Introduction
Teams using Rive often need a lightweight way to review the exact exported runtime file, not just the editable project inside the design editor. That requirement grows once developers, QA reviewers, and stakeholders need to validate state-machine behavior before integration begins.
ToolBuddy's Rive Animation Viewer is built for that review stage. It opens exported `.riv` files directly in the browser, keeps the file local on the device, and exposes the artboards, animations, state machines, and runtime inputs that matter during handoff.
This overview explains the most useful features in the ToolBuddy Rive Animation Viewer and why they make interactive animation reviews faster, clearer, and safer for teams.
Local `.riv` runtime review without a server upload step
The most important benefit is privacy. The viewer reads exported `.riv` runtime files locally in your browser instead of sending them to ToolBuddy servers for processing. That reduces exposure when reviewing pre-release product animations, branded motion systems, or NDA-protected assets.
This local-first model also removes upload wait time. Once the tool shell is loaded, you can drop a `.riv` file into the page and move directly into preview, inspection, and interaction testing.
- Local file reading for exported Rive runtime files.
- No ToolBuddy-side asset upload required for standard review workflows.
- Faster iteration when comparing multiple runtime exports.
One place to switch artboards, animations, and state machines
A single Rive export may contain several artboards, timeline animations, and one or more state machines. Reviewers should not need to rebuild test scenes just to verify which surface or motion path is active.
The ToolBuddy viewer surfaces these runtime selections directly in the preview controls. You can swap the active artboard, change the animation under inspection, or move to a different state machine without leaving the current session.
- Artboard selection for multi-surface exports.
- Animation switching for direct clip review.
- State-machine selection for behavior-specific validation.
State-machine input testing for real interactive review
Interactive Rive files are more than linear animations. They often depend on boolean, number, and trigger inputs that change how the state machine behaves in the app or game runtime.
The viewer exposes these runtime inputs so reviewers can simulate interactions before any product code is written. This helps designers confirm expected transitions, lets QA document edge cases, and gives engineers a clearer contract for implementation.
- Toggle boolean inputs during live runtime playback.
- Adjust number inputs to test threshold-based transitions.
- Fire trigger inputs to validate event-driven states.
Timeline visibility and event recording improve handoff quality
Animation review is easier when the runtime can explain itself. The state timeline makes transitions easier to follow, while the event recorder captures selections, state changes, speed updates, and input activity during the session.
This is especially helpful for handoff. Instead of sending vague notes like 'the hover state looks late,' reviewers can capture a structured runtime session that shows which artboard, animation, state machine, and inputs were active when the issue appeared.
- Runtime event logging for playback and interaction history.
- State timeline context for transition-focused review.
- Local JSON review export for QA and developer follow-up.
Layout, scale, speed, and canvas checks before integration
A motion asset can be correct internally but still feel wrong in the final surface. The viewer includes controls for fit, alignment, scale, speed, and canvas background so teams can review how a Rive asset will behave in different embedding contexts.
These controls turn the viewer into a practical pre-integration checkpoint. Designers can validate composition, product teams can review pacing, and engineers can use the layout decisions as handoff guidance for implementation.