In the mid-2000s, Smith Micro Software acquired the product and rebranded it as Anime Studio . The goal was to market it to a broader audience, capitalizing on the rising popularity of anime.
Whether you are a hobbyist or a professional, finding the right tool to bring 2D characters to life is a journey. Anime Studio Pro 11 , released by Smith Micro Software anime studio pro 11
Before v11, ASP was almost exclusively vector-based. The new raster frame-by-frame layer lets you draw with a brush on a transparent canvas and advance frames like traditional animation. You can mix vector puppets with raster effects (smoke, sparkles, hands). The drawing engine is basic. No onion skinning? Wait – there is onion skinning, but it’s clunky compared to Krita or TVPaint. For serious hand-drawn animation, ASP 11 is not ideal. In the mid-2000s, Smith Micro Software acquired the
Additionally, the was a game-changer for environmental effects. Creating rain, snow, fire, or sparkles used to require animating hundreds of tiny dots manually. In Anime Studio Pro 11, users could create a particle layer, define the "emitter" (where the particles come from), and let the software generate the random motion. This allowed for complex, atmospheric backgrounds that added production value without adding hours to the deadline. Anime Studio Pro 11 , released by Smith
Anime Studio Pro 11, now widely known as Moho, stands as a landmark release in the evolution of 2D animation software. While newer versions exist under the Moho brand, version 11 remains a favorite for many veteran animators because it introduced revolutionary features that bridged the gap between traditional and digital puppetry.
Steep but manageable. The bone system is logical, but terms like “point binding,” “layer binding,” and “flexi-binding” confuse new users. Smith Micro’s tutorial videos (still on YouTube) are excellent. Expect 10-20 hours to make your first walking character. For professionals: Fast for TV-style cutout animation. However, Toon Boom Harmony is more powerful for complex rigs, and Adobe Animate is better for web/vector frame-by-frame.