Animation is mostly considered to be a task for professionals. While there are many free animation tools available, they are often limited in some ways including texture quality, rendering quality or production capabilities. Here is the list of best Free Software for Animation Making that I wanted to share with you.
There are numerous software for animation making. And they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, some are paid while some are offered for free. You can choose the best one depending on your needs. Below are the top 3 Free Software for Animation Making in 2017, which is currently trending.
KeyShot
Image courtesy of KeyShot
KeyShot is a fast and user-friendly 3D rendering software with animation capabilities. This tool allows users to go from a simple model to a stunning visual in minutes. KeyShot is a completely free animation software.
KeyShot has a number of features to support animation and 3D rendering, including but not limited to:
- 2D animation and 3D animation
- HDRI lighting that allows you to light and adjust your scene as needed
- Camera control that enables users to simulate real-world camera behavior
- Dynamic texture mapping to simulate the real-world appearance of a landscape
- Focused caustics to ensure objects are properly lighted
What users like
“It’s fast and most of the results come [out] pretty good. And today they can do animation and VR in KeyShot, [which] makes the software even more powerful than ever.”
— Keyshot review by a user in higher education
What users dislike
“The animation configuration could be easier and also give more options of possible movements.”
— Keyshot review by Julia C.
Recommendations to others considering the product
“Try it, it is very easy. I do like the animation tool, which you can [use to] make an animation rendering very easy and quick.”
— Keyshot review by Chen W.
PowToon
Image courtesy of PowToon
This free animation software is intended for making short videos and presentations. Users can upload their own content or choose from PowToon’s library of royalty-free content. Animators can customize the existing templates to ensure they fit their needs.
PowToon offers paid options, but its free plan offers the following features:
- Standard video resolution
- Access to some of PowToon’s video content library
- The ability to create videos up to three minutes long
- Export to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and more
- The choice of aspect ratios and sizes
What users like
“I think that what I mostly like is that creating an animation with PowToon is ridiculously easy. First, I get to pick out one from many templates. After a template is selected, I like that it’s even easier to add moving characters to every slide I have for the animation.”
— PowToon review by Esmeralda D.
What users dislike
“I don’t really like that PowToon characters are really simplistic; if they were a bit more complex, this would also be a great tool for making quality animations.”
— PowToon review by Alicia Sarah V.
Recommendations to others considering the product
“This tool provides a lots of attractive templates, which helps users to design their slides and making their presentation better. So, this tool helps me a lot and I recommend this tool for people who usually deal with presentations.”
— PowToon review by Raj M.
Blender
Image courtesy of Blender
Blender is a free and open-source animation software that also has capabilities for 3D modeling, game creation, motion tracking and more. This tool enables artists to turn stills into 3D animation. Blender also offers a fast rigging tool that allows users to turn 3D models into animated characters.
The following animation features are included in Blender:
- Automated walk-cycles along paths
- An editor for character animation poses
- Non-linear animation for independent character movements
- Mirror functionality
What users like
“Blender is a free animation software, but do not let that deter you from trying it. It is a really powerful software that I use to make 3D designs. Another thing that I like about Blender is that you can easily import outside objects like textures and animations. The lighting and shadow functions also look really professional.”
— Blender review by Beth A.
What users dislike
“Image-based animation becomes difficult to perform. For me personally, I tried to get an image hand created and perform animation. It kept getting difficult to animate the image.”
— Blender review by Ankit A.
Recommendations to others considering the product
“Blender is so powerful and has so many features it’s overwhelming. Approach with discipline. Decide what aspect you want to tackle first (modelling, animation, lighting, compositing, etc.), then work through a lot of Youtube tutorials.”
— Blender review by Michael M.
Bryce
You will find that Bryce is not only animation software but also acts as a landscape to generate a program. The whole interface of this app is very good and downloading it is free. In the department of Terragen, Bryce has marked the niche which is uncomplicated as well as detailed according to the requirements based on the project level. It supports the files of various modeling programs belonging to this category. That’s why it is on the list of Best Free Animation Software Download for Windows.
Bryce is specially made to help new users develop wonderful 3D surroundings in a very short period. Its qualities such as extraordinary capacity and inventive interface make it user-friendly. It has DAZ Studio character component which allows you to add special effects such as wildlife role, people, sceneries, and others in your creations. Bryce’s free version has enough features for beginners.
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.
Conclusion
- 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.