Animation is a lot of fun, and it can be a great way to demonstrate concepts. If you don’t have a budget, but still want to create an animated gif or video, this article will show you where to get free animation software for Windows XP that does a great job of making animations.
If you are looking for animation software then this is the page for you. There are some really great free animation programs out there that I have tried out and reviewed, all that you will need to make your animations stand out!
Best Motion Graphic Animation Software for Mac: After Effects
With a number of motion graphic animation software programs available for Mac, after effects sets itself apart.
Adobe After Effects is truly one of the most masterful programs for any motion graphic artist. Of course many of the features of aftereffects can be found in other Adobe programs, but there is no other piece of software that can be so versatile for the creation of motion graphics. The way to the menus are set up and the way that the program behaves makes it an intuitive leap for 3-D modeling and 2.5 D animation.
The whole goal of aftereffects is to help you produce almost any type of animation that you may want without having to involve 3-D modeling. After effects remains one of the primary pieces of software for motion graphic work in storyboards, motion comics and more. There are elements in this program that are close to Photoshop and illustrator but they have been optimized for the purpose of creating motion graphics here.
Adobe Animate CC
Any creative software list cannot be complete without an Adobe software, thanks to their expertise in the field for so many years. Adobe Animate is an animation software that is a part of its Creative Cloud (CC) suite.
This makes it a great addition if you or your team already use CC. Frequent software updates and enhancements make the software even better over time.
- One of the most powerful animation software for games, apps, videos and even websites. Features an excellent timeline tool that is more powerful now. It also supports presets to make your workflow smoother.
- HiDPI support for high-resolution animations. New features provide you with the ability to add layer depth and camera enhancements.
Tupi
Tupi is a great 2D animation software. It doesn’t work that great with 3D animations so you should opt out of this if you’re looking for that. Tupi is great to do academic work. It supports vector illustrations and can import raster images.
Tupi also supports tweeting positions, scale, shear, and rotations. Tupi is not only meant for Mac but also for windows. It’s not that difficult to master Tupi and the interface is user-friendly. You can check the users’ guide on youtube for instructions on how to operate it. Check it out
TupiTube Desk
TupiTube Desk is a free animation software that converts your ideas into superb 2D form. The developers of this program made this tool especially for the animators who are looking for free app. This is an open source software which means that the users can tweak this program as per their interesting ideas.
It supports vector illustrations and you can easily add lines, rectangles, polygons, and various other shapes. There is paint bucket for filling the areas. Coming to the file formats, this program allows you to import the raster images and you can also export the finished animations into a distinctive one. It also supports tweening positions, sheer, scale, and rotations.
The developers of this software have positioned it as a 2D animation tool for teenagers and children. There can’t be a better option for this target group but if you are studying animation, you also can use it as a part of your course, you can practice on it, and progress new skills.
Synfig Studio
Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux
The next free video animation online is Synfig Studio, an open-source platform for creating 2D animated videos. With it, you use vector graphics to create timeline-based animations.
Like OpenToonz, it offers a bone system for animation controls so you can create natural movements. Create cutout animation using bitmap images or control your vector artwork, and use the additional Skeleton Distortion layer for complex deformations to bitmap artwork.
Advanced features include linking parameters for layers, allowing you to build character puppets and other advanced dynamic structures. It’s certainly not made for beginners, so turn to an easier option to get started before upgrading to Synfig’s advanced feature set. There are plenty of video tutorials to help you get used to the program.
Clara.io: Best free 3D animation software (browser-based)
Platforms: Any browser
Clara.io is cloud-based free animation software that doesn’t need any plugins to work. It offers a good combination of basic stick-figure animation and polygonal modeling.
This free animation app gives you a great range of mesh instruments to use. You also have features like sub-object editing, modeling features like subdivision surfaces and lots of realistic-looking materials that you can tweak with some adjustable lighting.
The simple interface has a clean design. If you still have queries you’d like answered, it’s one of the few free animation apps with its own forums, so you can turn to the 80,000-strong community that shares its artwork on the Clara.io’s cloud.
That means you’re not alone if you decide to try out this free 3D animation software!
Pros: Browser access; easy to use
Cons: Development slowing down
What users are saying:
“Just had a play with https://clara.io by @ExocortexCom and it’s quite remarkable! A web-based 3D modelling and animation app, that spits out .fbx and does V-Ray and WebGL renders. Wow!” – @gheedough, Twitter
“Further to this, http://Clara.io is free, browser based and seemingly very good for simple 3d animation.” – @therevmountain, Twitter
“http://clara.io seems a bit quiet these days. Is it still being actively supported?” – @CarlBateman, Twitter
Conclusion
Since the beginning of animation, many people have worked hard to come up with animation programs that can be used by anyone. The result has been the creation of various free animation software available for just about any one. These free animation software can be used to do awesome things with computer graphics.