Animation has been one of the most powerful and effective tools in marketing since forever. It’s about time that you get to use it online too. This article is going to walk you through a list of best animation software that will aid you in creating a wide variety of effects and animations.
When it comes to free animation software for Windows 7, there are a few of them. And some of them are just a pain in the butt to install and use. I have made a list of 5 that I have tried and have been using for years. They are really easy to use and offer high quality results. But what’s most important is they are FREE, don’t cost a single cent, not even for any upgrades!
Blender
When it comes to the Best Free Animation Software Download for Windows, Blender tops the list. It is also the first choice of many video game specialists, animators, students, scientists, studio artists, VFX professionals, and many more all over the world. When you think that 2D animation is limiting your ideas, Blender gives your concept a 3D platform that will take your thinking to a new level.
With Blender, you can easily create renders, and creating curves along with modeling like sculpting, retopology is not a problem. When it comes to animation and VFX features, you will find the name of this program at the top. It features robust stimulation tools, easy mixing with pipeline tools, curve editor, dope sheets, and sound synchronization.
The viewpoint feature of this software allows you to combine 2D along with 3D. Another amazing feature of this software is that you can adjust colors, size, layout, and fonts according to your preferences. Moreover, it supports the Hi-resolution/Retina screen.
Autodesk Maya
Autodesk Maya is associated with various Hollywood movies. Several big names from different industries rely on this software because it is above all the three-dimensional animation programs. It helps you to create 3D people, scenes, games, and movies. There are some features which can be implemented easily and the animation you get will look real.
This is in the list of Best Free Animation Software Download for Windows because it offers a 30-days free trial and this time is enough to familiarize with all its features and decide whether you want to purchase the full version of this program or not. After going through its characteristics, you will realize that there is no better app for animating, coloring, or modeling.
It is mentioned above that Autodesk Maya has served many big projects like Hollywood films. This is possible because of its unique features like Animation workflow, Motion Graphics toolset, and Interactive Grooming workflow (XGen). In the latest version, a better UV toolkit with improved functionalities and tools is present in its Editor interface. This is quite a lot to try, you are going to be very busy for the next 30 days.
Pencil2D Animation – Animation Program for 2D Pencil Lover
Difficulty Level: Easiest
Pro: Easy to start and make animation as the interface is user-friendly for many people.
Con: You need to set your preference every time to open it up, so it takes up some time
Pencil2D Animation is one of the simplest 2D hand-drawn tools available. It will work flawlessly on Mac computers. It is ideal for beginners, as the commands and interface are very easy to understand.
Whether you want to create a simple one, or you want something with many layers for videos on YouTube, you can use Pencil2D animation to get it done. Its timeline is easy to use at first glance. You can add and duplicate different frames on a different track.
The frequency of releasing the new version is very fast as Pencil2D is committed to bringing the lasted features to each user. The newest version is v0.6.4 (as of August 2019). Its user guide is informative with video tutorials, FAQs, and manual material.
Features:
- Lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for beginners.
- Features raster and vector workflows, with easy switching between them. You can paint and sketch as you want!
- Will run on all platforms – Mac, Windows, and Linux.
- Completely free and open source.
Terragen – Use It to Make CG Animation
Difficulty Level: Middle
Pro: The recently updated version is the best one. Ray-traced preview is a great function to help us making animation.
Con: The interface looks complicated, but it gets easy to know after you are familiar with it.
A completely free program that you can download and install on all Windows computers and tablets, Terragen is the ideal program for you to create the 3D animations and environments that you want. If you want a photo-realistic CG environment, using Terragen is the best way to do it!
Releasing imagination instantly, Terragen Creative is the one tool you’d like to consider. You can use it to make beautiful scenery.
For advanced tools, you can choose FBX to make animation quickly. The featured image gallery on its homepage will give you a deep understanding of the final outcome you can achieve with Terragen.
Features:
- Ray-traced preview. Without watermark after exporting
- Photo-realistic clouds and ozone simulation
- Rendering is twice as fast as the previous version of the program.
- Adding terrain, objects, and shader to your final product is very easy with the intuitive interface.
Powtoon
Platforms: web browser-based
The next video animation software that’s free is Powtoon, meant for dynamic video presentations. While there are paid options with advanced features, Powtoon also has a stripped-down free tool for videos up to three minutes long.
In addition to what’s listed above, Powtoon’s free software also has:
- Custom styles
- Change aspect ratios and sizes
- YouTube, Facebook, Wistia, Vimeo, PowerPoint, and PDF export
- Full video, animation, GIF, and image file implementation
It’s a great tool for beginners, with several professional-looking templates to choose from, including animated explainer and infographic-style videos, as well as templates built specifically for product promotion. You can also start from scratch or import a theme from PowerPoint.
Conclusion
Animators use special software to create animations, mostly animations for movies. Many people think that animation software is very expensive and they cannot afford it. There are different kinds of animation software for movie making, but not all of them are expensive. For example, there is Anime Studio for Windows 7, which is used by many hobbysts and professionals to create their own animations.