# Rigby2D: a free, open-source 2D skeletal animation editor, now with a native Defold runtime

**URL:** <https://forum.defold.com/t/rigby2d-a-free-open-source-2d-skeletal-animation-editor-now-with-a-native-defold-runtime/83433>\
**Category:** Showcases\
**Created:** [November 3, 2026, 12:08pm UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/rigby2d-a-free-open-source-2d-skeletal-animation-editor-now-with-a-native-defold-runtime/83433 "2026-11-03T12:08:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rigby2d](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/rigby2d/32/44694_2.png) [@rigby2d](https://forum.defold.com/u/rigby2d)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 12:08pm UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/rigby2d-a-free-open-source-2d-skeletal-animation-editor-now-with-a-native-defold-runtime/83433/1 "2026-11-03T12:08:22Z")

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Hi everyone! First post here 👋

I’m Jaisurya, and I make [Rigby2D](https://rigby2d.com), a free and open-source 2D skeletal animation editor (MIT or Apache-2.0). Today’s release adds a full runtime for Defold.

 ![image-1793703201288](https://forum-defold-uploads.b-cdn.net/original/3X/6/c/6c6451c05de9e4f3e92a6af70d6a10deea4dcc28.jpeg)

**What it is**

The runtime is a native extension: the Rigby2D runtime written in C++, which your build server compiles for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and HTML5. It plays everything the editor makes:

- meshes and weights, IK, transform / path / physics / slider constraints
- skins, clipping, two-color tint, blend modes, events
- layered tracks with crossfades and queued animations
- whole scenes: a stage with several characters, a camera and parallax

It matches the editor frame by frame: CI replays the reference runtime’s output against the C++ one on every commit (bone matrices, vertices, colors, draw order, events).

**Install**

Add this to _game.project ▸ Dependencies_ and fetch libraries:

```lua
https://github.com/jaisurya-dev-art/rigby2d/releases/latest/download/rigby2d-defold.zip

```

Then, on a game object with a factory for `/rigby2d/piece.go`:

```lua
local rigby2d = require("rigby2d.rigby2d")

function init(self)
    self.hero = rigby2d.new({ skeleton = "/assets/hero.skel", atlas = "/assets/hero.atlas", animation = "idle" })
    self.hero:on_event(function(e) print(e.name) end)
end

function update(self, dt)
    self.hero:update(dt)
end

```

Scenes work the same way with `rigby2d.new_scene({ scene = "/assets/intro/intro.scene.json" })`.

**Performance**

The C++ code writes each frame’s triangles straight into the mesh components’ vertex buffers: no per-vertex work in Lua and no allocation in steady playback. NILA, our demo character (39 bones, 890 mesh vertices, hair physics), poses in about 12 µs.

**Sprite sheets too**

If you’d rather play frames, the editor can export a sprite sheet straight to a Defold atlas with one animation per animation.

**Links**

- Guide and full API: [rigby2d/runtimes/defold/README.md at develop · jaisurya-dev-art/rigby2d · GitHub](https://github.com/jaisurya-dev-art/rigby2d/blob/develop/runtimes/defold/README.md)
- Editor (runs in the browser, no install): [Rigby2D](https://rigby2d.com/editor/)
- Demo project (NILA, Rigbytron and a scene) on the Releases page

It’s brand new, so feedback, bug reports and “this broke in my project” are all very welcome. Thanks for making such a nice engine to build for!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rigby2d](https://forum-defold.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.defold.com/rigby2d/32/44694_2.png) [@rigby2d](https://forum.defold.com/u/rigby2d)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 12:19pm UTC](https://forum.defold.com/t/rigby2d-a-free-open-source-2d-skeletal-animation-editor-now-with-a-native-defold-runtime/83433/2 "2026-11-03T12:19:14Z")

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The Dependency URL will be published with 0.5 Update, coming this Friday November 6.

Until then you can copy the _`runtimes/defold/rigby2d`_ folder from GitHub. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes 🙏