What's the best animation software for me

[JoeClark]

Hello I'm looking for new 2d animation software that would suit my needs. More precisely I'm looking for something with the following characteristics:

- 2d

- easy and intuitive UI

- vector or bitmap based, preferably hybrid

- free or cheap

So far I really came to like the Pencil2d animation software - it's simple, intuitive, supports both bitmap and vector graphics and it's free. The problem is that it's also super buggy at the moment, to the point of being nearly unusable, and it doesn't seem like it's going to get better any time soon.

Please Help.

Thanks !

I didn't find the right solution from the internet.

[Rodney]

Ohoh. Folks won't be surprised by my answer here.

 

OpenToonz or one of it's current flavors (OpenToonz Experimental (OTX) or Morevna branded).

This is the software Studio Ghibli used for many of it's animated films.

Anastasia (by Don Bluth) also used it extensively.

Etc.

Etc.

 

 

The offical release lags a little behind the OTX for a number of reasons but it does tend to be considerably more stable.

The big change recently is the addition of a horizontal timeline which can be toggled from the verticle xsheet.

The horizontal timeline should hit the streets in a few days as it was recently approved for release.

But that and other features such as 'guided drawing' can be found in the OTX release.

 

There are nightly releases (that capture the latest approved additions) and I tend to keep current with those.

For maximum stability it is recommended to go with the full realease which is currently 1.1.3.

 

In addition to general design and sketching (and stress relief) my primary plan for future usage is for storyboarding and animatics (and rough sound work) in conjunction with Animation:Master. I've been experimenting with modeling and animating objects in A:M that I then vectorize in OT but I haven't found the sweet spot yet... although I'm getting close.

 

In short, OpenToonz supplies a number of things that I can't get in Animation:Master so they work very well together.

 

The price is right: Free

Although the original company behind the software still sells a premium version as well as storyboarding software that integrates.

 

I will recommend downloading and trying the OTX release as that is a portable version that doesn't even have to be installed.

It can even be run from a USB stick.

 

https://gumroad.com/l/TZmmM

 

Enter "0" as the price to downlaod for free.

 

The official download (and source code) can be found here:

 

https://github.com/opentoonz/opentoonz/releases

 

For what its worth I rate OpenToonz above any other 2D animation software and that includes products from Adobe, ToonBoom, etc.

I've tried pretty much everything out there (including Pencil 2D, etc.) and it's hard to see any software that comes close or that has more (untapped) potential.

And... as always other programs can be used in conjunction with OT as needed.

[robcat2075]

This forum is primarily devoted to user support on Hash's Animation:Master software so you probably won't get the number of opinions here you need to decide a 2D software question.

 

A good place to pose such a question might be on the forum at 11SecondClub.com. The "Animation Discussion" sub forum is a likely start place.

 

A number of 2D animators frequent there who might chime in and you would also find previous discussions on the topic that present the different sides to the death.

 

 

[Rodney]

I will add...

 

To hit your specific points:

 

- 2d

- easy and intuitive UI

- vector or bitmap based, preferably hybrid

- free or cheap

2D Check.

Easy and intuitive UI (Need more info on your experiences and specific requirements)

This is open to some interpretation and some folks don't like OpenToonz UI

But, it is easily customizable and custom 'rooms' can be set up for any particular need.

The UI uses QT and some highly customizable formats. UI enhancement is perhaps one of the prime areas of development as well in order to make usage even easier

- vector or bitmap based, preferably hybrid Check

There is generic raster, Toonz raster (highly optimized for animation companies) and Vector

These formats can be swapped/converted with Toonz raster and Toonz vector conversion as easy as copy/paste.

Workflow is definitely hybrid because all three of these formats can be used simultaneously.

- free or cheap As free as you need it to be (some developers do hope to fund development so there are ways to pay $) There is also the original Toonz Premium software which is basically the same thing as OpenToonz but costs several hundred $)

Added: I see you are on a Mac... the OTX release is Windows only.

So, unless you also use a PC you'd want to go with the official Mac release.

Some previous members of Studio Ghibli are releasing a film made with OpenToonz which has a preview here :

xhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=WfCNyIQ6yzU