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Most Productive Software

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Most Productive Software

Hello,

I am interested to know if anyone has an opinion on what animation software (if any) is the most productive. This question may seem silly so I'll try to explain it a bit better.

I am from a music making background and have no experience in animation. There is an audio sequencer called Ableton Live which is something of a new breed of sequencer that allows you to put ideas together very quickly and work very productively. It is very user-friendly and has a very well dsigned user interface.

I wonder if a similar product exists in the animation (2D or 3D) software market...?

Any ideas on this?

Thanks, Alex =]

They are both sound editing programs. You bring in existing sound files and, well, edit them.

I love Goldwave. Haven't used Sound Forge much, but I know people who swear by it.

Is there any program where you can make your own music without any additional input devices (like a MIDI keyboard)?

There are a ton of synth programs, and even more royalty-free loop-based programs. I can list if either of those interest you?

I'm currently using a program called Moho. It's been extremely satisfacory for me and I've used it for over a year.

http://www.lostmarble.com/moho

Currently, it hasn't got a lot of recognition like Flash has in the US, but it's being used a lot in Europe. The use of bones in a 2D program is something I find amazing to use.

It's very cheap at $99 and there's an unlimited feature demo version (it has a watermark for Quicktime movies). It took me a day to fully learn by taking the free tutorials.

James :cool:

There are a ton of synth programs, and even more royalty-free loop-based programs. I can list if either of those interest you?

Please and thank you.

2D animation Software

I am attempting to categorize the software based on their Levels as far as animating 2D content or pictures are concerned. When it comes to interactivity no one can beat flash and director.

[B]High End: US Animation
Middle Level: Animo, Toon Boom Studio
Lower End: Flash, Director, Premiere, After Effects
New Entrants: Mirage, Moho[/B]

* This is my opinion and it may differ somewhat from facts. I've only been 10 years into multimedia

http://www.3danimationtrainingstudio.com I still have not told my story! - Vineet Raj Kapoor

Mirage is a fantastic Animation tool.
I was beta tester for the software so you might call me somewhat biased.
... but still...
i use it daily in my work as freelance animator (check out my site if you like)
it is a very flexible bitmap program that alows you to work in many styles
it's design makes it very easy to combine your animation with film or video (for example those 'white line' microsoft commercials) or for rotoscoping.

the makers of Mirage just brought out an improved version
which is called TVP Animation
you can download a 30 days demo here
improvements are, amongst other: a rotating project window, a multiplane camera, improved drawing tools

Peter Wassink - Digital 2D Animator

Just curious. How many software programs let you draw and ink by hand, and incorporate that into the animation? As I'm studying classic animation (because I like to draw) this is a vital point for me.

2D-wise, I really like the Adobe programs. I've used Photoshop for years, and am just getting into After Effects. Of course, it depends on your priorities. I like to draw, and you can deal exclusively with scanned images if you want to. You can also go back and forth between moving a puppet around on the screen, or hand animating certain things (facial expressions, etc) in traditional fashion. You can also work with layers, add effects, move the camera around, and probably do a lot of things I'm not even aware of yet. I wish AE was easier to learn, but it's a very powerful tool for 2D. Especially if you like the look of ink.

hi DrSpecter,

Thanks for your reply. That sounds interesting. I'm very familiar with Adobe Illustrator so I may well give after efects a try.

Alex =]

Just curious. How many software programs let you draw and ink by hand, and incorporate that into the animation? As I'm studying classic animation (because I like to draw) this is a vital point for me.

these are the programs i know that let you draw digitally:

-Mirage (fast bitmap drawing)
-TVP animation (fast bitmap drawing, more customsettings for drawingtools then mirage)
-PAP (fast bitmap drawing but no color options)
-USanimation (several vector based programs, don't know how good they are for drawing, probably quite good)
-Flash (limited vector drawing options, it messes with your line)
-Moho (limited vector drawing options)

Peter Wassink - Digital 2D Animator

I think Flash is pretty hard to beat for versatility, and learning curve. Allows you to incorporate sound, create original vector work, incorporate rasters, interactivity, can be used for developing games. Export options cover most of the bases. There is a large community of support forums and free resources and tutorials available.

Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.

Give Toon Boom studio a 30 day trial. Feel free to email me with any questions on it.

All the strengths of Flash, plus the benefits of all the cool Flash plugins you may have heard about. It's got pegs for rigging a 2D character, a cell editor, customizable color palettes, auto lip synch, and a much better sound editor than Flash.

Plus it's cheaper at $399. Less if you're student or faculty.

Cartoon Thunder
There's a little biker in all of us...

Shows how smooth I am, I didn't even know it had a sound editor. =)

Give Toon Boom studio a 30 day trial. Feel free to email me with any questions on it.

All the strengths of Flash, plus the benefits of all the cool Flash plugins you may have heard about. It's got pegs for rigging a 2D character, a cell editor, customizable color palettes, auto lip synch, and a much better sound editor than Flash.

Plus it's cheaper at $399. Less if you're student or faculty.

major problems with lines when you zoom in (unless they rectified it in the last 6 months)

Toon Boom is ok but i still prefer Flash.

Thanks for the replies...

Is flash capable of producing full quality dvd / tv content? Obviously it's mainly used for the web.

Alex =]

Another Alternative

How about Mirage? It is a 2D animation/video program that you can paint and draw into, edit, composit and add effects to video and has a sound editor too. I have only glanced at it so I can't make an informed recommendation but it does look very productive.

Visit my website:

Claire O'Brien.com

Thanks for the replies...

Is flash capable of producing full quality dvd / tv content? Obviously it's mainly used for the web.

Alex =]

it depends on what you are trying to do with it. ideally you could but it would be double the work.

Flash content can be created for tv and dvd (and is being created)

you need to ask yourself exactly what it is you are trying to create, who your audience is.
that should answer your question about software.

if its high end 2d stuff then you would want to go for US Animation or Animo

How about Mirage? It is a 2D animation/video program that you can paint and draw into, edit, composit and add effects to video and has a sound editor too. I have only glanced at it so I can't make an informed recommendation but it does look very productive.

That software looks very interesting, has anyone here tried it?

Patrick

Flash content can be created for tv and dvd (and is being created)

What cartoons on TV now are being created completely through Flash? A lot of the comedic ones from Cartoon Network (Foster's, Puffy, the newer Dexter's) look like they are, but I've never been completely sure.

Is flash capable of producing full quality dvd / tv content? Obviously it's mainly used for the web.

It is. Currently one of the projects we are working on is a feature length christmas special for DVD.

What cartoons on TV now are being created completely through Flash? A lot of the comedic ones from Cartoon Network (Foster's, Puffy, the newer Dexter's) look like they are, but I've never been completely sure.

There is Mucha Lucha, the Buzz on Maggie, Coconut Fred on Fruitsalad Island, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi, Shuriken School, Squid Billies, Atomic Betty, Stroker and Hoop, as well as a bunch of comercials including the e-surance ads. I don't know if they're making newer Dexter's in Flash, but I know Foster's was the first Flash show on CN, and Dexter's was traditionally animated befor.

Oh, and I too vote for Flash being very versital for animation.

Aloha,
the Ape

...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."

That Frank Espinoza guy I was talking about in my realism thread storyboarded all those eSurance ads. It was the majority of the samples he brought in.

The original Dexter's Lab was traditional, but after a few seasons, the cartoon changed format and the animation became much stiffer, along with changes to Dexter's voice and all the character models. That and the cartoon as a whole got a lot less funny. I assumed the artisitc changes were because of going to Flash or something similar.

Hi I am new member

Hi,

This is ksriss. I am good in animation of 2d and Flash Actionscripting. I am planning to learn more information about the editing of sound can u tell me about the softwares that u use and where can we get and who they are used and can we import them or not

For doing some extra things with the sound for Flash productions, I like Goldwave and SoundForge.

Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.

For doing some extra things with the sound for Flash productions, I like Goldwave and SoundForge.

What exactly are you able to do with those two programs?

Just for the record, I have absolutely no musical talent. Would I be able to do anything with either of these programs or would I just be wasting my time?

I've noticed a lot of ambiguity in this thread. "Most Productive Software" is going to depend on your needs and abilities. Above, I asked which programs allow you to draw and ink BY HAND, then scan that in and manipulate that. It was answered by a list of programs that allow you to draw digitally.

Recently, I was talking to a guy who does Flash animation. He has gone from one full time job to another without a dry spell for the last five years. And he can't draw. I don't mean that I saw something he drew and was unimpressed. I mean he scoffed at the very idea that he should learn how to draw. And, as the bland, generic graphics that clutter up the net prove, he is much more the norm than the exception. A program that requires you to draw by hand is obviously of no use to him. On the other hand, if I needed to do something interative for the web, AE wouldn't be of much help to me.

I think we really need to start saying what we do and how we use the software instead of these laundry lists of, "Here's my list of software, from best to worst" without any whys whatsoever.

draw and ink then scan

Toonboom can do that. I did all of my roughs and final art on paper and then scanned my drawings. you can either scan directly into the program or have it vectorize picture files. I used a sheet scanner, saved the file as black and white tifs, then imported the group into the program. You just select the group and it will vectorize them and put them in order.

I wish I could use a program like After Effects to do it, but I tried to figure out a fast way to do it and my head about exploded.

Hope that helps.

KalEl118

Recently, I was talking to a guy who does Flash animation. He has gone from one full time job to another without a dry spell for the last five years. And he can't draw. I don't mean that I saw something he drew and was unimpressed. I mean he scoffed at the very idea that he should learn how to draw. And, as the bland, generic graphics that clutter up the net prove, he is much more the norm than the exception.

That's just sad, and makes me ashamed to be a Flash animator. I hope that wasn't me that you were talking to. :eek:

Aloha,
the Ape

...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."

No I don't think he meant you Animated Ape, I think he means people who do ads for the web and don't really do highly animated people or animals etc. I did a flash project once, professionaly, but It doesn't make me an animator. Doesn't mean I'm not though.

You mean I could quit my teaching job some time in the next couple of years if I found sources for Flash freelance work? I'm not too terrific of an artist, but I've improved a lot in the last few years, plus I know a bit of Actionscript.

(sorta off topic...)

Cartoon Thunder
There's a little biker in all of us...