Want to start animating but don’t know where? We have a list of programs, where you can do this - even if you’re beginner. Here is the software that is used by animation artists around the world - premium and free, meant particularly for animation, or for different end tasks. Most of them were used for worldwide known projects, films, cartoons or video games and can be same way used by any animator. What would be yours?
The price: $215 per month; free trial; free for students
Maya allows to create complex characters and dazzling effects - modeling, simulation, motion graphics, virtual reality and many more. Audodesk Maya is the main software Disney animators use(apart from others). Autodesk Maya has dozens of award wining movies and video games. It has a wide range of professional tools, allowing to use pre-made models and contains 4 different visualizations, ability to add plugins, including V-Ray. It perfectly suits both for creating your own algorythm of simulation or using 3-d models. In our list, Maya takes well deserved first place.
Learning process might not be the easiest, but many artists are successfully learning Maya by themselves - you can find many free courses all over the internet, or enter full paid program. Autodesk also provides official courses.
The price: Part of the Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, can be purchased individually for
Created by Adobe Systems, Adobe Animate is 2D animation software that allows to create basic vector characters and multimedia, animate them.
Adobe Animate is great for many different end tasks, whether you create app, infographics, web design or anything else. With this software, you have the ability to operate the camera, making your animation unique and interesting. If you want to create a traditional vector cartoon, Adobe Animate is a great 2D animation software option. It contains vector brushes, hand-drawn, frame-by-frame animation, as well as puppet animation, which allows you to manipulate a character rig without redrawing it. You can import characters created in other software or illustration tool and animate it within this software. Software supports ActionScript, audio, video and text.
Adobe Animate also can be learned freely, or by entering professional courses.
The price: Part of the Adobe Creative Cloud subscription
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.
Where to start?
Autodesk Maya
Adobe Animate
Adobe Character Animator
Cinema 4D