Muan is an open source stop motion animation system, developed under Linux. It was conceived by ANIMA MUNDI (International Animation Festival of Brazil) and developed by the team of VISGRAF Laboratory, with the sponsorship of IBM. The software provides an useful GUI allowing creation, editing, manipulation and visualization of animations through a video camera or a webcam connected to the computer.
This system was initially designed for Educational purposes. Because of this it has a very simple usage, but it can be used both for beginners or professional animators, since it provides very important features of Stop Motion Animation.
The MUAN system makes it possible to record fixed images in sequence and edit them in the same setting, with an intuitive interface and fast performance. The instantaneousness favors the spontaneity and creativity of animation work. MUAN does not create or edit the images themselves: it focuses on the manipulation of image sequencing, a concept that was formerly abstract to a person who knew little about animation. The system conception took into account all the needs detected during years of practice by the ANIMA MUNDI team while producing their workshops.
Muan can read and write animation files in avi and mpg formats or by a list of images in jpg or ras formats, making the application very flexible and easy of interact with other video applications even that in different operating systems.