ActionForge, a free browser-based Mixamo alternative, adds animation editing

ActionForge is a new free web-based application for rigging and animating characters. GameFromScratch describes it as very similar to Mixamo but more capable, mainly because it lets you modify animations directly instead of just applying them.

The tool runs entirely in the browser with no installation. According to the report, processing is local, and models and animations are never uploaded to a server. You can import unrigged .glb or .fbx models and rig them in the browser. Retargeting supports existing skeletons, including Unreal Engine, Mixamo and Reallusion standard rigs.

On the editing side, ActionForge supports animation layering and masking by body part, such as a shooting animation on the chest and arms over a running animation on the legs. Posing tools include bone picking, X-axis mirroring, and live IK for arms, legs and the pelvis. You can also adjust joints with 3D gizmos and edit keyframes in a graph/curve editor.

Motion Lab is aimed at game developers. It takes a single walk or run cycle and generates a full 8-directional movement set. You can also import custom props such as swords, staffs or guns and attach them to a character's hands. Scene tools let you lock cameras, set focal length and sensor size, and overlay composition guides like rule-of-thirds and safe areas.

Because it is browser-based, work can be lost to cache clears. The tool has an offline mode that lets you grant access to a local folder to save projects, characters and pose libraries. It also includes a categorized CC0 animation library covering locomotion, combat, zombie movements and idle gestures. The source does not give pricing details beyond calling it free, or a version number, so check the ActionForge site before relying on it in a production pipeline.