New AI tool promises to rig and animate static models within moments

Anything World, a 3D content creation startup, has launched a new AI tool that rapidly rigs and animates static models.

The product, named Animate Anything, aims to democratise 3D animation and game development.

To use the tool, creators can upload any version of their own static 3D model. After a few steps to check the rig, mesh, and rotation, a fully-animated 3D model will emerge.

“It’s unique to them and won’t be seen anywhere else, so they can fully own their creation visually,” Jermaine Bouyea-Romeo, a 3D artist at Anything World, told TNW.

The new tool expands the animation system being built by Anything World.

Since the London-based startup was founded in 2019, companies ranging from Ubisoft to Ministry of Sound have used the tech to create digital experiences.

Anything World envisions the new product attracting various game developers.

Big studios could prototype ideas, while indie devs could quickly create characters, animals, and static objects to populate digital worlds.

Content creators, app developers, and metaverse players are also target customers.

For all these users, the product’s principle appeal will be speed. Constructing a 3D character model that can move — a technique known as rigging — is typically a laborious process.

Creators need to build an interconnected set of digital joints and bones that function in coordination. The procedure can take days to complete.

Animate Anything promises to lighten the workload. Processing can take up to two minutes, but is expected to be faster in most cases.

“There’s a real margin for error in development,” Bouyea-Romeo said. “By removing all these labour intensive tasks, we free people up to focus on the important bits in the creative process like character or narrative/plot development.”

Anything World is also proud of the tool’s broad selection of characters. Humans, robots, aliens, and countless animals are available, as well as mythical beasts such as dragons.

According to Bouyea-Romeo, many more creatures are in the pipeline, including primates, hamsters, dinosaurs, lobsters and — “for the dystopian creators” — cockroaches.