Thor Vector Graphics


Thor Vector Graphics is an open-source library designed to render vector-based motion graphics and animation, such as those based on SVG and Lottie. It is developed with cross-platform compatibility and portability in mind, enabling its use across a wide range of computing platforms and software applications.
ThorVG supports graphic output on web platforms through WebAssembly technology, and provides hardware acceleration not only via the CPU but also through various graphics backends such as OpenGL, WebGL, and WebGPU.

Features

  • Scene graph and path rendering: ThorVG supports two main rendering modes. The scene graph mode allows users to create and manipulate a hierarchical structure of drawable objects, while the path-based interface enables direct drawing of vector shapes and paths.
  • Transformations: The engine supports affine transformation such as translation, scaling, and rotation for graphical objects.
  • Color gradients: Linear and radial gradients are supported for more expressive visual design.
  • Anti-aliasing: Smoothing techniques are included to reduce visual artifacts in rendered output.
  • Multi-threaded and asynchronous rendering: Rendering tasks can be scheduled across multiple threads, enhancing performance on multicore systems.
  • Partial rendering: A rendering technique that tracks only the regions of a scene that have changed between frames and redraws only those specific areas, improving performance and efficiency.
  • Backend abstraction: Currently supports software, OpenGL, WebGL and WebGPU backends, with extensibility for additional rendering targets.
  • Supported formats: SVG, Lottie, PNG, JPEG, WebP, TTF, TVG

    Lottie animation support

ThorVG supports rendering of Lottie animations, a JSON-based vector animation format exported from Adobe After Effects using the Bodymovin plugin. The library is designed to enable the integration of vector-based animations into user interfaces, including environments with limited system resources such as embedded devices.

Supported systems

  • Android
  • iOS
  • Linux
  • macOS
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Web platform

    ThorVG application softwares

  • Godot
  • Tizen

  • History

  • 2020 – ThorVG was initially developed by Hermet Park and released publicly in its early form.
  • 2021 – With contributions from Samsung Electronics, an initial stable version was completed and integrated into the Tizen platform. In the same year, the Godot also adopted ThorVG for vector asset rendering.
  • 2022 – ThorVG's official logo was introduced, designed by Peter Vullings.
  • 2023 – Support for the Lottie was added with the involvement of LottieFiles in the development. Additionally, the framework integrated ThorVG for vector rendering of UI components.
  • 2024 – WebGL and WebGPU render backends were introduced. The project adopted ThorVG as its core engine, and LottieFiles became an official sponsor of ThorVG.
  • 2025 – The project integrated ThorVG as its vector graphics output engine. ThorVG was also adopted as an official component in the platform. In the same year, members of the Blender development community discussed the potential use of ThorVG within Blender's rendering infrastructure.
  • 2026 - ThorVG version 1.0 was officially released..

    Reception

ThorVG has been discussed within the open-source and embedded graphics communities for its lightweight design and cross-platform rendering capabilities. Independent technical discussions and evaluations have appeared in developer forums and engineering publications, including articles by third-party engineering teams.

Release information

  • ThorVG v0.1: May 1, 2021
  • ThorVG v0.2: Jun 5, 2021
  • ThorVG v0.3: Jul 3, 2021
  • ThorVG v0.4: Aug 9, 2021
  • ThorVG v0.5: Sep 24, 2021
  • ThorVG v0.6: Nov 3, 2021
  • ThorVG v0.7: Dec 23, 2021
  • ThorVG v0.8: Mar 8, 2022
  • ThorVG v0.9: May 9, 2023
  • ThorVG v0.10: Jul 31, 2023
  • ThorVG v0.11: Sep 28, 2023
  • ThorVG v0.12: Jan 4, 2024
  • ThorVG v0.13: Apr 9, 2024
  • ThorVG v0.14: Jun 27, 2024
  • ThorVG v0.15: Oct 6, 2024
  • ThorVG v1.0: Jan 31, 2026