The art and use of 3-D animation has increased tremendously in the
recent years. The versatility provided by it is the main reason for its
popularity. 3-D animation is the process of creating three dimensional
graphic photos in a series through specific programs. The flow created
by the photos is viewed as animation. However, learning the craft of 3-D
animation is not an easy task to learn and master. The main problem
being, which software to use. To help ease that task here are some
highly recommended free software used for 3-D animation :
1. Blender :
Blender is a free professional open-source 3D animation and modeling software.
It is used in a host of applications ranging from animated feature
films, visual effects, art, interactive applications, video games, and
architectural visualizations. This free 3D animation software’s dizzying
features set includes 3D modeling, UV unwrapping, texturing, raster
graphics editing, rigging, and skinning, fluid and smoke simulation,
particle simulation, soft body simulation, sculpting, rendering, video
editing, and compositing.
Free Download
2.Daz3D:
Daz3D is a 3D animation software that is primarily gear towards
hobbyists. That means this tool takes some short cuts to ease the
workflow. You can either buy a ready model on the market place that
appeals to you. Alternatively, you start with one of the preset models
and modify it to your liking. Like similar programs, Daz3D has a host of
tools to tweak every aspect of the base models, such as the build,
size, and length of limbs. Once you are done styling it with a hair cut,
and clothing your creation, you can set up complex scenes with items
from a large library of props that covers many genres.
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3.MakeHuman:
MakeHuman is a free character creation tool that grew out of a Blender
plugin. Users generate realistic 3D models of humanoid characters using
sliders that control general properties like age, gender, and weight,
down to the intricate features like the shape of the face or the length
of limbs. The developers of this free 3D animation software pride
themselves on 12 years of research in body topology resulting in a
robust and variable base mesh that is optimized for processing in other
tools like Mudbox or ZBrush. Cloth your 3D character with a variety of
garments that will add additional realism.
Free Download
4.Mixamo:
Mixamo is an online platform that has the potential to speed up the 3D
animation workflow by creating rigs for bipedal characters
automatically. Setting up a skeleton manually can be a painful process,
as the weights for each bone have to be painted piecemeal. In this 3D
animation software, users upload their 3D files and mark some key
elements like knees and elbows. Then, Mixamo does its magic and creates a
sophisticated skinned and weighted rig that is ready for 3D animation.
Free Download
5. SmartBody:
SmartBody is a free 3D animation software for 3D characters. Both
keyframe animation and motion capture are accepted as input sources. At
its core, SmartBody features a set of comprehensive 3D animation tools
that work in real-time. Among them are locomotion, steering, object
manipulation, lip-syncing, gazing, nonverbal behavior, and retargeting.
This allows your characters to pick up, touch, or place objects in the
environment, automatic facial animation based on audio input, and much
more. A feature set like this is usually found in commercial products
costing hundreds of dollars.
Free Download
6. Boats Animator:
Boats Animator is a free stop motion animation software that is
published open-source. It stands out by its clear and uncluttered user
interface that lowers the entry barrier to animation to accommodate even
beginners. But it is comprehensive enough to appeal to experienced
animators. Most importantly, this 3D animation software features onion
skinning – the program displays the last image captured on top of the
live feed from your camera. This assists you in creating smooth
animations since you can accurately move your model in position for the
next frame.
Free Download
7. Pencil2D:
Pencil2D is a free and open-source 2D animation software for use in
traditional hand-drawn animation. Users can choose between two basic
styles of 2D animation: bitmap and vector graphics. While bitmaps can be
drawn quicker and according to many artists appear to look more
natural, vector graphics have the advantage that mistakes can be fixed
easily by pulling the vector line into the desired shape. Both
approaches can be combined in the same scene, as they are assigned
separate layers. The sketching tools work in harmony with tablets and
pens. However, don’t be alarmed that not every tool works on both kinds
of layers.
Free Download
8. Xara 3D Maker 7
With Xara 3D Maker at your fingertips you will be able to transform text and shapes into high-quality 3D graphic and animations.
Free Download
