Best animation software for beginners?

I find myself in need of assistance.

Disney

It is quite similar when you consider the workflows for traditional 2D animation—specifically regarding how one approaches the editing and compositing stages of that particular medium.

So, I suppose we can finally rule out 3D, web development, and even Adobe Flash from the equation entirely.
Does anyone happen to know where I might be able to pick that up in Chicago, or better yet, if there is a reliable dealer out there dealing in unofficial copies? 🙄

Do you think you'll ever actually make these smileys look something like what they have over at Microsoft News, or is that just not happening?

I find myself somewhat perplexed by the nature of the question. What sort of smileys are we discussing here?

I am certainly not referring to any trivial web animations, such as tiny icons, digital emojis, or those little avatars you see on social media.

My focus is strictly on the art of feature filmmaking and the specialized software used for processing hand-drawn illustrations—essentially the entire workflow of composing individual drawings into frames, assembling those frames into coherent sequences, and finally layering in the ambient soundscapes and audio effects.

I tend to handle all of those little projects within Adobe Flash.
It isn't anything professional, mind you; it's really just a bit of idle tinkering for my own amusement.

ruggedorca26 said:I handle the entire workflow within Adobe Flash.

So, you’re just scanning hand-drawn sketches and tossing them straight into Adobe Flash?

Doesn't that seem like an incredibly tedious way to work?

Wait, aren't they supposed to be drawing in Adobe Flash?

I believe I was quite explicit regarding my requirements. Adobe Flash simply isn't what I am looking for.

Look, if you’re planning on hand-drawing every single frame just to scan them all back in and line them up one by one to make an animation, you’re going to be staring at a screen for an eternity. Why go through all that manual labor? You should probably try a more streamlined approach—maybe look into something easier like SwishMax or even just messing around in Photoshop or CS2.

Adam Palmer2 said:Look, if you're planning on hand-drawing everything, scanning it all, and then painstakingly layering frame by frame just to mimic an animation style, you're going to be at it forever. You might want to try something more streamlined, perhaps using SwishMax or even Photoshop/Counter-Strike 2.

No, I am certainly not suggesting "layering things to make them look like an animation." I work in the animation industry, and this is my actual profession.

I find myself growing somewhat frustrated here, as you are attempting to instruct me on how to perform my own job. While I do appreciate the good intentions behind your desire to simplify my workflow, the most helpful thing you could actually do for me is to provide information on where I can pick up Quote : Disney
or perhaps some unofficial version of it that won't cost me a hundred bucks.

As much as I value your effort, I have absolutely no interest in receiving advice regarding the capabilities or limitations of Adobe Flash or Photoshop.

Why don't you just buy a legitimate license for the software?
Is the cost really that much of a luxury? If this is your actual profession, then the price shouldn't even be an issue—you need to start viewing it as a necessary business investment...

http://www.toonboom.com/downloads/ Is this what you're looking for??

Scott Lee7,

Do you happen to know where I might be able to pick up a copy of Quote : Disney here in the States?

Toon Boom Studio - Windows (3.0.1) (ZIP) - 44,407KB
User Guide (PDF) - 11,864KB
Installation Instructions (PDF) - 323KB
Shortcuts Quick Reference (PDF) - 269KB

It’s available on my end 🙂

But honestly, I’d just recommend buying it online... it'll be delivered right to your doorstep

Scott Lee7 said:http://www.toonboom.com/downloads/ Is this the one we're looking for?

No, actually, that's just the standard Toon Boom site offering their trial version, though I certainly appreciate the gesture nonetheless.

Yes, it's just a trial version, which can be upgraded to the full version quite easily 😁

Disney
or something similar used for traditional 2D animation—basically the same thing for editing and compositing...

So, is Toon Boom Studio essentially this OR...

or is it not?

I must admit, my familiarity with that particular program is somewhat limited, though I have heard quite a few favorable reports suggesting it is actually rather excellent...