moho's rendering engine handles both vector and raster outputs, utilizing GPU to speed up previews and final renders, particularly for complex scenes involving effects and camera movements. It supports full HD resolutions and includes a separate render for efficient handling of high-quality outputs, ensuring smooth performance even with multiple layers and shaders. Export options in Moho are versatile, encompassing video formats such as MP4, MOV, GIF, and SWF, alongside frame sequences for further editing. Integration with is facilitated through a dedicated render and plugins, allowing seamless transfer of animations for additional . Recent updates, including the Moho 14.1 SIDE QUEST release on November 11, 2025, have expanded exports to include glTF format for compatibility with game engines like Unity, Unreal, and Godot, as well as 3D software such as and Maya, enabling 2D rigs and animations to be imported into 3D workflows.

Versions and Updates

Major Version Releases

Moho's development began with its initial public release as version 1.0 in 1999 by Lost Marble, introducing fundamental features such as basic bone rigging and tweening to enable vector-based 2D animation workflows. This version established the software's core approach to , allowing users to manipulate characters through simple bone structures and interpolated movements between keyframes. Following Lost Marble's acquisition by e frontier in 2006 and subsequent rebranding, the software evolved under the name Anime Studio. Anime Studio 6, released in June 2009 by Smith Micro Software after their 2007 acquisition of e frontier, marked a significant milestone with the addition of style presets for consistent artistic looks and advanced lip-sync tools that automated mouth movements based on audio tracks. These enhancements streamlined for dialogue-heavy projects, integrating amplitude-based syncing to improve realism and efficiency. In 2016, Smith Micro reverted the name to Moho with the launch of version 12 in , incorporating pin bones for precise mesh deformation and a refreshed to enhance and . Pin bones allowed animators to anchor and manipulate specific points on vector shapes, facilitating complex distortions without altering underlying geometry, while the UI updates included streamlined tools and better integration for collaborative environments. Moho 14, released in September 2023 by Lost Marble after regaining ownership from Smith Micro in , featured a complete overhaul of the graphics engine to support real-time effects rendering and introduced liquid animation tools for fluid simulations. The new engine enabled immediate previews of shaders, particles, and distortions, reducing iteration times, while liquid shapes provided deformable vectors that mimicked viscous materials for dynamic effects like water or hair movement.

Key Enhancements by Version

Moho 5, released in , introduced significant improvements to capabilities and layer functionality, enabling better integration with web technologies and expanded dimensionality in animations. The enhanced SWF allowed for more efficient output to Flash formats, supporting smoother playback and reduced file sizes for online distribution. Additionally, the addition of 3D layers permitted users to incorporate basic three-dimensional elements into 2D projects, facilitating depth effects and perspective without requiring external software. Anime Studio 11, launched in 2015, advanced character deformation and drawing tools to better handle organic and fluid shapes in and illustration. The introduction of frame-by-frame animation capabilities allowed switching between traditional drawing and bone-based methods, while layer referencing enabled modular asset reuse across files for efficient production workflows. Complementing this, improvements to Smart Bones enhanced intuitive posing and deformation for more natural character movements. Moho 13, released in 2019, focused on expanding drawing and animation options with new bitmap tools. It introduced a freehand bitmap brush for textured drawing and frame-by-frame bitmap layers for hybrid workflows combining vector and raster elements, alongside an improved actions window for organizing and searching animation clips. Moho 13.5, updated in 2021, emphasized reliability and modern macOS alignment amid post-release feedback. Key stability fixes addressed crashes in bone rigging and layer management, particularly during long sessions with large projects, enhancing overall crash resistance by refining memory handling. It also added native support for macOS Big Sur, optimizing interface rendering and file I/O for the new UI paradigms and Apple Silicon previews. Subsequent Moho 14 updates from 2023 to 2025 introduced new brush variants for more expressive stroke control, a revamped effects engine with real-time previews for blurs, shadows, and gradients, core architectural updates to the graphics pipeline for improved scalability and future extensibility, and the 14.4 "Side Quest" update in November 2025 adding glTF/GLB export for integration with game engines and 3D software like Blender.

Notable Uses

Feature Films

Moho has been instrumental in the production of several Award-nominated animated feature films by the Irish studio , serving as a key and tool for 2D character work. In the 2009 independent feature , directed by and , Moho (then known as Anime Studio) was employed as a animation tool to support bone-based , integrating seamlessly with the film's traditional hand-drawn techniques to enhance efficiency in animating intricate Celtic-inspired designs. Cartoon Saloon continued to leverage Moho for subsequent features, including the 2014 Oscar-nominated , where its bone rigging system facilitated the animation of environmental elements and complex scenes. Similarly, in the 2017 Oscar-nominated The Breadwinner, directed by , Moho supported character rigging and 2D animation tasks. Moho was also used in the 2020 Oscar-nominated , another production, particularly for and animating crowd scenes with multiple characters.

Television, Shorts, and Web Series

Moho has found significant application in television , particularly for children's programming and independent series, where its vector-based tools enable efficient production workflows. The Spanish children's TV series La Granja de Tata Toro, produced by The Magic Factory Producciones, utilized Moho for 2D character and scene composition to deliver educational stories about agro-ecology infused with and adventure elements across multiple episodes. Similarly, independent animator Kilian Muster developed the sci-fi series Phungus & Mowld as a solo production, employing Moho for , keyframe , and effects to create a full pilot episode and subsequent content distributed online. Other examples include Back to Back, a series preparing its third season of 52 episodes for international release in 28 countries, where the praised Moho's speed in generating high-quality without compromising visual fidelity. Amblagar Studio also leveraged Moho for Bobo English, a children's series targeted at the Chinese market, handling up to 80 minutes of per month through its layer management and bone systems. In animated shorts, Moho supports creative experimentation with its advanced features, as seen in the 2025 short by Sofron Varlamov, which showcased Moho 14's liquid shapes tool to animate , deformable organic forms and environmental effects, allowing for seamless blending and of vector elements. The short similarly highlighted Moho's efficiency, enabling the director to prioritize narrative focus by using its vector drawing and smart to produce polished 2D visuals in a compact format. These productions demonstrate Moho's versatility for concise storytelling, where tools like curvers and particle systems enhance dynamic motion without requiring extensive frame-by-frame adjustments. Web series and online episodic content benefit from Moho's accessibility for independent creators, especially on platforms like , where its freehand drawing tools allow for intuitive sketching and rapid style iterations directly within the software. Animators in the Moho community often produce short-form web episodes using these tools to craft expressive, hand-drawn aesthetics that adapt quickly to feedback or series updates. For instance, series like Bo & Bobo Show, a puppet-style web program aired on Boing TV and online, incorporated Moho for character and scene transitions to maintain engaging, repeatable animations across installments. A primary advantage of Moho in episodic formats, such as TV and , lies in its smart bones system, which facilitates reusable rigs for characters, ensuring consistent poses, expressions, and movements throughout production while minimizing redraws and promoting uniformity across episodes. This feature, combined with switch layers for morphing elements, streamlines workflows for teams or solo creators handling serialized content, as evidenced in productions like Phungus & Mowld where one artist managed complex character consistency independently.

Reception and Community

Critical Reviews and Awards

Moho has received positive critical reception for its affordability and robust feature set, particularly when compared to industry leaders like Harmony and . Reviewers highlight its one-time purchase price of $399 for the Pro version as a significant advantage over Harmony's subscription models, such as $1,080 annual for the Premium edition or $133 monthly, making it accessible for independent animators and small studios without compromising on power for vector-based 2D rigging and animation. Sites like SelectHub report an "excellent" user sentiment rating based on professional feedback, praising its intuitive interface for creating reusable rigs and achieving professional results efficiently. However, critics note some drawbacks, including a steeper for beginners and hobbyists unfamiliar with workflows, which can make initial setup more challenging than in more general-purpose tools like . Earlier versions, such as Moho 13, faced occasional stability issues like crashes and lag during complex scenes, though subsequent updates like 13.5.4 introduced significant improvements in reliability. In terms of accolades, Moho has been endorsed by , an Academy Award-nominated studio known for films like , which used the software in production and supported its 2021 return to original developer Lost Marble. The software contributed to the 2018 Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominated feature The Breadwinner, where it integrated seamlessly with hand-drawn elements to enhance 2D animation pipelines. Moho 14, released in 2023, earned praise from outlets like for its advanced 2D tools, including a new graphics engine for real-time effects and improved rigging, positioning it as a competitive option for professional workflows. The November 2025 Moho 14.4 "Side Quest" update, adding export capabilities to video game engines and 3D software like , has been well-received for expanding Moho's utility in interdisciplinary projects. Comparatively, Moho's bone rigging system stands out for its simplicity and effectiveness over competitors; the Smart Bones feature allows for intuitive control of character poses and expressions, enabling faster puppet-style than the more versatile but complex rigging in Toon Boom Harmony. This strength has been lauded in reviews for streamlining production in time-sensitive projects like and TV .

User Base and Support Resources

Moho maintains a dedicated user base primarily consisting of independent animators, freelance artists, educators, and hobbyists who value its accessible pricing and specialized tools for 2D vector-based and . While it sees limited adoption in large-scale production studios compared to industry leaders like Toon Boom Harmony, its appeal lies in empowering solo creators and small teams to produce professional-quality work efficiently. The software's community is global and diverse, spanning beginners learning frame-by-frame techniques to advanced users exploring smart bones and physics simulations, with a strong emphasis on creative expression over enterprise workflows. The official Moho forum, hosted by Lost Marble, serves as a central hub with 19,268 registered members, 31,199 topics, and over 210,000 posts as of November 2025, reflecting sustained activity since its inception. Peak online engagement has reached 4,498 concurrent users, underscoring the forum's role in fostering discussions on , feature requests, and project sharing. Complementing this, the official server has 3,771 members, offering real-time chat for quick tips, feedback, and collaboration among animators. The Reddit subreddit r/MohoAnimation, an unofficial but vibrant space, counts approximately 4,500 members who post tutorials, WIPs, and advice tailored to Moho users transitioning from other tools. On , the official Moho channel garners 119,000 subscribers, amplifying community reach through video content and user-generated animations. Support resources are robust and multifaceted, starting with direct technical assistance via the official support page, where users can contact the team for queries on features, licensing, and compatibility. The "TIPS" section provides structured beginner tutorials covering core tools like bone rigging and layer management, alongside advanced guides on effects and export options. The ASK forum integrates seamlessly with support, allowing community-driven solutions moderated by developers. Moho 14 supports 15 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and others, broadening accessibility for non-English speakers. Additional learning materials include the official blog's tutorial series, such as guides on wind dynamics and multi-stroke fills, authored by product manager Víctor Paredes. YouTube playlists offer free video walkthroughs, from character creation to full project breakdowns, often featuring guest animators. groups like Moho Character Animators and Moho Animators provide informal peer support, though official channels emphasize the forum and to ensure reliable, developer-vetted information. These resources collectively enable users to build skills without formal training, contributing to Moho's reputation as an approachable entry into professional 2D animation.

References

  1. https://moho.lostmarble.com/
  2. https://moho.lostmarble.com/pages/features
  3. https://moho.lostmarble.com/pages/about
  4. https://moho.lostmarble.com/pages/info
  5. https://lostmarble.com/img/moho/anime_studio_history_animestudiotutor_20151029.pdf
  6. http://www.bedope.com/int/int09mc.html
  7. https://www.linux.com/news/anime-studio-pro-gambles-gnulinux/
  8. https://www.cartoonbrew.com/business/moho-acquired-by-original-creator-with-the-endorsement-of-cartoon-saloon-200309.html
  9. https://www.animationmagazine.net/2021/01/endorsed-by-cartoon-saloon-moho-2d-software-returns-to-original-creator/
  10. https://www.santacruztechbeat.com/2016/06/16/creator-mike-clifton-tells-history-anime-studio/
  11. https://www.studica.com/blog/anime-studio-11-the-latest-in-2d-animation/
  12. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smith-micros-new-moho-12-formerly-anime-studio-delivers-cutting-edge-animation-and-convenience-for-professionals-and-workgroups-300311645.html
  13. https://lesterbanks.com/2016/08/anime-studio-rebrands-back-moho-new-features/
  14. https://80.lv/articles/smith-micro-software-releases-moho-pro-12
  15. https://www.animestudiotutor.com/introduction/whats_new_in_moho_pro_12_anime_studio/
  16. https://lesterbanks.com/2016/08/learn-whats-new-moho-pro-12/
  17. https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/smith-micro-announces-sale-of-mohor-2d-animation-software-2020-12-22
  18. https://moho.lostmarble.com/blogs/news/lost-marble-llc-acquires-moho
  19. https://jurn.link/dazposer/index.php/2019/06/26/release-moho-13/
  20. https://moho.lostmarble.com/blogs/news/moho-pro-13-5-new-features
  21. https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/09/lost-marble-launches-animation-solution-upgrade-moho-14/
  22. https://www.cartoonbrew.com/tools/moho-14-is-out-now-with-a-new-graphics-engine-232626.html
  23. https://moho.lostmarble.com/pages/download
  24. https://moho.lostmarble.com/blogs/news/moho-announces-free-side-quest-update-for-moho-14-owners-export-to-video-game-engines-and-blender
  25. https://moho.lostmarble.com/blogs/news/free-update-export-to-video-game-engines-with-the-moho-14-4-side-quest
  26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nnSfQnaM_k
  27. https://lostmarble.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36361
  28. https://www.lostmarble.com/moho/manual/stylewnd.html
  29. https://www.lostmarble.com/moho/manual/vector_layers.html
  30. https://www.lostmarble.com/moho/manual/layerwnd.html
  31. https://www.animestudiotutor.com/layers/layer_ordering_for_beginners/
  32. https://www.lostmarble.com/moho/manual/switch_layers.html
  33. https://moho.lostmarble.com/blogs/news/moho-14-the-future-is-2d
  34. https://moho.lostmarble.com/products/moho-pro-14
  35. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/34028
  36. https://www.mactech.com/2009/06/09/smith-micro-debuts-new-versions-of-anime-studio/
  37. https://www.rttnews.com/975018/smith-micro-software-unveils-anime-studio-pro-6-complete-animation-software-for-professional-animators-quick-facts.aspx
  38. https://www.awn.com/news/smith-micro-releases-moho-12-formerly-known-anime-studio
  39. https://www.animestudiotutor.com/introduction/new_in_anime_studio_pro_11/
  40. https://lesterbanks.com/2019/06/a-first-look-at-moho-13/
  41. https://www.awn.com/news/free-moho-144-side-quest-update-released
  42. https://www.awn.com/news/lost-marble-acquires-moho-2d-animation-software
  43. https://moho.lostmarble.com/blogs/news/moho-featured-artist-tata-toro-children-tv-series
  44. https://moho.lostmarble.com/blogs/news/moho-featured-artist-amblagar-studio
  45. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7td_GM2qL9Q
  46. https://www.facebook.com/MohoAnimation/videos/imago-short-film-made-with-moho/317424041401359/
  47. https://moho.lostmarble.com/blogs/news/moho-featured-artist-justeleven
  48. https://kilianmuster.com/webinar-creating-a-sci-fi-series-alone/
  49. https://www.bloopanimation.com/moho-vs-toon-boom-harmony/
  50. https://www.2danimationsoftwareguide.com/moho-pro-review/
  51. https://shop.toonboom.com/en/subscriptions/harmony-premium
  52. https://www.selecthub.com/animation-software/moho-vs-toon-boom-harmony/
  53. https://moho.lostmarble.com/blogs/news/tagged/update
  54. https://www.yellowbrick.co/blog/animation/top-animation-software-programs-compared-a-detailed-review
  55. https://lostmarble.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=37198
  56. https://www.lostmarble.net/forum/
  57. https://discord.com/invite/moho-animation-software-1123979330171715664
  58. https://www.youtube.com/mohoanimation
  59. https://moho.lostmarble.com/pages/support
  60. https://moho.lostmarble.com/blogs/news/tagged/tutorial
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