Top 5 Best 2D Animation Software
Todays fast going digital life we much more depend on social media, digital media and much more depended on animation also, animation software enables users to generate moving graphics from visual files. Depending on the particular program, users can animate some variation of 2D, 3D, hand-drawn or computer generated graphics, often with the option to add music or additional effects. These programs are most commonly used by animators working on films, TV shows, and commercials, as well as graphic designers creating promotional materials and website media for various industries. Animation software platforms may integrate with drawing software, video editing software or 3D modeling software. Artists and freelancers can use the best free video editing software and free animation software together to create their video animations on a budget. Animation software can help bring your ideas to life—and the screen. Whether you’re animating for a feature film, video game, or personal project, animation software can help you achieve your goals.
1. Adobe Character Animator
Adobe Character Animator is a powerful tool which allows you to animate cartoon characters in real time very easily and fast. The software works very simply. You plug in your mic and cam. Then import a character specifically prepared for animation in Adobe Character Animator (called a puppet). The program detects your facial expressions and voice in order to animate the character’s face. By using pre-defined triggers and functions, you make the character walk, make gestures, hold objects, and more.
Features:
Real-time motion capture and automatic facial tracking.Download characters from Creative Cloud Market.
Integration with Photoshop and Illustrator.
Move the character’s limbs with your mouse.
Timeline panel for recording and editing scenes.
Pricing
2. Adobe Animate
Adobe Animate is a new and improved version of Adobe Flash Professional. The software lets you create interactive vector graphics and 2D animations for videos, ads, games, television and more. You can animate characters, avatars, shapes and other assets using timeline controls.
Features:
Vector brushes with size, smoothness, pressure and velocity settings.
Intuitive timeline controls with advanced animation settings.
Virtual camera feature that lets you add pan, zoom and other effects.
Synchronize audio with your animations and create audio loops.
Typekit integration gives you access to premium web fonts.
Export in Flash, HTML5 Canvas, WebGL, SVG and more.
Pricing
3. Moho (Animion Software)
Moho is a proprietary vector-based 2D animation software for animators. Moho has two different versions: Moho Debut and Moho Pro. The first one doesn't have all the functions that the Pro version has, plus the Debut version is a bit more restricted in terms of possible length and image size. The features include drawing tools, smart bones, Photoshop files import, quad meshes, full 3D space and camera, lip-sync tools, and more. Anime Studio Pro no longer supports the Linux platform. Anime Studio is available in English, German, and Japanese language (and Spanish since version 9.2).
Feature -
The unique vector system in Moho is optimized for animation and rigging, keeping the shapes always consistent while they move.
Moho’s rigging system is intuitive and fast. You can rig your own characters in minutes! Easily create skeletons for humans, animals or any creature or object you want to animate.
Smart bones are a revolutionary way to make your characters behave exactly in the way you want. Your characters’ joints will bend with no distorsions.
Animating foreshortening and complex actions is easier than ever! Inspired by Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man drawing, Vitruvian Bones are a new and powerful way to rig your characters.
Create your illustrations in your favorite software: Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, Procreate or any application you prefer, then save your art as PSD and import it in Moho.
Meshes are now even more powerful and easier to use with the new Quads! Animate your artwork in true perspective by simply attaching a four points shape to it.
Quickly create complex realistic animation! Transform your scene in a gravity playground with the Physics engine, just hit play and see how the objects and characters bounce and react to each other’s movement.
Pricing -
4. Synfig Studio
Synfig Studio is an open-source, free timeline-based, and 2D vector graphics computer animation program. Synfig Studio is a real back-end and front-end application, that allows you to design your animation in front-end and render it in the backend at a later time even on another computer, without having to connect the graphical display.
Feature -
Transform any vector shape into another! Synfig gives you powerful tools for full control on your vector artwork. Just set the key positions and in between frames will be calculated automatically.
Synfig provides 50+ layers to create artwork and animation of any complexity. Choose from various layer types: geometric, gradients, filters, distortions, transformations, fractals and others.
Full-featured bone system allows to create cutout animation using bitmap images or control your vector artwork. Use additional Skeleton Distortion layer to apply complex deformations to bitmap artwork.
You can link parameters of various layers – directly or through mathematical expressions. This allows you to create advanced character puppets and other dynamic structures.
Pricing - Free for use
5. Pencil 2D Animation
Pencil 2D is an open-source and free animation software for creating 2D animations. You can easily produce simple 2D drawings, graphics, and create a hand-drawn animation by using the bitmap/vector drawing interface of the application. It started as a simple "pencil test" at first and developed into professional animation software.
Feature-
Lightweight and easy to use so you can focus on animating and not what button to hit next.
Seamlessly switch between raster and vector workflows, allowing you to sketch, ink & paint on the go.
Pencil2D is cross-platform and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux & FreeBSD.
Pencil2D is completely open source and free to use, even commercially!
Pricing - Free for use
Also Read - Top 5 Best 3D Animation Software | TechDhamanda
