It doesn’t matter how old you are, everyone loves a good animation, be it movies, tv shows, or even video games. It all seems so simple, and easy, yet the process of creating animation is way more complicated and longer than we think.
To succeed at any great project, we need the right tools, so, in animation, they include creativity, dedication, and of course, software prepared to assist you in any need. Through the years, with the advances of technology, new techniques and systems have appeared to make the process easier, more smoother, and able to reach greater results. There are a lot of great programs in the market, yet, I’m here to talk about some of the best ones so far and the advantages they bring, so be ready to pick your sketch up and make it into a masterpiece.
Adobe Animate
The Adobe system is already famous around many artists because it offers a huge variety of programs destined for different areas. The Adobe Animate came out in 1996 and is the perfect tool for any animation that allows creators to give life to cartoon characters in real-time. Not only is it very simple to learn, but is one of the most perfect tools to apply your skills.
If you have the adobe program collection, then you will even have access to other programs, like Adobe After Effects, Adobe Character Animator, Adobe XD, between a few others. All in all, we’re talking about a software that offers its users a large variety of animation styles, since it’s not only used for shows, but also for video games, websites, web applications, among others. This program is distinguished for having the technology used by major animation companies, like the ones behind “The Simpsons” and The Walt Disney Company. Either you are looking for a specific area in the world of animation or not, the Adobe Animate has everything you need to succeed.
Blender
Created by the Dutch animation studio NeoGeo, Blender offers a wide range of tools for different kinds of productions. Its first release was in 1994, and after 26 years, Blender is a popular animation program that operates on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Even though you can use it for a lot of styles, it’s mostly known for its 3D works, going through all the 3D pipeline, be it animation, modeling, applications, simulations, or any of the other components. It’s also a great program used for animation films, video games, and even virtual reality, not to mention the fact that it’s free for anyone to use it! Some famous scenes and 3D works came to life using Blender, like parts of the Guardians of Galaxy Vol.II, Wonder Woman, and even XxX: The Return of Xander Cage. If you want to dive into the 3D world, this program offers you a large variety of tools, options and techniques.
Autodesk Maya
Calling out all the animation and video game fans, for Maya is the program responsible for many of the cartoons we love. Created in 1999, Maya has been all over the place, and is mostly used for 3D modeling, special effects, and animation.
For more professional work, this program is definitely on the run and it became the favorite for a lot of the main visual effects companies. From animation shows like Pokemon and Digimon, to video games like Crash Bandicoot and Final Fantasy, it was also used to create logos for the Nintendo and Sega main creations – Sonic and Super Mario, also having its part on the hot game of the year, Animal Crossing. These are only some examples of great and famous works made using this software. Its success and popularity shows just how professionals enjoy this system and if you are looking into this area, Maya might be a great software for you.
Cinema 4D
Lastly, developed by the German company Maxon, in 1991, Cinema 4D came to the world. To work in 3D, this program offers an easy way of learning and astonishingly stunning results. It also works directly with After Effects and it has been updated throughout time with a lot of great tools, and quality coding. Might not be the best one to start or to learn the basics, but after some time and experience, the more advanced users can perfect their work using this program, even though their system is somewhat intuitive.
In Conclusion
Everything is possible when creativity and dedication go together, but the perfect software is the last ingredient of the recipe of success. As said in the beginning, with all the advances in technology there’s a huge range of programs out there, some good, some easier, some harder, some even more confusing. Hopefully, this list made you get a little taste of which software best suits you and I made it easier for you to choose. Thank you for your time and good luck!