Looking for a decent animation program?

Question

I've been trying to use Adobe Flash CS3, but I really don't like it. I'd like to find one that's a lot simpler to use (since I have very little experience in animation, and it feels like Adobe Flash is for people who are a little more experienced). All I'm looking for is something that I can animate 2D cartoons on; it doesn't have to have a whole bunch of really fancy features, just as long as it's easy to use and it can get the job done. I'd like to make three requests, just so I know all of my options:

- The best free animation program.
- The best cheap animation program (under $50).
- The best expensive animation program (over $50).

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I use this software and is great you can buy it here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052VKOYO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0052VKOYO&linkCode=as2&tag=acomprar-20

I am a photoshop user so the concept of layers and design tools are not foreign to me. I have also been wanting to work with vectors, since I don't have Adobe Illustrator, I thought this might be a good substitute.

This is quick easy animation software. There is a learning curve, but it is not that difficult, if you are somewhat familar with other graphic and movie software. Another nice thing is this software comes with a 20 minute video that shows you how to do many of the important features. The video starts off with the drawing tools, and then moves on to the charactor wizard. It has pre-set facial features and body parts so you can easily create unique charactors with the pre-set tools.

One of the coolest features of this software is the bone rigging, which you can use to make your charactors and animations move. You can also create your own charactor using shapes, drawing, and the library of eyes, mouths, and other features. Another nice thing for artists is charactor tracing. You can draw an image and then scan it into the software, which then traces it, and allows you to add colors and animations. You could use one of the charactor wizard bodies and bring your home drawn animation to life. The power of this software is limited to how well you learn to use the tools and your own talent and creativity.

As far as the learning curve, watching and working through the 20 minute video and then following along with the other tutorials would be a good idea. There is also a beginning tutorial when you first open the software and PDF help files. You can also toggle between regular mode and beginner mode, until you learn all of the functionality of the tools.

As far as making animated video clips it is possible to do some really amazing stuff within a short period of time. The software is powerful and not that difficult to grasp, making it great for beginners and more advanced users would enjoy it too. In fact you can't beat it for the price. That being said, the main feature that Anime Pro has that Debut doesn't is the ability to export as a PSD. If you are not a photoshop nerd then you will not miss this function.

In order to export still images as jpgs; click on file>preview, and then on the bottom left hand corner of the preview menu, you will find a save as button that allows you to save in JPEG, BMP, Targa, PNG or copy to the clipboard. The great thing about this function is that I can use this software to create vector graphics for the web. Over all this is an affordable, easy to use, animation tool that could keep you entertained for hours and also a very affordable vector graphic solution.

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Looking for a decent animation program?

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