In simple English
This program helps you make moving pictures and vector graphics. You can use it to build animations for websites and videos. It gives you an open alternative to expensive commercial tools. It costs no money to download and run. You invest your time to learn its interface and layout.
What it is
Friction is a desktop motion graphics application written in C++ that supports vector and raster animation. It lets designers build timelines and keyframes for web animations and video exports.
What it is good for
Solo creators who want to make animated graphics or logos without paying for expensive subscription software.
- Free to download and use under an open-source licence.
- Works across Linux, Windows and macOS desktops.
- Supports both vector and raster animation workflows.
- Requires compiling from source or downloading pre-built binaries since there is no simple package install.
- Relies on FFmpeg for video export, which you must set up separately.
- Documentation is still growing as the project matures.
Adobe After Effects or paid motion design tools
FFmpeg
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Download the pre-built installer or source code from https://friction.graphics and follow the operating system guide.