Animaj unveils AI tool that accelerates animation creation

Animaj has developed the Motion-In-Betweening Tool, leveraging advanced AI technologies, simplifies one of the most labor-intensive aspects of animation—creating intermediate poses between key frames. Unlike traditional linear interpolation methods, Animaj's solution specifically maintains and respects the unique animation style and distinctive personality of each character and series.

Traditionally, animating a 3D character has been a painstaking and time-consuming process, consuming up to 50% of total animation time just for creating intermediate frames. Animators have had to manually manipulate rig controls across numerous frames, a repetitive task that adds little creative value. With the Motion-In-Betweening Tool, Animaj introduces an AI-driven solution that automates the generation of intermediate frames. Requiring just a sequence of key poses (being generated by Animaj’s Sketch-to-Pose model), the tool—powered by Animaj’s specialized AI model trained with proprietary motion data—instantly creates final motion. It preserves the artistic intent and maintains the highest quality of animation. It uses a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) architecture to predict and apply rig controller values for each character in 3D animation software like Maya, allowing animators to refine outputs easily. Built as an API, it integrates seamlessly into existing workflows or directly within 3D animation software.

Antoine Lhermitte, VP Engineering of Animaj, said "What sets this tool apart is its capability to capture and replicate each character’s unique animation style, something traditional spline interpolation methods simply cannot achieve."

REDUCING TIME
In tests, animators using the tool achieved a 67% reduction in time required for in-betweening tasks compared to traditional methods. This efficiency allows animators to dedicate more attention to the creative and expressive aspects of animation, enhancing both productivity and quality.

Animaj has already implemented this technology in the production workflow of its popular "Pocoyo" series, specifically for episodes crafted for YouTube, achieving significant reductions in production time while maintaining high aesthetic and content quality. This technology will remain for internal use at Animaj and is not available for sale.