Free animation software for Windows 10 PCs is one of the hottest topics on the Web. Not all animation software are created equal, however. Some are too hard to use, while others lack modern features you look for in software today. Fortunately, there are many free animation programs that can take your breath away with ease.
There are plenty of animation software applications available in the market, but many of them isn’t free. Not mentioning that some of the best animation software is very expensive and not everyone can afford it for their personal and professional use. However, there are few free animation software available which you can download and install on your Windows based computer/laptop or tablet.
Anim8or – Free Tool to Make 3D Modeling
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Pro: Anim8or supports 3D modeler and TrueType fonts to meet advanced needs.
Con: Beginners will find it difficult to learn.
Anim8or is a free 3D modeling program that will let you create the unique work that you want. It is a personal project from an animator, but the program does get regular updates and troubleshooting.
It is not going to give you the same features as something like Studio Max or Maya, but you will get the basics. Beginners who are getting into animations will love this program.
Anim8or is a great tool to step into 3D animation ff you think other software is too different to start. In some way, it means you need to give up some advanced features. But all in all, it’s still recommended for you.
Features:
- A full 3D modeler that allows you to create spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, and any other objects that you want.
- Features support for TrueType fonts.
- Easy to create 3D scenes and output them as video files or images.
OpenToonz – Support Plug in to Make Animation Freely
Difficulty Level: Middle
Pro: It is open-source software, so you can change the code freely.
Con: The plug-in effects are limited.
This animation program is made for beginners on Windows. It is among the best 2D animation software in the market. You can use plug-in effects to change image style, add lights, and distort details. It supports Windows 7/8/10 only for 64 bit.
Features:
- You can add provisional colors to make your animation more colorful.
- Smooth correction without frame losing.
- Compatible with black-and-white, colored, or without binarization scanning.
K-3D
Platforms: Windows, Linux
K-3D is a free 3D animation software specializing in polygonal modeling, an approach to digital graphics that represents and approximates object surfaces using polygons. Designed for artists, the software combines plugins with a visualization pipeline architecture — it adapts to the look and feel of the tools you integrate it with.
Get started with their Wiki tutorials, showing you how to master features like texturing, shadows, and symmetric modeling.
One of its best features? Easy undo/redo functionality, so you can quickly fix a mistake. Most programs only offer the option to undo an action.
With both procedural and parametric workflows, you can make adjustments and see the change immediately. A node-based visualization pipeline means editors can create connections and combinations for different elements within the video. You can work on one side of a model and mirror the other side to see what it looks like welded together.
K-3D is an advanced tool for true creatives.
Pencil2D Animation
Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux
Pencil2D is a simple animation software you can use to create hand-drawn 2D videos. The open-source software is free for both personal and commercial use, so you can use it just for fun or to create videos to promote your products.
The interface is simple and easy to use. That, along with tons of tutorials on the website and forums you can join, makes it a great option to start with.
Other features:
- Image and audio import
- Switch between raster and vector workflows so you can sketch, ink, and paint
- Adjust frame rate
- Add distortion and lighting effects
- Onion skinning
- Toolbar customizations
- Pressure sensitivity
- Multiple export formats
Creatoon
Creatoon is an extremely user-friendly, straightforward and instinctive software that allows you to create 2D animations in cut out fashion and add several special effects to the same. The interface may look quite simple and out-of-date, but the software can carry out some of the complex tasks that can produce remarkable results.
It offers menus on each side of the working area in order for you to have quick access to the main features. Even though the interface is not customizable, but it is properly arranged for you to have a clear view of the project in process. While it allows you to determine the frame rate per second along with the height and the width, it also lets you select the format of the project file.
Moreover, you can add special effects to your animation using Creatoon, conveniently store your tasks manually or simply just let it save your tasks automatically every 5 minutes. You even have the option to personalize the drawing tool and make it act according to you. The program lets you segregate your animation elements in slabs that enable you to make the required changes swiftly. While you can tweak the preciseness of the sketch tool, it also allows you to play with the progression of your brush movements.
Overall, Creatoon is a software that enables you to create animation effortlessly with advanced features making it the perfect solution even for the beginners.
Synfig Studio
Synfig Studio is an open source and a multi-platform free software that allows you to create animations in 2D and its design is quite close to that of Pencil. However, the major difference among the two is the fact that Synfig comes with a sharp learning curve due to its avant-garde features and amazing results which you can definitely achieve once you have mastered using its tools at a professional grade.
The interface of the program is segregated into four separate windows that are, tools window, editing window, navigator window, and parameters window. Once you attain the skills of using the features efficiently, you can create superior quality cartoons, animations, and movies. It is based on vector and bitmap technique.
Since most of its elements are based on vector and all slabs are developed parametrically, only pixelation will appear in the imported raster pictures and not the inherent items when modifying the target result of the project. The keyframes of the animation are automatically appended by the PC which leads to a steady motion.
The artwork will be able to comprehend a far wider variety of pixel glow using the “High-Dynamic Range Imaging” or HDRI which uses the mathematics of floating-point in the image computation, thereby leading to improved lighting effects and color formation. The best part is that the sketching tool already scans the pressure receptiveness route off your favored tablets that helps in natural line weighting and more.
Synfig offers complete support for gradient routes that enables the animator to insert soft shading to his drawing effortlessly without the need of sketching the animation on each frame separately. It also offers a host of layers that includes gradients, transformations, fractal, geometric, etc. Apart from Linux and Mac OS X, Synfig Studio also works with Windows and is available to download for free.
Conclusion
These days, you’re lucky to find a modern web design package that doesn’t include animations. They can be hugely powerful and engaging tools for building truly unique and eye-catching websites – as well as being practical, functional elements of your work.