I built ChibiRigKit: turning a single character image into an animated 2D rig

Description and use

ChibiRigKit automates 2D rig creation from a single illustration, using AI only during preparation; the final character runs without AI and is editable in the browser.

Problem

Creating an animated 2D character from a single illustration is tedious and error‑prone, especially when trying to add realistic motion and interactivity.

Outcome

The workflow reduces manual effort, keeps runtime independent of AI, and produces portable, editable 2D rigs with realistic motion.

Workflow

• Upload a single character illustration
• AI (Codex CLI) analyzes image and extracts parts (face, eyes, hair, clothing, etc.)
• AI generates missing visual info and expression variants
• Generated assets and JSON configs are assembled into an editable 2D rig
• Open the rig in a browser to adjust motion parameters (head rotation, eye movement, blinking, etc.)
• Export the finished character as a ZIP containing index.html, assets, rig.project.json, motion.json, head-poses.json, background.json
• Optionally record the animation directly to WebM from the browser

Evidence

ChibiRigKit uses Codex CLI during the automatic creation process.

Source

The browser UI can also record the animation directly as WebM.

Source