The Linux audiovisual production community recently faced a significant blow with the news of Maxon’s acquisition of Left Angle. This event culminated in the abrupt and unexpected shutdown of Autograph‘s servers on June 5, 2025, rendering the software inoperable overnight. The disruption even affected users who had invested in perpetual licenses, generating a wave of frustration and uncertainty.
The impact was immediate and severe for many professionals. Movy Audiovisual, a production company associated with Cine Linux, for example, had five ongoing client projects suddenly paralyzed. This situation forced the company into an urgent and costly migration to other tools, such as DaVinci Resolve and Blender, in an attempt to save their work and meet deadlines. Maxon’s initial response to user concerns was perceived as corporate silence disguised as marketing, ignoring financial losses and work disruption, and implicitly suggesting a transition to their product ecosystem. This “solution” proved unfeasible for many Linux users, as Maxon’s main motion graphics tools, such as Red Giant, do not offer native support for the free operating system.
Autograph was widely growing for its layer-based compositing system, which offered an intuitive and familiar interface for motion designers already accustomed to the workflow of software like Adobe After Effects. In the post-Autograph scenario, the Linux motion graphics community expresses a clear preference for tools that maintain this familiarity. There’s a notable aversion to the visual complexity and steep learning curve often associated with node-based systems, such as those found in Natron and DaVinci Resolve’s Fusion page.
What is Friction?
In this scenario of uncertainty and the search for reliable solutions, Friction emerges as a promising “new hope.” It is an open-source motion graphics and VFX software that aligns perfectly with the need for an intuitive, layer-based workflow. Additionally, Friction features a modern design and is built on a robust foundation, making it a solid (despite being in beta) and standalone alternative for professionals and enthusiasts operating in the Linux environment.
Origin and open-source philosophy
Friction is an open-source 2D animation and motion graphics software, licensed under the GPL version 3 license. This license is fundamental as it guarantees users the freedom to use, study, modify, and distribute the software, including for commercial projects, without any restrictions.
The Friction project is a fork of the enve software, with its creation dating back to February 2023. Although enve served as a starting point for Friction’s development, Friction’s codebase is constantly evolving and will increasingly diverge with each new release. This separation and the subsequent rapid development of Friction, with an explicit focus on a “more modern design” and continuous user interface and user experience (UI/UX) improvements, demonstrate an active commitment to creating an updated and responsive tool, moving away from a simple continuation of its predecessor. Furthermore, Friction’s preference for open web standards like SVG and SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language) instead of proprietary formats like Lottie reinforces its philosophy of openness and interoperability. This adherence to open standards is a crucial factor for the trust of the Linux community, which seeks to avoid the pitfalls of closed formats and licenses, such as those that resulted in Autograph’s abrupt discontinuation.
Performance and cross-platform compatibility
Friction is architected to offer high performance, utilizing a GPU/CPU-optimized vector and raster pipeline, with its main development in C++. The software relies on robust and widely recognized technologies such as Skia, an open-source 2D graphics library that leverages GPU acceleration for efficient rendering, and the Qt framework, a cross-platform application development framework that facilitates the creation of graphical interfaces.
The software offers official support for a variety of operating systems, including Linux (especially Enterprise Linux 7/8/9/10 x86_64 and compatible distributions, aligned with the VFX Reference Platform CY2021+), Windows (10/11 x64), and, experimentally, macOS (Monterey 12.7+ Intel). Notably, version 1.0.0-beta.2 reintroduced and significantly improved macOS support, including functionalities like multi-touch. System requirements are accessible, needing an AVX-compatible CPU and an OpenGL 3.3-compatible GPU.
The use of cutting-edge technologies like Skia and Qt, along with C++ development, suggests a solid technical foundation for performance and scalability, essential characteristics for motion graphics software. Broad compatibility with various Linux distributions, including Wayland and EGL support by default, and the ability of all binaries to natively support both X11 and Wayland, demonstrates a deep commitment to the Linux ecosystem. This goes beyond simple “Linux support”; it represents a native and well-thought-out integration that facilitates adoption by a diverse user base and ensures a more stable experience aligned with user expectations for the operating system.
Essential features and optimized workflow
Friction’s core architecture is layer-based, providing clear and intuitive visual organization. This approach is immediately familiar to artists migrating from software like After Effects, facilitating transition and productivity. The software offers the flexibility to work on multiple scenes simultaneously, with support for multiple viewers and timelines, allowing efficient management of complex projects.
Friction includes a robust expression editor that supports ECMAScript. This editor offers autocompletion, syntax highlighting, and the ability to create custom functions, allowing for dynamic animations, automation of complex tasks, and precise parameter control.
Friction offers a diverse range of effects to enhance vector graphics and text, essential for motion graphics:
- Alpha Masking (equivalent to After Effects’ “track matte”): To create transparency masks, Friction uses a method similar to “track matte.” The process involves setting up two layers (the mask must be above the layer to be masked), grouping them, setting the mask layer’s blend mode to “DstIn,” and then promoting the group to a layer. This ensures the mask effect is isolated within the group, allowing the group to be moved freely while maintaining incoming/outgoing animations.
- Sub-Path Effect (equivalent to After Effects’ “trim path”): To animate the drawing of strokes or the filling of paths, the “sub-path” effect is the ideal tool. It is activated by right-clicking on the layer and navigating to “actions” -> “Path effects” -> “sub-path effect.” Its “Min” and “Max Length” parameters control the visible segment of the path (where 100 units represent the total stroke length), and the “Offset” parameter adjusts the origin point. It is also applicable to text outlines.
- Path Drawing: Friction allows freehand path drawing, offering automatic adjustment methods (controlled by “Max Error” and “Smooth”) or manual adjustment for greater precision.
To ensure work safety, Friction supports automatic saving and project backup. There are options to create a backup file in the project folder with each save and to activate auto-save after a specified time, with both options highly recommended to prevent file corruption.
Initial support for multiple windows allows key interface elements, such as the timeline and render queue, to function in separate windows, optimizing screen space and workflow. A new user experience feature, the Command Palette (Ctrl+Space), offers quick access to most software actions. It supports listing all commands, access to recent commands, and special commands for navigation, transformations, and markers. The software also includes basic support for markers (shortcut M) and defining in (I) and out (O) points on the timeline, facilitating navigation and delimiting work sections. A practical feature to quickly split clips on the timeline using the ‘K’ shortcut has also been added.
Easing options, which were previously restricted to the expression editor and required advanced knowledge, are now directly available on the timeline and graph, simplifying the creation of smooth and complex animations.
Friction supports a variety of pre-configured render profiles for common formats like MP4 (with and without audio, which is not available in the free version of DaVinci Resolve), ProRes (with and without audio, for professional workflows), TIFF, and PNG (both with alpha support), simplifying the export process. It also allows exporting SVG animations using SMIL, aligned with web standards.
MSAA (Multi-Sample Anti-Aliasing) settings have been introduced to smooth lines and text, with specific recommendations for different GPU types to optimize visual performance.
From early versions (0.9.1) to the 1.0.0 betas and Release Candidate 1, Friction has received constant improvements in the interface, icons, timeline widgets, audio handling, HiDPI support, and much more, demonstrating a continuous commitment to user experience.
The inclusion of features like auto-save, multi-window mode, Command Palette, direct timeline easing, and pre-configured render profiles indicates that Friction is rapidly maturing from a basic tool to a more professional and productivity-focused solution. These features directly address the needs of a demanding motion graphics workflow, where efficiency, data integrity, and quick access to tools are critical.
Layers vs. Nodes
The choice between layer-based and node-based compositing systems represents one of the most fundamental divisions in an artist’s workflow philosophy, with significant implications for intuitiveness and efficiency, especially in the field of motion graphics.
Node-based systems (Natron, DaVinci Resolve Fusion)
In these systems, operations and effects are represented as individual “nodes” that are interconnected in a “graph” or “node tree.” Each node has inputs and outputs, and the image flow is explicitly visualized by the connections. For example, in Natron, merge nodes combine multiple inputs into a single output, and the processing order is defined by the links.
The node-based approach is often praised for its granular control and non-destructive workflow. This makes it ideal for complex VFX and compositing projects, where element reuse, linear color space manipulation, and the ability to adjust any part of the pipeline without affecting others are crucial.
However, for motion graphics, these systems present challenges. Although Blackmagic Design promotes Fusion with the idea that “Nodes are easier than layers,” many users’ experience for motion graphics reveals a “very steep learning curve.” The mindset of building flowcharts can be counterintuitive for those accustomed to the layer stack. Node graphs can quickly become visually confusing and difficult to manage in complex motion graphics projects, where the linearity and visual organization of layers are often preferred. Practical problems such as loss of preview when disconnecting nodes, difficulty in reorganizing the graph, and the ineffectiveness of the “Cleanup node graph” function are sources of frustration. There is a consensus among users that tools like Fusion are primarily “compositing programs that can do motion graphics,” while After Effects (and, by extension, Friction) are “motion graphics programs that can do compositing.” This means that, although capable, node systems may not be optimized for the agility and type of visual organization that motion designers seek. Natron, in particular, is often criticized for its small and inconsistent development team, which translates into instability, frequent crashes, cache problems, and the lack of many nodes and features compared to commercial alternatives. This makes it a less viable option for professional work where deadlines and reputation are at stake.
Layer-based systems (Friction, After Effects)
In these systems, visual elements are organized in a hierarchical stack, where the order of layers on the timeline determines overlap and visibility. Effects and transformations are applied directly to individual layers or groups of layers.
The layer model is widely familiar to most graphic designers and animators, especially those migrating from software like After Effects or even image editors like Photoshop. This makes the transition to Friction smoother and the learning curve significantly less steep. The linear representation of layers on the timeline is inherently more direct and easier to understand for creating sequential animations, text overlays, and motion graphics. The visualization of the layer stack corresponds more directly to human perception of depth and composition. For quick creation of titles, transitions, and informative graphics, the layer approach often allows for a more direct and less “cerebral” workflow than building complex graphs, where each operation requires a node and an explicit connection.
The current state and future of Friction
An active and transparent development cycle
Friction has demonstrated an impressive and transparent development pace, with regular releases that introduce continuous improvements and new features. This cycle culminated in the beta and release candidate versions for the highly anticipated version 1.0.0, signaling a growing maturity of the project. The transparent development cycle and rapid feature iteration, especially the constant UI/UX improvements and the pursuit of stability, are a direct counterpoint to the uncertainty and abandonment experienced with Autograph. This builds fundamental confidence in Friction’s sustainability as a long-term tool, crucial for professionals who depend on software for their livelihood.
Recent development highlights (versions 0.9.x and 1.0.0)
Friction has been evolving rapidly, with a clear focus on stability and usability. Below is a summary of the main improvements and features introduced in recent versions:
| Version | Release Date (Approximate) | Main New Features/Improvements |
| 0.9.1 | Prior to July 2023 | General improvements and initial bug fixes. |
| 0.9.2 | July 2023 | New dedicated tab for text input and properties; improved timeline widgets with frame controls and quick navigation functions; updated icons and full-screen support. |
| 0.9.3 | August 2023 | Standardized scene dialog (300 frames, 30fps, black background); better timeline organization; display of cache rendering status; font widget improvements and new icons. |
| 0.9.4 | September 2023 | Fixed full screen mode on Windows; panning in viewer/canvas with ALT; bug fixes in easing expressions; better audio handling and improved support for shader effects; improved timeline UX with timecodes and scrolling with modifiers. |
| 0.9.5 | December 2023 | HiDPI bug fixes; render queue improvements (play/clear); timeline improvements (shortcuts, keyframe buttons); introduction of auto-save and project backup; resolution/FPS presets in scene dialog; initial multi-window mode; Linux-specific improvements (universal binaries, Skia with system libs). |
| 0.9.6 | June 2024 | First stable release of 2024; substantial UI/UX improvements (viewer, timeline, new layout handler, shortcuts); SVG improvements (quick preview, export, line support); renderer updates (codec profiles); effect renaming and shader stability; dark/light theme support on Windows; fixes for Linux packages; upgrade to Qt 5.15.14. |
| 0.9.6.1 | August 2024 | Latest maintenance release of the 0.9 series; SVG animation fixes (skew, stroke, fill-rule, DstIn mask); UI/UX improvements (dockable windows, spinboxes, timecode, ‘Add Key(s)’ shortcut, vertical scrollbar); Core fixes (undo, version checking); renderer with support for multiple scenes in the queue and pre-configured profiles (MP4, ProRes, TIFF, PNG with alpha). |
| 1.0.0-beta.1 | October 2024 | All features planned for v1.0 considered usable; dedicated color toolbar; easing support directly on timeline and chart; new UI/UX theme/style; “Split Clip” functionality; basic support for markers and In/Out points; new Command Palette (Ctrl+Space). |
| 1.0.0-beta.2 | December 2024 | AnimateMotion support on SVG export; SVG import improvements (Inkscape labels, color correction); toolbar refactoring (mobile); marker improvements (interactive); Undo/Redo fixes, graph zoom, audio/video; reintroduction of experimental macOS support with improvements. |
| 1.0.0-rc.1 | March 2025 | Comprehensive documentation release; continued UI/UX improvements (Shift sliders, context menu toolbars, UI state restore, icons, text editor, canvas toolbar); general fixes (GPU crash, portable settings, FPS, shaders); MSAA settings; alignment tool improvements (including pivot alignment); major changes to the expression engine (scene bindings, external JS functions, presets); new non-cached preview method; significant macOS improvements (gestures); Linux improvements (Flatpak, XDG Portal, Wayland, EGL as default); SDK upgrade to Qt 5.15.16. |
The Community and How to Contribute
Friction is an open-source project that actively welcomes contributions in various forms, including code, documentation, bug reports, and feature suggestions. This collaborative approach is fundamental to the software’s growth and resilience. The project’s development repositories are open and accessible on GitHub, GitLab, and Codeberg, offering multiple avenues for developers and enthusiasts to engage.
For broader discussions and social engagement, the Friction community can be found on platforms like Mastodon, Bluesky, and YouTube, where updates and interactions are shared. Friction’s presence on multiple development and social platforms, especially decentralized ones (Mastodon, Codeberg), demonstrates a community-building strategy aligned with free software values. This not only facilitates contribution and development transparency but also creates a more resilient ecosystem less dependent on centralized corporate platforms. This is a security factor and an attraction for users seeking to avoid the pitfalls of proprietary platform dependence, as seen in the Autograph case.
Looking to the future (Post-1.0)
With version 1.0.0 rapidly approaching, the main focus of development will shift to version 1.1. This next iteration promises to bring even more UI/UX improvements and the introduction of exciting new features. The comprehensive documentation, already available at https://friction.graphics/documentation, is constantly being refined, ensuring users have up-to-date learning and reference resources.
Is Friction a solid and open alternative for the Linux professional?
The abrupt discontinuation of Autograph, while a blow to the motion graphics community on Linux, paradoxically paved the way for open-source tools like Friction to shine and prove their worth. The incident served as a painful reminder of the importance of autonomy and control over one’s work tools.
Friction is not just an alternative to fill the void left behind; it is a robust and constantly evolving solution for motion graphics and VFX on Linux. Its adherence to a layer-based workflow makes it a natural and intuitive choice for those seeking the familiarity of After Effects and who reject the complexity of node-based systems like Natron and Fusion.
However, as it is still in its release phase, some caution is needed when implementing it in your professional workflow, as it may still present flaws or limitations. At this point, Natron and Fusion have superiority due to the abundance of online tutorials and their long history, which provides more robustness in terms of stability.
Nevertheless, it seems only a matter of time before Friction’s open-source nature makes it a reliable and promising choice for the future of professional audiovisual production on the free operating system, backed by a GPLv3 license, optimized performance (thanks to Skia and Qt), a rapidly growing feature set, and a strong commitment to the Linux community.