I'm looking to create some videos with 2D animation in them. I can draw, but I need the right software to put everything together and get it into motion. Can you recommend any 2D animation programs? I don't really have any problem with budget here, so you can recommend some of the more expensive options. I definitely want to know about the cheap options, too, though.
You should definitely try outLog In It's pretty basic and extremely easy to use. Try that if you want to create simple stick-figure animations. Creating complex animation might take too long with a simple software like the Pivot Animator, so I wouldn't recommend it for bigger projects. If you want to create large, complex animations, Adobe Flash would be your best bet, if you ask me. It's quite pricy and complicated to use, but you shouldn't have problems with it if you watch some good tutorials on it. I thinkLog In has the best ones, so check them out! Good luck!
Well, to be honest with you there's really no right software when it comes to animation since it's all in the artists skills and talents. It still depends on what kind of 2D animation you're going to make, if it's Flash Animation, well you got Flash, if you're planning on doing a Disney type of animation, you can also use Flash or Photoshop (Yes you can do animation in Photoshop) Or if you want a more cartoon-ish kind of animation, you can use Toon Boom. What would I recommend among the three? My best bet would be Toon Boom. But again, it's not the software.
I'd recommend ToonBoom. I use ToonBoom a lot when I was still in college and even when I landed a job as an animator. ToonBoom is pretty much like flash but is more focused on animation and is very easy to use. But like what the other guy said, it doesn't matter what software you use, as long as you understand the principles behind animation and you can draw quite well, any software you use will do you magic.
I agree that ToonBoom is a great software to use for 2D animation. I have it installed in my laptop and am currently reading some tutorials on it. I think it's easier to use than most of the 2D animation software out on the market. An alternative to ToonBoom would be Anime Studio Pro. Again, you won't be able to create animations in a jiffy. However, there are also a lot of tutorials available so you won't be at a loss when you're going to use the software.
My kids love Pivot, unfortunately you cannot save it in a GIF file (free version) unlike the earlier versions. And I agree that it can work with simple animated projects. Also, thanks for the link (Lynda.com), the site is really amazing (bookmarked).
ToonBoom is my recommendation, I would say Flash but it's fairly not an animation software 100% so it might not offer features than a real animation software might have, but still it's pretty good though. ToonBoom is probably the best you can get. It's easy to use and you have ton's of tutorials out there you can access to be able to learn the software. Plus it has a lot of nice features that Flash don't really have.
