The history of animation movies production is associated with the invention of very complex and expensive equipment used in special film studios. Today, however, PC and subsequently other technological devices like smartphones and tablet PCs allowed to make animation videos at home by oneself or in a collective. Using free software for animation video creation you can bring your ideas to life.
Animation is fun and exciting. From cartoon to commercials, we can see the world in a new light. And with the help of animation tools and software, the process of making the animation video becomes easier and less time consuming.
Plastic Animation Paper
Image courtesy of Plastic Animation Paper
Plastic Animation is the free and original version of Animation Paper. This option is a great animation software for beginners, as the product offers tutorials on how to use the software. The tutorials in this free 2D animation tool allow users to work at their own speed.
Plastic Animation Paper offers tutorials on many of its features, including but not limited to:
- Basic drawing tools
- The ability to organize a workflow with a setup and marking menus
- Layering
- How to do a walk cycle, which includes timing with clones, a light table and working in passes
- Zooming and rotating a sheet
Moho (Anime Studio) Pro – All-In-One Professional 2D Animation Software
Price: $399.99 for the full package.
Compatibility: Windows and OSX
Pro: Its update is regular with advanced and newest features to use.
Con: It is not user-friendly for beginners as the functions are too advanced a little bit.
Anime Studio Pro is a fantastic option for anyone who is looking to get into professional 2D animation creation. It is affordable and designed for Flash-style animations.
While you cannot create frame-by-frame animations using this program, you will be able to create some fantastic videos nonetheless.
There is an Anime Studio Debut – simple animation software, which is targeted towards the beginner user and free download. But if you want all the features of a high-end 2D animation software, you will want to go with the Pro version.
Features:
- Enhanced freehand drawing tools
- Beizer handles to make it easier for you to design your videos the way that you want
- Smart warp feature helps create custom meshes to bend and twist your animations
- Realistic motion blur
- Animation for multiple layers at the same time
FlipBook – Fun and Well Designed 2D Animation Software
Price: $19.99 for FlipBook Lite, $49.99 for FlipBook Studio, $149.99 for FlipBook Pro, $199.99 for FlipBook ProHD
Compatibility: Windows and OSX
Pro: From drawing, scanning to sound, this 2D animation software can make you powerful video.
Con: You can’t use it to make subtle changes as bone rigging is not available.
FlipBook is easy to use for beginners and pros who want to improve the editing experience. It is a powerful video editor that you can make 2D animation with various functions like syncing sound with animation, scanning cells, and more.
If you like to make a cartoon video like a pro, this 2D animation maker is best for you. It is free to download.
Features:
- Changes will be made while you change the animation, so FlipBook is fast to use
- You can use the shift key to make speed painting once you select one color
- Ten layers in animation for adding extra touches
- You can use a scanner to import images
Runner-up, Best Free 3D Animation Software for Mac: Blender
Blender is a program that is designed with open source technology for 3-D modeling and it’s made mostly for beginners that want the option to learn how to play and get comfortable with reading modeling on their Mac computer. This open-source program does feature many of the basic features that you can expect to find including rigging, animation, architectural support and even the option to create full games. The philosophy that’s behind it allows for the inclusion of many different templates and it is very well suited to use by a number of creators. Blender remains some of the best 3-D modeling software for creative artists with its completely free use.
Runner-up: Stop Motion in Movavi Video Editor
We selected this is our runner up because with this program there’s no need to pay for a dedicated piece of stop motion software. This is an open source piece of technology that delivers a full-featured video editor that suitable for many beginners.
The program itself is perfect for getting all of the features that are often teased in many full license software programs. Because it’s open source there are also a number of templates that can make it easy to use. The full-featured video editor is excellent for its features and for the newest features that are being added by the community regularly to keep up with the stop motion technology of today.
Blender
Blender is one of the most popular Animation software out there. While most might point out it is because it is open-source software, I think it features in this list and many best animation software lists because it is a robust and feature-rich animation software. Blender has an excellent community that will aid you on an otherwise hard animation software to master.
- Blender features support for the entire workflow of an animation project from Modeling to Video Editing. It also allows you to model, rig, animate, simulate, render, with compositing, motion tracking, and video editing. You can make an entire animated movie from start to end with these tools.
- Blender also lets you create pipeline tools, edit video and create scripts within the program to ease your workflow. The ability to create VFX, simulations, and games makes it a versatile and powerful animation software.
Conclusion
At a time when so many parts of animated video production have been automated or fragmented into specialities, using free software can save you money and add more flexibility to your computer. A good animation software suite will include the core features you need for storyboarding, character modeling, and editing video.