Nowadays, 3D animation software is getting more popular. You can get lots of free programs for 3D animation on the internet. 3D animation is a new technology that has a lot of advantages to people’s work and life. An interesting thing about this software is that it can be applied in many field, such as games, medicine, advertising, television, and etc. So how about if you want to learn how to use these programs but you are lack of knowledge? I believe that you will be interested in learning more when I share information about free programs for 3d animation with you in the following paragraphs.
3D animation is a very popular trend used in all kinds of industries today. In this article, I will discuss some free software for 3D animation so that you can create interactive and engaging story-based content to drive the audience crazy.
Animaker
Animaker is a video making platform that allows users to make both live-action videos and animated videos. Some of its key features include specialized tools for creating video infographics, 2D animations, and collaborative animated shorts.
Best for
Users new to animation or for whom animation is only a small part of their job description. Animaker is designed to be easy-to-use for both seasoned animators and those just looking to make exciting content for their business.
Autodesk 3DS Max
Autodesk 3DS Max puts a stronger focus on 3D modeling and rendering than Autodesk Maya. It’s also available for free to students, educators, and educational institutions. It is designed to expedite 3D content creation.
Best for
Animation students who are particularly interested in working on video games. Autodesk 3DS Max features great support of 3D modeling and rendering compared to other tools on this list.
Clara.io
If you really aren’t looking to commit to downloading free animation software, check out Clara.io—a browser-based 3D modeling tool. With Clara.io you can access a library of 3D models to use in your own animations, as well as create your own. Clara.io also supports 3D rendering within its browser-based app.
Best for
Animators looking to try their hand at 3D animation, but don’t want to commit to downloading due to hardware constraints.
K-3D
K-3D is an open-source animation platform that supports 3D modeling. It allows users to create procedural modeling and animations and provides users with interactive tutorials to help you quickly understand its features. It also supports scripting using Python or its proprietary K3DScript engine, but can integrate with other scripting languages.
Best for
Animators looking for more flexibility with their free animation software. K-3D offers standout adaptability with different coding languages, and is a great option for animators looking to experiment or test ideas within computer animation.
Pencil2D
As its name suggests, Pencil2D is animation software geared towards 2D animations, specifically those that are hand-drawn. It allows hand-drawn artists to streamline their animation process by providing tools that allow them to switch between raster and vector workflows.
Best for
Cartoonists with unique art styles, and traditional artists looking to get into animation. Pencil2D focuses on cartooning specifically, and it was designed to work well with hand-drawn sketches versus stricter 3D modeling.
Celaction
Celaction is a professional 2D animation application for films, ad-commercials, and TV series. This tool helps you to handle complex projects with numerous layers with ease.
Features:
- You can use bitmaps or vectors or both simultaneously.
- It offers floating and dockable panels and user-definable workspace.
- This tool provides the user to define shortcut keys.
- You can create palate from more than 16 million colors.
- It works on Windows 7, Vista, Windows XP, Windows 8 and Windows 10.
- You can convert vector shapes into deformable, morphable objects.
Download Link: https://www.celaction.com
Blender
Blender is a 2D computer graphics software application for developing visual effects, animated movies, games, and more. This tool allows you to import or export videos in MPEG, QuickTime, and AVI file formats.
Features:
- This tool Provides Python API for scripting and customization.
- You can customize shortcuts.
- It provides a path tracer for realistic rendering.
- You can create, transform, sculpt, and edit your models.
- It provides a real time preview of the 3D scene and tracked footage.
- You can turn still characters into impressive animations.
Download Link: https://www.blender.org
FrameByFrame
Best basic software
- iSight cameras compatibility
- User-oriented
- A wide range of effects
- Basic stop motion editing capabilities
- Frame slider
Verdict: FramebyFrame is free stop animation software with basic video editing capabilities. It will be especially useful for iSight camera owners. The program is extremely user-friendly and doesn’t require any complex adjustments.
All you need to start creating an animated video is to take a photo and let the webcam capture what you want. You can see all the frame duplicates at the timeline.
FramebyFrame is inferior to the products like iStopMotion in terms of functionality, and it has a pretty basic look and feel.
Dragonframe
Best for Studios and independent filmmakers looking for industry-standard stop motion animation software.
Price: Starts from $295. No free trial.
Dragonframe is a stop motion animation software. The software is packed with features that allow you to create high-quality stop-motion animations faster. Besides the software, Dragonframe also offers keypad controllers, lighting, motion control, and other products to take stop motion animation to the next level.
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Features
- Animation tools, including timeline, drawing tools, guide layers, and much more.
- Camera controls and lightning.
- Onion Skin overlays a transparent layer of your previous shot.
Verdict: Dragonframe is a great choice for medium to large businesses. It can produce high-quality stop motion animation and is easy to use. As it is very well priced, it is also a great option for individual artists and small companies.
Website: Dragonframe
Dragonframe
Best for Studios and independent filmmakers looking for industry-standard stop motion animation software.
Price: Starts from $295. No free trial.
Dragonframe is a stop motion animation software. The software is packed with features that allow you to create high-quality stop-motion animations faster. Besides the software, Dragonframe also offers keypad controllers, lighting, motion control, and other products to take stop motion animation to the next level.
Features
- Animation tools, including timeline, drawing tools, guide layers, and much more.
- Camera controls and lightning.
- Onion Skin overlays a transparent layer of your previous shot.
Verdict: Dragonframe is a great choice for medium to large businesses. It can produce high-quality stop motion animation and is easy to use. As it is very well priced, it is also a great option for individual artists and small companies.
Website: Dragonframe
Conclusion
Today, it is important to see that animation has become an integral part of web marketing. Several major websites are using animated marketing techniques to attract more potential customers. With the help of software for 3D animation, you can achieve just about any design need without much hassle.