Free Basic Animation Software?

[Dr Adequate]

I'd like to be able to do things like this (http://www.evolvingcode.net/index.php?page=aminoacylation).

I just need to be able to tell it things like "move this from here to here in a straight line, morph this polygon into that one", and so forth.

There must be something out there that makes it easier than simply drawing each frame by hand. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[DcTurner]

Sounds like you need a copy of Flash 8 / CS3 my friend.

Shape tweening is great for those kinds of animation... I'm a flash designer & animator by trade, so feel free to send me any questions.

Alternatively, you can probably pick up a no-frills Vector animation tool for free. Try Googling "Free Flash Editor" for some likely candidates... I would post you a link, but I'm new here and am forbidden from such activities.

Bottom Line, you will want a Vector based program; vectors are perfectly suited to projects that feature simple, bold geometric shapes.

Hope this helps.
:D

[Furcifer]

Sounds like you need a copy of Flash 8 / CS3 my friend.

Shape tweening is great for those kinds of animation... I'm a flash designer & animator by trade, so feel free to send me any questions.

Alternatively, you can probably pick up a no-frills Vector animation tool for free. Try Googling "Free Flash Editor" for some likely candidates... I would post you a link, but I'm new here and am forbidden from such activities.

Bottom Line, you will want a Vector based program; vectors are perfectly suited to projects that feature simple, bold geometric shapes.

Hope this helps.
:D

I totally agree. I tried several simple animation programs, freeware, trials etc. Some of them were OK, but I ended up using Flash. I'm not a flash designer or animator, but I picked up the trial and was able to learn what I needed to do with online tutorials. You'd be amazed at what you can do with a couple a days of training and some time. Tweening is awesome and easy to learn. Layers can be tricky to work with if you're not used to it. Other than that it's awesome.

ps- I know that sounded like a back-cover caption, sorry.

[quixotecoyote]

For what you want to do, use creatoon (http://www.creatoon.com/). I use it and love it. You can't do close to everything that flash can do, but if all you want is animation, this is the way to go.

[Dr Adequate]

Sounds like you need a copy of Flash 8 / CS3 my friend.

Shape tweening is great for those kinds of animation... I'm a flash designer & animator by trade, so feel free to send me any questions.

Alternatively, you can probably pick up a no-frills Vector animation tool for free. Try Googling "Free Flash Editor" for some likely candidates... I would post you a link, but I'm new here and am forbidden from such activities. Thank you. However, I believe that I need something that outputs as an animated gif rather than an swf, though I'll need to check that.

[Arkan_Wolfshade]

Gimp can do animated gifs iirc.

[tkingdoll]

Flash outputs as an animated GIF, and various other formats. There are loads of export options.

But it's expensive and I believe you stipulated 'free'.

You can get a free 30-day trial though if you just have a short project.

[wahrheit]

The animated GIFs Flash exports are the worst I have seen in my life. Adobe Image Ready is perfect for this, but again it is not free.

Other than those horrid GIFs it produces, Flash is of course perfect for animation, but quite expensive.

[tkingdoll]

The animated GIFs Flash exports are the worst I have seen in my life. Adobe Image Ready is perfect for this, but again it is not free.

Other than those horrid GIFs it produces, Flash is of course perfect for animation, but quite expensive.

How are you exporting them?

If you use the GIF in the 'Publish' option, then they are indeed the worst piece of crud ever. But I use Export>Export Movie and choose 'Animated GIF'. I do all my GIFs that way and they're fine.

[wahrheit]

How are you exporting them?

If you use the GIF in the 'Publish' option, then they are indeed the worst piece of crud ever. But I use Export>Export Movie and choose 'Animated GIF'. I do all my GIFs that way and they're fine.

The worst is that Flash does not look through the entire animation before exporting the GIF, thus it is unaware of colors which come later in the animation. So as soon as more than 256 colors (the max for GIF) is used up, Flash failes miserable. The same happens when using gradients or photographs.

I made a quick example, both files are the same size, the Image Ready one uses only 128 colors, while I set Flash to max quality, 256 colors.

Left: Flash, Right: Image Ready

[AgeGap]

I downloaded PhotoFiltre from Snapfiles.com. It is mainly photoediting but you can animate .gifs with it. I have used it so it must be very easy to use.

[tkingdoll]

The worst is that Flash does not look through the entire animation before exporting the GIF, thus it is unaware of colors which come later in the animation. So as soon as more than 256 colors (the max for GIF) is used up, Flash failes miserable. The same happens when using gradients or photographs.

I made a quick example, both files are the same size, the Image Ready one uses only 128 colors, while I set Flash to max quality, 256 colors.

Left: Flash, Right: Image Ready

Hmm. Interesting. I've had problems exporting GIFs with photos in them but I'm sure I found a workaround. I'll have to dig through and see what I did. In fact I know I found a workaround, I've done several with photos in them.

[wahrheit]

Hmm. Interesting. I've had problems exporting GIFs with photos in them but I'm sure I found a workaround. I'll have to dig through and see what I did. In fact I know I found a workaround, I've done several with photos in them.

Flash is quite known for it's low quality GIF export, it's unpredictable. Sometimes, with this or that animation, it might work okay, but if it doesn't there is nothing you can do — no tweaking the options will really fix the problem.

[DcTurner]

I concur with the Flash-Gif bashing... Only use flash if you are doing vector based stuff & you are able to publish via SWF. If animated GIFs are your cup o' tea, I believe somebody mentioned GIMP? That's a goodun'...


For creating science-based animations and alike, you'll want a program that keeps a Library of symbols & has a good automated animation system (Tweening). You won't want to be drawing the same shape over and over again.

Here's the criteria;

Free - Vector / Symbol based animation - output to gif.

**** I may have your solution,

www dot expressanimator dot com

Simple, free, has everything you need.

Plus it even has a bone-rigging system! For free!? How good is that??

[Dr Adequate]

That's only free for a fortnight.

I should explain that I'm not totally averse to paying for stuff, but this usually requires either that I have a credit card, which I don't, or use PayPal while living in America, which I don't.

[Dr Adequate]

I had a play with expressanimator and I probably could get done what I want to do in a fortnight.

Trouble is, it doesn't output animated gifs. It outputs single frames as gifs.

The thought of saving a thousand gifs manually is making my stomach turn.

I shall have a look at this GIMP thing, I hope it does the same sorts of things.

[wahrheit]

I had a play with expressanimator and I probably could get done what I want to do in a fortnight.

Trouble is, it doesn't output animated gifs. It outputs single frames as gifs.

The thought of saving a thousand gifs manually is making my stomach turn.

I shall have a look at this GIMP thing, I hope it does the same sorts of things.

You can still output all frames as PNG (or another lossless format) into one folder, and then create the animated GIF from the images in that folder with another software.

Gimp (or a plug-in) should be able to do that, also ImageMagick can do that. Automagically - no need no import each and every frame, they should read the entire folder in one step.

I would recommend exporting the original single image files in a lossless format, not in GIF. Use GIF only once and in the last step.

[Dr Adequate]

You can still output all frames as PNG (or another lossless format) into one folder, and then create the animated GIF from the images in that folder with another software. Expressanimator only lets me export as swf or avi.

[wahrheit]

Expressanimator only lets me export as swf or avi.

There are several tools, for example AVI to GIF Converter, to convert avi to animated GIF.

BTW, do you need that animation for the web? If yes, simply use the SWF.

[DcTurner]

There are several tools, for example AVI to GIF Converter, to convert avi to animated GIF.

BTW, do you need that animation for the web? If yes, simply use the SWF.

Indeed, the only reason I would use an animated GIF these days is to produce something for a no-flash environment; avatars, forum posts etc...

Also, if you use the swf wherever possible, the file size will be miniscule by comparison.

Hope you've got enough info to get your stuff done
Good Luck
:D

[Dr Adequate]

Thanks, I'll try that.

I want it for SkepticWiki, I don't think they do swf.

[Dr Adequate]

NB: my last post was addressed to wahrheit (see time stamps). I think this is a no-flash environment.

[AgeGap]

http://www.photoscape.org/ps/main/index.php

[quixotecoyote]

In an effort to defend my recommendation of creatoon, I present this sample of what can be done at a surface level in an hour or so of work (not counting rendering and uploading)

cgYc-9cZHpY