Animations play a big role in any commercial, TV show or feature film. In an animated film, each scene is created one frame at a time, and it can take weeks or even months to produce just a few scenes. A computer helps the artist achieve the animation that the director wants by using software for animation free.
This article will introduce you to the different types of 3D animation software and also list and briefly explain the best free and cheap 3d animation packages that you can download and try. This article is intended to help people who would like to get started with 3D animation.
Blender
Open Source 3D creation. Free to use for any purpose.
Blender is a cross-platform free 3D creation suite offering a powerful arsenal of tools. By using Blender, you can create animations, video games, renders, models, and more 3D based projects. The software is open source and developed by many contributors from around the world. The feature-rich 3D suite software is suitable for beginners, as well as advanced users.
Features:
- available for Windows, macOS, and Linux;
- a built-in path-tracer engine that includes a real-time viewport preview, CPU & GPU rendering, PBR shaders & HDR lighting support, VR rendering support;
- advanced modeling, sculpting, and UV tools;
- advanced rigging and animation tools;
- powerful visual effects: auto and manual tracking, camera reconstruction, real-time preview of your tracked footage and 3D scene, and more;
- drawing in 2D mode оnto the 3D viewport;
- full animation support including onion skinning, layers and colors for stroke and fill, sculpt brush strokes, and more;
Synfig Studio
Open-source 2D animation software
Very easy for those of you who have worked with Flash and are looking for a similar animation software instead of a frame-by-frame animation software. Synfig is based on vectors and allows you full control on editing the vector artwork in the animation. You also have advanced control on your characters, as well as the option to create character puppets.
Luckily, Synfig is 100% free and you can use it on Windows, Linux, and Mac. Since the software is open-source, you also have the option to access the source code.
Features:
- full-control vector editing which allows automatic calculation of frames;
- a variety of over 50 layer types including geometric, gradients, filters, distortions, transformations, etc.;
- control over your character by using a bone system and complex deformations;
- advanced controls for creating character puppets and other dynamic structures.
Pricing:
- Free
Vyond
The easiest way to create professional animated videos.
Vyond Studio offers an online animation making tool suitable for people of all skill levels to make great professional animations including explainer videos, whiteboard videos, and more kinds of animated videos. Enriched with handy features, this online tool for video animation allows you to build animations based on characters, make engaging data visualizations, and more.
Features:
- a convenient drag-and-drop tool;
- a rich library with pre-built templates and assets;
- import images and MP4s;
- an array of enter and exit effects for static images;
- automatic lip syncing;
- a library of characters available for full customization;
- camera tool – pan zooms and camera angles;
- team collaboration.
Pricing plans:
- Free trial – 14 days
- Personal – US $49/month or US $299/year
- Business – US $89/month or US $649/year
- Enterprise – US $159/month or US $999/year
Autodesk Maya
Powerful 3D animation software for VFX and character creation
SPECIFICATIONS
Platform: Windows, Mac and LinuxPrice: $1,700/yearBest for: ProfessionalsTODAY’S BEST DEALSAutodesk Maya – 1 YearUS$1,620VISIT SITEat Autodesk
REASONS TO BUY
+Full animation solution+Physics engine and rendering
REASONS TO AVOID
-High yearly cost-Resource heavyAdvertisement
Autodesk’s Maya is undoubtedly one of the best if you’re a professional animator looking for a powerful 3D animation tool. With Maya, you get it all: modelling, animation, visual effects. As if that wasn’t good enough, Maya has one of the best physics engines and rendering systems on the market.
Maya also ships with a unique feature known as XGen interactive grooming. XGen interactive grooming includes tools like sculpting brushes, modifiers, and sculpting layers. Using these tools, you’ll be able to create many different styles of hair and fur.
Adobe Character Animator
Bring your characters to life with this beginner-friendly software
SPECIFICATIONS
Platform: Windows and MacPrice: $52.99/monthBest for: Beginners, hobbyists and professionalsTODAY’S BEST DEALSAdobe Character Animator CCUS$239.88VISIT SITEat Adobe
REASONS TO BUY
+Animate in real-time+Integrates with other Adobe products
REASONS TO AVOID
-Limited use cases-No drawing tools
Adobe Character Animator gives you all of the tools you need to quickly and efficiently animate your 2D characters, from lip-syncing to motion capture technology. With its seamless Photoshop and Illustrator file integration, you can create your characters using your favourite tools and then bring them into Character Animator to bring them to life. You can even live-stream your characters!
Adobe Character Animator
Use on: Windows, Mac OS
Best for: Beginners
Adobe Character Animator is perfect for beginners, even those with very little animation experience. That’s because creating and animating a character in this program requires very few animation skills.
Here’s how it works: You choose a character (called a puppet), which can be your own artwork imported from Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, or Adobe Illustrator. Then, the program uses your computer’s microphone and camera to detect your voice and movements and animate the character. Essentially, you use your own performance to animate a character in real time. Whatever you do with your face—including your mouth, eyes, and eyebrows—your character does. Plus, you can add in other movements, like hand gestures.
Ultimately, this allows beginners to create animations quickly and easily. However, it’s best used for animations that are mostly dialogue, as there is limited functionality to create action and physical movement. Interested in seeing an example? Showtime’s “Our Cartoon President” is created with this animation software.
Character Animator is available as part of Adobe Creative Cloud’s “All Apps” plan.
Conclusion
There are several animation software packages available on the market for you to use. Some of them are really easy to use while some are extremely hard to learn. Some of them, like 3D animation softwares, require you to have a little bit knowledge about technical drawing. Others, like Photoshop, demand that you know about the tools and how they work already.