Hello
I have been working as freelance animator for several years now and am looking into branching out into using other kinds of software for different effects. There are so many different 2D softwares on the market, I was wondering if anyone could make a recommendation?
I use Flash a lot and am also traditionally trained in cell and paper animation. I would like software that would allow me to create a more painted or inky look and be able to experiment with textures and layers as I'm a bit bored with the vector based flat look of flash. I would like to keep it entirely digital as possible as I'm not interested in scanning in paper or anything like that. I am considering the toonboom animate set and have also had a look at TVP-Animation Pro 9.
Could anyone give me some advice?
Thanks and all the best
Selina
Hello.
I'm not a Flash person, I been using FLIPBOOK for the last few years and I love it! It is EASY to use. I was amazed at the quality of image when I saw my film on the big screen.
Thanks.
Larry
web site
http://tooninst[URL=http://tooninstitute.awn.com]itute.awn.com
[/URL]blog:
[U]http://www.awm.com/blogs/always-animated
[/U] email:
larry.lauria@gmail.com
For paperless animation I would highly recommend TVP Animation , either the Standard or PRO edition.
-David Nethery
http://paperless-animation.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for your help. I've had a look at both your suggestions. The TVP software looks really open in terms of the different styles and looks you can achieve. I used to work with a multiplane so to recreate the look of paint on glass and roughly painted cell would be fantastic and it looks like TVP allows that.
I've been playing with the trial version and it's REALLY complicated as there is so much you can do with it, but I think I'll get my head around it eventually. The principles are the same - kind of mixture of Flash and photoshop!
I will also take a proper look at Flipbook as it comes highly recommended.
Thanks again for your help.
Selina
www.blobina.com
You can also use Photoshop for animations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvjZ6VkLuCM
The animator of this said he used Photoshop to animate the characters and After Effects to colour.
Vector doesn't have to be flat. Serif DrawPlus X3 has a ton of brushes that are all vector - you can scribble as well. Their advertising sucks though.
I really like where Photoshop is going in CS4 with using Nvidia CUDA and your graphics card. If Photoshop had tools like X-Sheet, light table, etc it would make one killer 2D animation application.
While I really like TVPaint and Flipbook my personel favorite is Celsys Retas! Pro HD. Its expensive and is geared toward a studio environment but it can do both raster and vector format as well as 48bit color and every tool imaginable you could ever need for 2D animation.
Software: TVPaint Pro, Harmony Standalone, Storyboard Pro, Maya, Modo, Arnold, V-Ray, Maxwell, NukeX, Hiero, Mari, RealFlow, Avid, Adobe CS6
Hardware: (2) HP Z820 Workstations + 144-core Linux Render Farm + Cintiq 24HD Touch
Hi,
I think the best so far is ToonBoom Harmony. It can do cutout, traditional and paperless pipeline. Though a bit expensive, but you can also try the standalone version of Harmony called DigitalPro. For more details visit http://www.toonboom.com. (nope i am not a toonboom shill and i didn't receive any payment from toonboom for posting this. it's just i think their software is the best of all. if anyone knows a better comparison, please suggest it here. thanks).
Digital Pro has been replaced by/renamed Animate Pro and is indeed one of the best 2D software out there. I like where Toon Boom is taking this software with support for OpenGL (more of a requirement really) and use the video card. What I especially like is that its use of nodes similar to programs like Nuke, Fusion, Shake and Softimage.
Software: TVPaint Pro, Harmony Standalone, Storyboard Pro, Maya, Modo, Arnold, V-Ray, Maxwell, NukeX, Hiero, Mari, RealFlow, Avid, Adobe CS6
Hardware: (2) HP Z820 Workstations + 144-core Linux Render Farm + Cintiq 24HD Touch
Very useful article. Nice try to tell everybody.
thanks........... Well thanks for having this one, i learn something new..
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I have been itching to introduce Toon Boom to the studio but from what i have seen it forces you to work with pen and paper.. rather than be able to twist around models like we do in Flash.
also, TB Harmony is just plain unaffordable for small studios.
I've been using DigiCel Flipbook for about 5 months now and just recently purchased Animate Pro. Both are excellent program with their own strengths and weaknesses.
I find the line quality of the drawing tools in Animate Pro to look unnatural compared to Flipbook, but everthing else about it is amazing. Animate Pro is a very feature rich program with a tremendous number of powerful tools but still requires of a good amount of time to learn all the tools. Flipbook is a cakewalk to learn compared to Animate Pro. Its well worth learning though.
Cheers!
Software: TVPaint Pro, Harmony Standalone, Storyboard Pro, Maya, Modo, Arnold, V-Ray, Maxwell, NukeX, Hiero, Mari, RealFlow, Avid, Adobe CS6
Hardware: (2) HP Z820 Workstations + 144-core Linux Render Farm + Cintiq 24HD Touch
Toon Boom Harmony and Animate Pro are essentially the same program with Harmony geared toward a large computer network environment and Animate for single users working on a single computer.
Animate is geared toward a paperless environment as it doesn't have the ability to scan drawings in the program.
I wouldn't say Toon Boom forces you to work with pen and paper but they do offer products that will allow to do so if you wish. Animate Pro and Studio allow you to scan images in the program.
Cheers!
Software: TVPaint Pro, Harmony Standalone, Storyboard Pro, Maya, Modo, Arnold, V-Ray, Maxwell, NukeX, Hiero, Mari, RealFlow, Avid, Adobe CS6
Hardware: (2) HP Z820 Workstations + 144-core Linux Render Farm + Cintiq 24HD Touch
Don't forget the Toonz product line. It's used by Studio Ghibli.