FAQ - UpstandPlatform/OpenRive GitHub Wiki

General

What is OpenRive? An open-source, local-first editor for Rive animations. It edits .riv files, the format Rive's runtimes play, and renders them with the official runtime.

Is it affiliated with Rive? No. OpenRive is an independent project. "Rive" is a trademark of its owner.

Is it free? Yes, under the MIT License. Donations are welcome.

Do I need an account or internet connection? No. Everything runs on your machine or your own server. The Rive runtime is served locally.

Files

Can I open files made in rive.app? Yes, if you exported them as .riv (File › Export for runtime in rive.app). Everything in them is preserved and plays. Some features (bones, meshes, nested artboards, …) can't be edited in OpenRive yet. See File Format.

Can I open .rev files? No. .rev is the Rive editor's private backup format, and it isn't public. Export a .riv instead.

Will OpenRive change my files? Not unless you edit them. Unmodified files are written back byte for byte. Check any file with openrive validate file.riv.

Do exported files work in the official runtimes? Yes: web, React, Flutter, iOS, Android, Unity and others. The editor itself renders with the official web runtime.

Where are my projects stored? In ./data by default, or in PostgreSQL when DATABASE_URL is set. See Storage and PostgreSQL.

Features

Does OpenRive support Rive Scripting (Luau)? Not for authoring. Rive signs compiled scripts with its private key, and the runtimes skip unsigned scripts. Scripts in imported files are preserved. OpenRive's Code Panel offers design-time JavaScript automation instead.

Do theme colors end up in my .riv? The file contains the colors of the active theme. Theme links and other themes are editor data. See Theme Colors.

Can I use images and SVGs? Yes. Use the Assets tab: images are embedded, and SVGs become editable vector shapes. See Text and Assets.

Is there real-time collaboration? Not yet. Several people can use one self-hosted server, and an open file shows a banner when someone else changes it. See Roadmap.

Self-hosting

Is it safe to put on the internet? Only with OPENRIVE_ACCESS_TOKEN set and HTTPS in front, because OpenRive has no login by design. See Self-Hosting.

Files or PostgreSQL? Files are simplest for one person. PostgreSQL suits teams and managed hosting. You can switch any time with openrive migrate.

How do I back up? Copy the data folder, or pg_dump the database. See Self-Hosting.

Contributing

How can I help? Report bugs (with .riv files), propose templates, improve docs or pick an issue. Start at Contributing.

Can I use AI tools to contribute? Yes. The repo ships agents and skills for that. Please follow the rules in AI Collaboration.