AI Tools Enter CG Anime Production Workflows
The integration of AI into standard CG production software means anime studios specializing in 3D computer graphics will face increasing pressure to adopt tools they have been cautious about.
Reporting from 1 sources: Animenomics.
Autodesk is embedding AI tools like Flow Studio into 3ds Max and Maya, software widely used by Japanese CG anime studios. DandeLion Animation Studio president Kazuhiro Nishikawa acknowledged AI is unavoidable but stressed the need for controlled use. Toei Animation reiterated it does not actively use AI in production. DandeLion's upcoming adaptation of Eleceed will test Flow Studio for motion capture.
Autodesk is embedding AI tools into 3ds Max and Maya, the production software used by many Japanese CG anime studios. At a March event in Tokyo, the company demonstrated Flow Studio, an AI-based 3D animation software acquired in 2024, to anime industry workers. The tools are designed for conceptualization work rather than fully AI-generated output, allowing artists to retain creative control.
DandeLion Animation Studio president Kazuhiro Nishikawa told an event in April that AI is technology the industry cannot avoid, but stressed the importance of understanding it and controlling where it is used. Toei Animation CG section chief Naoki Sato reiterated at the same Autodesk event that the studio does not actively use AI in anime production. DandeLion's upcoming adaptation of the South Korean webtoon Eleceed will use Flow Studio for motion capture, serving as a test of the tools in production.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Animenomics AI tools enter CG anime production workflows