Hey guys, In this article, I am going to cover some of the best 3D animation software tools available on the internet. Before we jump into that, take a look at my list of best 3D animation software 2021. As you can see, there is a huge list of options out there in the market but picking the right one isn’t an easy task. By keeping this in mind I have come up with this list to help people like you who are looking for good and affordable 3D animation software.
3D animation software is an invaluable tool for digital artists and game developers. The best 3d animation software helps you to create animated scenes more easily and unleashes your creative side. Reviewed by professionals, our list of the best 3d animation software reviews gives you an up-close look at what’s out there.
Adobe Character Animator
Adobe Character Animator is a software product that helps you to animate characters in real time. You can utilize this software to turn any art into animated characters with webcam.
Features:
- It helps you to create an animation that matches with your facial expression.
- You can animate with arms, legs, and heads.
- This tool allows you to set up specific shots like a close-up and zoom.
- You can design characters to convey movement and speed.
- It provides a Keyframes to create a moment.
- You can sync audio to your animation.
MotionBuilder
MotionBuilder’s Auto Desk is a 3D character animation software developed by Autodesk. It can be used for motion capture, virtual cinematography, and traditional keyframe animation.
Features:
- You can capture, edit, and playback character animation.
- It helps you to manipulate motion capture data.
- Characters.
- This tool allows you to exchange data between other animation applications like Maya, 3ds Max, and Motion Builder.
- It enables you to create a realistic movement for any character.
Maxon
Maxon is a 3D modeling, motion, and rendering software designed by MAXON Computer. It is capable of animating, lightning, and texturing. This tool helps you to work on both 3D graphics as well as animation.
Features:
- This 3D rendering software helps you to create both realistic and abstract models.
- You can create high-quality product visualization using customizable models.
- It enables you to choose fonts quickly from the drop-down menu showing preview.
- This tool offers procedural objects and shaders make, which makes it easy to refine your ideas.
Link: https://www.maxon.net/en/
K3-D
Pros:
- Intuitive interface to make 3D effects
- Can always go back to undo operations
- Totally free-to-use
One of the best 3D animation software, K-3D features a procedural engine plugin for its content. It is a free 3D animation software that supports polygonal modeling. A visual pipeline architecture is combined with the flexible plugins that make the K3-D software a powerful and versatile tool. The features include:
Features:
- Consistent and intuitive
- Consist of basic tools for animation, patches, curves, and NURVS
- Parametric workflow
- Can be run on Windows, OS X, Linux, and FreeBSD
Source Filmmaker
Features:
- The virtual movie set with lights, actors, props, and cameras
- Create your own movies and add features as per your requirement
- Manages entire workflow needed to make a movie into one single system
This 3D animation software lets you make a movie inside the game engine Source. Wondering how? It is because whatever assets are present in the game, the Source Filmmaker uses it. So, the assets of the game are used by SFM in the film and vice versa. The features of this movie-making tool include:
Features:
- Renders power of a modern gaming PC
- Whatever you see in the game is what you get in the movie
- Completely free to download
Renderforest.
Renderforest is an all-in-one online video, animation, logo, and website maker. This tool is great for web designers, business owners, and those who aren’t necessarily looking for advanced 3D modeling.
If you aren’t a design expert but need to create a logo, animated video, music visualization, or professional intro, Renderforest is the obvious choice.
Renderforest is Best for:
Business owners that don’t want to hire an animator but can follow easy online instructions will benefit from joining Renderforest. If you don’t know how to code but want professional animations at one monthly price, this software is for you.
Best Features:
- Machine learning and AI deliver the best logo design options with just a few clicks
- Over 50,000 unique artwork files to choose from
- Professional mockups and uploadable brand guidelines
- 100+ pre-made mobile-friendly website design templates
- Hundreds of animated video templates to suit your needs including slideshows, intros, explainer videos, logo reveals, corporate presentations, and animated infographics,
- Ready-made animated blocks
- One-click web page animations
Pros:
- A super-intuitive user interface make it easy when creating animated videos in a few clicks
- Their advanced AI does truly understand how to provide you high-quality logo and graphics
- Simple monthly pricing depending on how many videos you need
Pricing:
Plans range from free to $49.99/month depending on how many animated videos you need. I recommend their popular $19.99/month plan, which is made for businesses that create a lot of videos.
Pencil2D.
Open-source, and entirely free of cost, it is open to use by anyone, even for commercial purposes. On top of that, it is decidedly user-friendly, making it an ideal animation software for beginners who want to hand draw character designs.
Best for:
This tool is tailor-made for traditional artists trying to learn about and master digital art. Pencil2D is also an easy-to-use platform for beginner digital artists with very basic requirements.
Key Features:
- Very lightweight and easy-to-use
- Seamlessly switch between workflows (Raster and Vector), which allows you to streamline and speed-up your work
- Cross-platform software (runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux)
- Unique ‘Timeline’ feature that will enable you to choose the pace at which the animation moves
Pros:
- One of the cheapest tools on the market
- User-friendly and intuitive user interface
- Comes with in-depth tutorials to help you get started
- Minimal designing that lets you focus on the job at hand (animation) and paper drawings
- Website continually updates you with the latest news and information regarding the software
- Free access to a community of users to discuss problems, developments, and for brainstorming sessions
Cons:
- Must use separate layers for every image (similar to PhotoShop, Anime Studio, Adobe Animate, Adobe After Effects, Disney products, and Toon Boom Harmony)
- Not yet available for 3D animation
- Importing and exporting feature needs to be better
Pricing:
Pencil2D is entirely free of cost since it is an open-source software tool. You can access and download it online easily. Pencil 2D is the best free animation software for anyone just starting their animation journey.
Conclusion
3D animation is the process of creating content such as 3D models, and their accompanying optical effects for video games, television programs, films, and other media. It is a vast term that encompasses animation techniques that recently developed in the production of special effects. It is useful to have an idea of what the different software can accomplish. You should consider several factors. The very good news is that free 3d animation software has evolved a lot over the years and it is possible to create high-quality animations with them.