Welcome to Rive Scripting

Rive is a powerful tool for creating interactive graphics that run anywhere. Traditionally, Rive animations are driven by Timelines and the State Machine, which are excellent for predefined motion and transitions.

However, complex interactivity, procedural generation, dynamic layouts, and game logic often require programmatic control.

What Scripting Enables

Rive Scripting allows you to embed code directly within the Rive Editor, executing logic in real-time alongside your designs. This bridges the gap between design and development.

Without Scripting	With Scripting
Predefined animations	Dynamic, data-driven motion
Fixed interactions	Complex game logic
Static layouts	Responsive, procedural layouts
Limited user Input	Full interactivity

---

Choose Your Path

This course is designed for different experience levels. Choose the path that fits you best:

🌱 New to Programming?

Start here: Your First Rive Script

We'll teach you programming concepts from scratch - no prior experience needed. You'll learn what variables, functions, and types are before diving into Rive-specific concepts.

💻 Have Programming Experience?

Start here: How Rive Scripts Work

If you know JavaScript, TypeScript, or After Effects expressions, this page maps Rive concepts to what you already know. Get up and running faster with side-by-side comparisons.

Both paths lead to the same place - you can always reference the other track if you want more detail or a different perspective!

---

Coming from After Effects?

If you've used AE expressions, here's how Rive scripting compares:

After Effects Expressions	Rive Scripts
Single-line or block of code	Structured with lifecycle functions
value + [100, 0] just runs	Code runs inside init(), advance(), draw()
Access props via thisComp, thisLayer	Access data via self parameter
Expressions recalculate each frame	Full control over when code runs
No drawing capabilities	Full procedural drawing API
wiggle(), linear() built-in	Write your own utils (or use libraries)
Limited to property values	Can create new shapes, respond to events

Key difference: AE expressions modify property values. Rive scripts can do that AND create entirely new graphics, handle multi-touch, manage game state, and more.

The Rive AI Coding Agent

Rive includes an AI Coding Agent built directly into the Editor. This assistant can help you with scripting, animation, layout, and more — no API keys, external apps, or setup required.

What it can do:

• Create new scripts from natural language descriptions
• Edit and refactor existing code
• Debug issues by analyzing your code and reading console output
• Create and modify animations and state machines
• Build flexbox layouts
• Manage ViewModels and data bindings
• Create shapes with paths and paints
• Run tests and check for diagnostics errors

The AI agent has access to 14 specialized tools that let it interact with nearly every part of the Rive editor. It understands the full Rive Luau API and can generate correctly-typed code that works with your Artboards and ViewModels.

Learn more: Rive AI Agent Guide →

Knowledge Check

Q:What does Rive scripting enable that State Machines alone cannot?

Q:What tool is built into the Rive Editor to help with scripting?

Next Steps

Choose your path:

• 🌱 Beginner: Your First Rive Script - Learn from scratch
• 💻 Experienced: How Rive Scripts Work - Fast-track with comparisons
• 🤔 Curious about Luau? Why Luau? - Learn why Rive chose this language
• 📋 Need a reference? Quick Reference