Adobe Animate Operating system: Windows, OS X Description: Adobe Animate is one of the best animation and multimedia authoring programs and was developed by Adobe Systems. If you need to create vector graphics and animation, Animate is the right tool for you. You can, later on, use your creation for websites, online videos, rich internet apps, video games, and television programs. Adobe Animate offers support for video and audio embedding, ActionScript scripting, rich text, and raster graphics. Pencil 2D Operating system: Linux, OS X, Microsoft Windows Description: Pencil2D is an open-source and free 2D animation program. 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 animation software. Maefloresta Operating system : Unix-like, Windows, macOS Description: Maefloresta is a Colombian startup providing products and services to create animated content. Their main product is TupiTube, a platform where kids and teenagers create animations. It was developed by two young Colombians to encourage young people throughout Latin America to animate. TupiTube is free and open-source software, compatible with phones, tablets, and PCs. It offers features, such as basic tools for vector illustration, support for tweening of positions and colors, library panel to organize files, and different formats for exporting. The goal is to eventually reach a professional level for more advanced users. Poser Operating system: Windows, OS X Description: Poser is a 3D computer graphics program optimized for 3D modeling of human figures. The program has gained popularity due to allowing beginners to produce basic animations and digital images, and the extensive availability of third-party digital models. Poser is a 3D rendering software package for the posing, animating, and rendering of 3D polymesh human and animal figures. Akin to a virtual photography studio, Poser allows the user to load figures, props, lighting, and cameras for still and animated renderings. Natively using a subset of the Alias object (OBJ) file format and a text-based markup for content files, Poser comes with a large library of pre-rigged human, animal, robotic, and cartoon figures. The package also includes poses, hair pieces, props, textures, hand gestures, and facial expressions. As Poser itself does not allow for original modeling of objects, a large community market of artists emerged, creating and selling Poser content, made using third-party software like Modo, ZBrush, Blender, or Autodesk 3ds Max. Daz 3D Operating system: Windows Description: Daz Productions, Inc., commonly known as Daz 3D, is a 3D content and software company specializing in providing rigged 3D human models, associated accessory content, and software to the prosumer market. It was originally part of Zygote Media Group, a general-purpose, application-agnostic 3D content broker, and split off as "Digital Art Zone" in 2000 to focus on supplying content for the Poser market. After acquiring other modeling tools, DAZ 3D created their own 3D posing/animation package, DAZ Studio, while still continuing to make the content compatible with Poser for several years. DAZ 3D also sells third-party applications usable with their products. iClone Operating system: Windows Description: iClone is a real-time 3D animation and rendering software program that enables users to make 3D animated films. Real-time playback is enabled by using a 3D video game engine for instant on-screen rendering. Other functionality includes full facial and skeletal animation of human and animal figures; lip-syncing; import of standard 3D file types including FBX; a timeline for editing and merging motions; a scripting language (Lua) for character interaction; application of standard motion-capture files; the ability to control an animated scene in the same manner as playing a video game; and the import of models from Google 3D Warehouse, among many other features. iClone is also notable for offering users royalty-free usage of all content that they create with the software, even when using Reallusion's own assets library.
