Can Anyone Recommend some 2D Animation Software?

System · Feb 2012

Hey guys,

I've found myself working on a couple of projects recently where it would've been useful to block out some rough animations in 2D to help me plan the 3D, but it's not something I've ever looked into before now.

Can any of you recommend a nice simple program that offers a good, quick and easy workflow for animating roughs?

I'm not sure if it'll do the job, but I do have Flash which I got with CS5 but I've never even opened Flash before in my life.

Thanks

EDIT: Needs to be Mac compatible.

JR · Feb 2012

http://plasticanimationpaper.dk/

Free and the best around for rough animations.

System · Feb 2012

Ah thanks Jramauri, I should've mentioned in the OP though it needs to be Mac compatible.

Andreas · Feb 2012

Blender has that grease pencil tool if thats any good to you... Let's you draw in the viewport and even animate it I think. Only really useful if youre animating in Blender too I guess...

jermaineb · Feb 2012

storyboard pro is pretty legit.

System · Feb 2012

Ah cheers Jermaine, Storyboard Pro looks a little more than I need, and a LOT more than I wanted to spend too but I found Pencil Check Pro on their website which looks absolutely perfect and it's like $100.

rube · Feb 2012

If you already own flash you may as well use that. It's pretty simple to learn what you need to animate in it, assuming you can already animate. It's used for a large number broadcast cartoons so it's more than capable.

System · Feb 2012

rube wrote: »

If you already own flash you may as well use that. It's pretty simple to learn what you need to animate in it, assuming you can already animate. It's used for a large number broadcast cartoons so it's more than capable.

Yeah good call. Embarrassingly I didn't realise was used for cartoons, I thought it was just for making games and slow websites.

Definitely a cheaper option too, I'll fire it up.

Thanks, Rube.

Saiainoshi · Feb 2012

ToonBoom!

ZacD · Feb 2012

South Park is animated in maya...

If you don't want to use tweens, or a 3d app, try flash.

Andreas · Feb 2012

ZacD wrote: »

South Park is animated in maya...
.

I know right? Still blows my mind to this day. I mean.... WHY???

JR · Feb 2012

Ah, I forgot the most basics: Photoshop and Painter. Since CS3, Photoshop offers a great functionaltiy with animation using a timeline.

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/11.0/WSB7275DCE-9985-4abb-A939-3B131937F386a.html

Just Google for some tutorials and you'll see. And Painter has been doing animation for many years already.

ZacD · Mar 2012

Andreas wrote: »

I know right? Still blows my mind to this day. I mean.... WHY???

Mostly because maya has a lot of awesome tools and scripts that allow them to hammer out a lot of episodes quickly, I've seen 2d animations make in 3d programs that user bones and weighting as well, there's a lot of advantages too it.

Ben Apuna · Mar 2012

Maybe Pencil http://www.pencil-animation.org/

or

Synfig Studio http://www.synfig.org/cms/

Mezz · Mar 2012

Cool, been wondering about these programs myself

I always just end up back in Photoshop because it's where I'm comfortable, but I like seeing other options.

MiAlx · Mar 2012

Flipbook is also pretty cool and is widely used, it's often used by some animators at Animation mentor and iAnimate so it's gotta be alright. And its for mac as well.

The Flipbook link.

System · Mar 2012

Thanks guys!

Ben - Woah, both of those look ideal, and free! Synfig actually looks pretty powerful, and both are easily adequate for my needs!

Jramauri - Ah Photoshop sure has improved its anim tools since I last checked (when it was still in ImageReady!). Looks like I could just use that too, I'll have to check it out.

harihan · Apr 2012

Adobe Flash Professional, Pencil, Ajax Animator are some of 2D animation software...

Jeff Parrott · Apr 2012

A buddy at work uses http://www.tvpaint.com/v2/content/article/home/ and he loves it.

r_fletch_r · Apr 2012

TeeJay wrote: »

Yeah good call. Embarrassingly I didn't realise was used for cartoons, I thought it was just for making games and slow websites.

Definitely a cheaper option too, I'll fire it up.

Thanks, Rube.

We (boulder media )did all the Animation for 'The Amazing World Of Gumball', 'Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends', and 'El Tigre' in flash.

Can Anyone Recommend some 2D Animation Software?

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