Description: TupiTube is an open-source application to create and share 2D animation content focused on children, teenagers, and amateurs. The main feature of this tool is the easy animation creation process, which includes only 5 simple steps.
Operating system: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, AmigaOS (from v1.0 to 3.59)
Description: TVPaint Animation is a 2D digital animation and paint software package, that has been developed by TVPaint Developpement SARL. The software supports most of the operating systems existing today. It has been used to create many animated and otherwise movies.
Operating system: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X
Description: DigiCel FlipBook is a 2D animation software. It was created with the intention of duplicating the animation process in its traditional form, much like Toon Boom Harmony and TVPaint. As FlipBook wants to keep the traditional aspect and the traditional toolkit of the animation, it does not support skeletal animation. Thus each frame has to be created and drown separately and inbetweening is performed via onion skinning. The toolkit is raster-based and supports direct digital input of a drawing using graphics tablet and scanning the physical drawing via either webcam or TWAIN-compliant scanner.
9. DrawPlus
Operating system: Microsoft Windows
Description: DrawPlus is an animation and 2D vector graphics editing software developed by the UK-based software company Serif. DrawPlus provides very realistic brushes, which can give the user the opportunity to create drawing with watercolors, oils and other media and you can retain the vector editing capability. DrawPlus is also able to produce Stop frame and Keyframe animations, including output to Adobe Flash SWF file format and support for ActionScript.
10. Retas Studio
Operating system: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS
Description: RETAS (Revolutionary Engineering Total Animation System) is a 2D animation software bundle developed and sold by Celsys that is available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It handles the entire animation production from digitally drawing or tracing to exporting in Flash and QuickTime, and is considered to be a leader in Japan’s anime industry.
11. Antics 2-D Animation
Operating system: Windows XP and later
Description: The Antics 2-D Animation software is a proprietary vector-based 2-D application for animators and graphic designers, running under Microsoft Windows. It was created in 1972 by Alan Kitching, the British animator, graphic designer, and software developer. From 1977 to 1998 the Antics software was continuously developed and was widely used by many studios around the world. The software of that time ran under Unix and Fortran, which by the late 1990s had been superseded by newer multimedia-oriented systems based on C++, and support for the older Antics was discontinued in 1998. In 2006, a project to build a completely new Antics software for C++ and Windows was begun, and the first published version made available in 2010.
3D Animation
12. Autodesk 3ds Max
Operating system: Windows 7 or later
Description: Autodesk 3ds Max, formerly 3D Studio, then 3D Studio Max is a professional 3D computer graphics program for making 3D animations, models, games, and images. It’s developed and produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. It has modeling capabilities and a flexible plugin architecture and can be used on the Microsoft Windows platform. It is frequently used by video game developers, many TV commercial studios, and architectural visualization studios. It is also used for movie effects and movie pre-visualization. For its modeling and animation tools, the latest version of 3ds Max also features shaders (such as ambient occlusion and subsurface scattering), dynamic simulation, particle systems, radiosity, normal map creation and rendering, global illumination, a customizable user interface, new icons, and its own scripting language.
13. Cinema 4D
Operating system: AmigaOS, MacOS, Microsoft Windows
Description: CINEMA 4D is a 3D modeling, animation, motion graphic and rendering application developed by MAXON Computer GmbH in Germany. It is capable of procedural and polygonal/subd modeling, animating, lighting, texturing, rendering, and common features found in 3D modeling applications. Four variants are currently available from MAXON: a core CINEMA 4D ‘Prime’ application, a ‘Broadcast’ version with additional motion-graphics features, ‘Visualize’ which adds functions for architectural design and ‘Studio’, which includes all modules.
Initially, CINEMA 4D was developed for Amiga computers in the early 1990s, and the first three versions of the program were available exclusively for that platform. With v4, however, MAXON began to develop the program for Windows and Macintosh computers as well, citing the wish to reach a wider audience and the growing instability of the Amiga market following Commodore’s bankruptcy.
14. Houdini
Operating system: Windows, MacOS, Linux
Description: Houdini is a 3D animation application software developed by Side Effects Software based in Toronto. Side Effects adapted Houdini from the PRISMS suite of procedural generation software tools. Its exclusive attention to procedural generation distinguishes it from other 3D computer graphics software.
Houdini has been used in various feature animation productions, including Disney’s feature films Frozen and Zootopia; the Blue Sky Studios film Rio, and DNA Productions’ Ant Bully.
Side Effects also publishes a partially limited version called Houdini Apprentice, which is free of charge for non-commercial use.
15. Poser
Operating system: Windows, OS X
Description: Poser is a 3D computer graphics programoptimized 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.
16. 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.
17. Aladdin 4D
Operating system: AmigaOS, Mac OS X, iPad, Linux, AROS, MorphOS, Windows
Description: Aladdin4D is a computer program for modeling and rendering three-dimensional graphics and animations, currently running on AmigaOS and Mac OS X platforms. A-Eon Technology Ltd owns the rights and develops current and future versions of Aladdin4D for AmigaOS, MorphOS & AROS. All other platforms including OS X, iOS, Windows & Linux are developed by DiscreetFX. Nova Design added many modern features and made it easier to use. It was one of the first 3D animation programs on any platform to employ volumetrics, which were primarily used to create volumetric gas. However, unlike the majority of Amiga 3D programs, it used scanline rendering instead of the more photo-realistic ray tracing technique. Scanline rendering is similar to the rendering technique used in most Pixar movies.
18. Autodesk Maya
Operating system: Windows 7 or later OS X 10.8 or later RHEL/CentOS 6.2 or later
Description: Maya is an application used to generate 3D assets for use in film, television, game development and architecture. The software was initially released for the IRIX operating system. However, this support was discontinued in August 2006.
Users define a virtual workspace (scene) to implement and edit media for a particular project. Scenes can be saved in a variety of formats, the default being .mb (Maya D). Maya exposes a node graph architecture. Scene elements are node-based, each node having its own attributes and customization. As a result, the visual representation of a scene is based entirely on a network of interconnecting nodes, depending on each other’s information. For the convenience of viewing these networks, there is a dependency and a directed acyclic graph.
Users who are students, teachers (or veterans or unemployed in USA markets) can download a full educational version from the Autodesk Education community. The versions available at the community are only licensed for non-commercial use (once activated with the product license) and some products create watermarks on output renders. The software comes with a full 36-month license. Once it expires, users can log into the community to request a new 36 months license and download the latest Autodesk product.
19. Blender
Operating system: Windows, Mac OS, Linux
Description: Blender is a professional, free and open-source 3D computer graphics softwaretoolset used for creating animated films, visual effects, art, 3D printed models, interactive 3D applications and video games. Blender’s features include 3D modeling, UV unwrapping, texturing, raster graphics editing, rigging and skinning, fluid and smoke simulation, particle simulation, soft body simulation, sculpting, animating, match moving, camera tracking, rendering, video editing, and compositing. It further features an integrated game engine.
20. LightWave 3D
Operating system: AmigaOS, Windows, MacOS
Description: LightWave is a software packageused for rendering 3D images, both animated and static. It includes a fast rendering engine that supports such advanced features as realistic reflection, radiosity, caustics, and 999 render nodes. The 3D modeling component supports both polygon modeling and subdivision surfaces. The animation component has features such as reverse and forward kinematics for character animation, particle systems, and dynamics. Programmers can expand LightWave’s capabilities using an included SDK which offers Python, LScript (a proprietary scripting language) scripting and C language interfaces.
21. Autodesk MotionBuilder
Operating system: Windows, Linux
Description: MotionBuilder is a professional 3D character animation software produced by Autodesk. It is used for virtual production, motion capture, and traditional keyframe animation. It was originally named Filmbox when it was first created by Canadian company Kaydara, later acquired by Alias and renamed to MotionBuilder. Alias, in turn, was acquired by Autodesk.
It is primarily used in film, games, television production, as well as other multimedia projects. Mainstream examples include Assassin’s Creed, Killzone 2, and Avatar.
At SIGGRAPH 2012, Autodesk announced a partnership with Weta Digital and Lightstorm Entertainment to develop the next generation of the technology.
22. 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 content compatible with Poser for several years. DAZ 3D also sells third-party applications usable with their products.
23. Bryce
Operating system: Windows, Mac OS
Description: Bryce is a 3D modeling, rendering and animation programspecializing in fractal landscapes. The name is taken from Bryce Canyon — a rugged region with many of the same landscapes that were first simulated with the software. The original Bryce software arose from working with fractal geometry to create realistic computer images of mountain ranges and coastlines. An initial set of fractal-based programs were developed by Ken Musgrave (who later created MojoWorld) a student of Benoît Mandelbrot, and extended by Eric Wenger. Wenger later met and worked with software artist Kai Krause to design a basic user interface. The first commercial version, Bryce 1.0, appeared in 1994 for the Macintosh.
24. Modo
Operating system: Windows, Linux, macOS
Description: Modo (stylized as MODO, originally modo)is a polygon and subdivision surface modeling, sculpting, 3D painting, animation, and rendering package developed by Luxology, LLC, which is now merged with and known as Foundry. The program incorporates features such as n-gons and edge weighting and runs on Microsoft Windows, Linux and macOS platforms. Modo was created by the same core group of software engineers that previously created the pioneering 3D application LightWave 3D, originally developed on the Amiga platform and bundled with the Amiga-based Video Toaster workstations that were popular in television studios in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They are based in Mountain View, California. Modo’s workflow differs substantially from many other mainstream 3D applications. While Maya and 3ds Max stress using the right tool for the job, Modo artists typically use a much smaller number of basic tools and combine them to create new tools using the Tool Pipe and customizable action centers and falloffs. Modo was used in the production of feature films such as Stealth, Ant Bully, Iron Man, and Wall*E.
25. K-3D
Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux, Free BSD
Description: K-3D is a free 3D modelling and animation software. It features a plug-in-oriented procedural engine for all of its content. K-3D supports polygonal modeling, and it includes basic tools for NURBS, patches, curves, and animation. Despite its name, it is not a KDE application; it uses the GTK+ toolkit via gtkmm. K-3D’s interface uses platform’s look-and-feel, and it is therefore consistent with other applications that already exist.
K-3D features procedural and parametric workflows. Properties can be adjusted interactively and results appear immediately. The node-based visualization pipeline allows more possibilities than traditional modifier stacks or histories. Selection flows from one modifier to the next. Standards form the foundation on which K-3D builds – including native RenderMan support that integrates tightly with the K-3D user interface. K-3D supports a node-based visualization pipeline, thus allowing the connection of multiple bodies. Work on one side of a model, show the other side mirrored, and see the end result welded together as a subdivision surface in real-time. Go back, modify the beginning of a workflow, and watch as changes propagate automatically to the end.
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