Features — Adobe Animate 2023 New

Layer Parenting (introduced in 2022) was great, but it was easy to accidentally break. The 2023 release added a padlock icon to the parenting panel.

Character rigging got a boost this year with improved parenting constraints. The rigging workflow now allows for more complex hierarchies without the need for complex ActionScript or convoluted layer structures.

While it doesn't offer the bone-rigging fluidity of competitor software like Toon Boom Harmony or Moho, the improvements make inverse kinematics (IK) less of a headache. It’s easier to set up a character walk cycle that doesn't "pop" or jitter at the joint points.

This is a crucial bullet point for Mac users. Adobe Animate 2023 is natively compatible with Apple Silicon (M1/M2 chips) .

The smaller quality-of-life updates in 2023 are surprisingly powerful: adobe animate 2023 new features

For years, multi-monitor users suffered from a clunky interface where most panels were locked into the primary application window. Adobe Animate 2023 introduces serious windowing improvements.

In previous versions, if you used the Asset Warp tool (the modern replacement for the old Bone tool), the rigging was rigid. When you moved a limb, the shape stayed relatively constant. In 2023, you can now enable Squash and Stretch per pin. This allows your characters to deform organically—a bicep can bulge when flexing, or a head can flatten when jumping.

It’s not a complete rebuild, but it’s the smartest, most animator-friendly update in a decade. Adobe finally remembered that people use Animate to animate, not just to make click-through web banners. The Rigging Revolution has begun—just don’t try to use it for 3D.

Coolest new feature without a doubt: The Pose Recording + flexible bone length combo. Create a character who melts, stretches, or inflates like a balloon, all with one continuous mouse drag. Layer Parenting (introduced in 2022) was great, but

Now go break some joints (virtually).

The Adobe Animate 2023 release (primarily version 23.0 and the subsequent version 24.0 updates) introduced several powerful tools designed to simplify character rigging and enhance performance. Key New Features in Adobe Animate 2023

Envelope Deformer: This new tool allows users to deform vector or bitmap objects around their edges using Bézier handles. This significantly speeds up the creation of unique character poses that were previously tedious to animate manually.

Flexi Bones: A new bone type added to the Asset Warp tool. Flexi bones enable you to draw bones accurately over existing poses and use Bézier handles to deform them, providing more fluid and natural control over character joints. The rigging workflow now allows for more complex

Rig Edit Mode: This dedicated mode allows animators to modify a character's rig structure independently of its mesh. Changes made in this mode are only applied upon exit, allowing for experimentation without accidentally deforming the artwork.

Warped Objects in Library: Warped shapes and bitmaps are now organized within the Library panel. Users can easily identify, rename, and sort these assets, which helps prevent library conflicts during complex productions.

Performance & UI Improvements: The October 2023 update (version 24.0) boasted up to 2x faster application launch and publishing times, alongside up to 3x faster timeline playback. It also introduced a sleek, customizable UI with dark and light color themes.

Native Apple Silicon Support: Animate now runs natively on Apple Silicon chipsets, providing a massive boost in performance for Mac users. Long-term Support Status Feature summary | Animate (Oct 2022 release)