Creature and rigging artists who juggle multiple anatomical references may welcome Anastomia, a comparative anatomy software created by Truong CG Artist in collaboration with Mushō-genshin. Its goal is to let users view, isolate, and pose anatomical structures across species in linked viewports.
From the official product page, Anastomia supports split screens with synchronized viewports, enabling the user to pan, zoom, or rotate multiple species views at once. Users can select individual or multiple anatomy parts, bones or muscles, and hide, isolate, or highlight them, with equivalent elements selected across all viewports. Anatomy is organised into layers: skeleton and muscle, each with adjustable transparency. The tool offers three shader/texture modes (colour-coded, realistic, landmarks), a cel-shading (2D line) visual option, and configurable lighting (colour, intensity, position). As of now, the supported species are human, horse, wolf, and dog, and display modes include realistic, simplified, and big-shapes (though not all modes are available for every species).
In version 2025.2, the developers added pose capability. Users can now manipulate joints and bones to pose models; a pose library is provided (initially functional for the “Dog Big Shapes” model), along with a mirror pose function and keyboard shortcuts (A & D) to shift pose states. The “Mannequin Traditional” model was also introduced as a simpler, block-style reference option.
In terms of access and pricing, Anastomia is offered in early access under a coupon system: entering the code “free” lets users download and use it without charge. Minimum system requirements include a discrete GPU (the tool does not run on integrated graphics), at least 200 MiB of RAM and 300 MiB of video memory. Supported platforms are Windows, Linux, and macOS, though for macOS users, testers need to manually approve execution due to the lack of code signing yet. The developer warns antivirus or execution warnings may occur until the software is signed or distributed via trusted platforms.
The pricing tiers outlined on the official page are:
- Scholar (non-commercial / personal): USD 5+ / month
- Educator (for teaching and academic use): USD 20+ / month
- Practitioner (commercial / professional): USD 50+ / month
- Enterprise / institutional: USD 100+ / month
- And if you enter the code “Free” during checkout, you get a free version.
The developer also notes that the project took eight years to develop.
Because the application is early access, its anatomical database is currently limited and the pose library is only partially functional. For production environments, teams should test the tool internally and cross-validate anatomical data against trusted atlases or scan data. While its side-by-side linked anatomy capability addresses a gap in existing reference software, its practical adoption will hinge on the expansion of species coverage, accuracy, and stability under production conditions. As always, new tools should be tested thoroughly before they are used in client deliverables or pipeline assets.
