Introduction to 2D Animation Software

The following article provides an outline for 2D Animation Software. Animation is the process of manipulating images to appear as moving objects. Animation gives life to static images. In ancient times images are drawn by hand and exhibits as film rolls to make animation. Today’s new technologies are introduced in animation, and CGI (Computer-generated animation) is the common method used by today’s animators. Computer animation can be simply divided into two types, 3D animation, and 2D animation.

3D animation is making animation in 3 dimensions that comprise the height, width, and depth of an object. Most commonly, 3D models are made by rendering 2D images stored in the computer. The 2D animation movement of objects is restricted to 2-dimensional space, and here bitmap and vector graphics are used to create animated images. Today we are going to discuss some of the leading 2D animation software in the current industry.

Most Common Animation Software in 2D

Following are some top animation software available in 2D:

1. Moho Pro

Moho is a vector-based 2D animation software developed and owned by Smith Micro software. It was previously known as Anime Studio. This software is available in two versions, Moho pro and Moho debut. Where Moho debut is for beginners, and pro is made for advanced users equipped with advanced features and tools. Moho is available in both Windows and Mac OS.

Some of the features of Moho is listed below:

Layers can be animated in perspective
Animation of layer ordering is possible
The Mask feature is available
All the Windows and Mac
It supports almost all file formats

2. Toon Boom Harmon

Toon Boom Animation is a production and storyboarding software developed by the Canadian software company Toon Boom Animation Inc. It was founded in the year 1994, and Corus Entertainments acquired it in 2012. Toon Boom is a common software that people in more than 130 countries use. They develop animation videos for films, advertisements, television, etc. Toon boom harmony is software that brings together all the animation applications of the toon boom. 2D animation is very simple and powerful with various features like Rigging, Animation, Designing, Particles, and effects.

Some of the features of this software are:

Brush engine
Pallets and painting
Paperless animation
2D or 3D integration
Cut-out animation
Effects and compositing

3. Toonz

Toonz is a group of 2D animation software. The base version was developed by Dwango, which is known as OpenToonz, and it is open-source software. Toonz premium is the advanced version of this software with advanced features for professionals. It was developed and marketed by Digital Video S.P.A.

The first version, Toonz 3.0, was developed in the year 1993. And from there, many versions were released, and the latest on the list is Toonz 7.0. Toonz worked as open-source software, and because of that, we can modify its source code freely. Also, it is equipped with functions and features which help to meet on-site needs. SDK is a plugin recently developed by the company, and with the help of it, anyone can add effects to open toonz.

4. Synfig Studio

Synfig is an open-source 2D animation software that works on vector graphics. Robert Quattlebaum develops Synfig, and later additional contributions were given by Adrian Bentley. It is a front-end back-end application that allows designing in the front end, and later rendering is possible by backend Synfig tool on another computer. The main aim of its developers was to create an application for making feature film quality animations with fewer people and resources. Another feature of Synfig is that it allows alternate to manual tweeting, and with the help of this feature, the animator does not have to draw all the frames.

Synfig software is available on Windows, Linux, and mac. This software provides more than 50 layers to create animations of any complexity. Also, it features a bone system that allows producing cut-out animation by using bitmap images. In addition, many other advanced tools and features are available in Synfig to make it user-friendly and professional.

5. Pencil 2D

Pencil 2D is an open-source 2D animation software developed by Matt Chang. It is available in Linux, Windows, and macOS. This software use vector/bitmap images for the creation of animation. Originally this software was found by Pascal Naidon and Patrick Corrieri in the year 2005. It is very simple, user-friendly, and at the same time very effective software. Beginners and professionals use this for 2D animation.

The user interface of this software is very light and helps users to focus on what they are doing. Also, Pencil 2D allows us to switch between raster and vector graphics, allowing us to sketch, ink, and paint. It’s another advantage is that it is open-source software, and it is available freely.

Conclusion

When we conclude this topic, we know that animation has made a huge impact on all types of entertainment like movies, TV shows, kid’s programs, etc. Among those, 2D animation is the basic type that is easier to create and, at the same time, gives better results. Through 2D animations, not only entertainment but also educational and informative ideas are creating nowadays. Moreover, through animation, it will be easier to convey ideas to kids.

Creating a 2D animation is very easier if you have perfect software with you. Even a beginner can create animations using this software. If you have a script or idea in your mind, any of the above-listed software can help you to visualize your script. Much other software is also available in the market; only a few are listed here. Go through the details and select the most suitable one for you.