It is often perceived that animations are hard to create but it is easy to design required sketches with the right software. Animation can be in the form of video clips, GIFs, and many other types. If you are learning to design animation or are already an expert, Stick Figure Animation software is the primary requirement.
You see the animation daily that they are on cereal boxes, in cartoons, in advertisements, and advanced animations are now in movies too. Stick figure animation, also called pivot animation, use pivot-joiners for connection; the drawings are represented frame by frame after another.
Stick figure is the most common and oldest used animation. Various programs offer tools to make stick figures. They can be colored, semi-circles, dots, or lines. Many animation tools are available online and free to download on multiple operating systems. They all support stick figure animation and more 2D and 3D tools if you want to expand your expertise.
What is Stick Figure Animation Software?
Stick Figure Animation software has been quite valuable for sketching professionals to draw pencil drawing for multiple purposes. Most of the time they are used for making an animated video with a stick figure for educational purposes. You can also use it for marketing promotions.
These software offer you multiple tools like sketch editing, layering, and video rendering. You can make numerous images on a single dashboard and add multiple layers to improve the framing of the final content. Many Animator uses this software for initial planning to action scenes.
12 Best Stick Figure Animation Software
Stick Figure Animation Software has indeed changed the way professionals used to draw cartoons and promotion videos. Currently, there is numerous platform in the market that offers basic to advance drawing tool for better quality and improved productivity.
Keep in mind the needs of beginners and professionals, this article is presenting you with the 12 best Stick Figure Animation Software along with their features, pros, and cons. After reading it, you will be able to select a platform that resonates with your needs and expertise.
1. Stykz
Stykz is an animator, free software which allows users to create stick-figure and sprite animation and save them in GIF format for web usage and AVI format. A multi-platform stick figure animation program that is frame-based and lets the user work on individual frames for excellent animation.
The program allows you to edit the animation directly on the stage; by holding a particular modifier, the user can access extend mode, which enables him to reach a line segment and move all linked line segments. The GUI factor is significant in the animation software, so Stykz has given a lot of work in presenting a nice and clean interface.
The program consists of simple features like manipulating figures, working with animation, importing and exporting animation and editing them in Stykz, auto-save and auto-backup facility, and more. The tools provided are simple, labeled, and easy to use.
Features
- Subset Tool for Adjustment
- Polyfill Tools
- Figure Size Setting
Pros
- Design Figure on Stage
- Draw Multiple Objects
- Easy to Understand
Cons
- Time-Consuming Animations
- Lacks Important Issues
- Closing Polygons
2. Pivot
Pivot animator, short for Pivot, is a free multi-platform stick figure and sprite amination creator. It provides a simple, easy-to-use interface designed according to the user’s perspective. The program offers a frame-by-frame animation principle that includes a wide range of pre-designed sticks, so the user has an idea of design and layout.
The figure is made using lines and circles. A pivot point is used to connect each line and circle. The user interface is easy to navigate, and it has all the startup tools to design an essential figure and animation. Users can import and export animation to editing in Pivot.
The software is quick to install and contains many pre-designed pictures for editing purposes; the animations can be saved in GIF extension to edit them in other software. It offers image positioning that will be beneficial for cartoon animators to control the frame environment.
Features
- Bendy Line Segments
- Canvas Zoom
- Color and Gradient Background
Pros
- Text Editing Tools
- Easy Installation
- Frame-by-Frame Animator
Cons
- No Commercial Package
- Dull Interface
- Not for Professionals
3. TISFAT
TISFAT is a free, open-source 2D-based keyframe animation software that allows editing and creating stick and sprite figure animations and works on almost all platforms. Users can create multiple animating on a single platform. The tools TSIFAT offers are easy to use and understand, although creating a single animation takes a lot of time.
The feature includes 60 fps, uses tweening to smooth out keyframes, necessary and advanced onion skin, intuitive interface and easy navigation, multilayer system, image support system, and highly packed stick edition. A slight time-consuming and multilayer duplication factor makes the software hard to use.
Features
- Dots Tracking Tool
- Curve Adjustment
- High Gradient Zoom
Pros
- Free Product
- Simple Interface
- Editing Tools
Cons
- No live Support
- Discontinued Updates
- No Offical Website
4. Tupi
Tupi is a free animation software for Mac users and allows them to create stick-figure and sprite figures. 2D animations enable Mac users to experience an easy way to create animation. Its tools are laid out and labeled so the user can choose from the specific section; the instruments change according to the project category.
It includes necessary tools for vector illustration that include rectangles, ellipses, lines, and polygons, reusing imported media assets, support for tweening position, scale, shear and rotation, raster images called bitmap, the choice to save finished animations to AVI, MPEG, SVG, GIF, etc. Its interface is understandable for even a small child to make animation.
Features
- Free Open Source
- Supports Vector Illustrations
- Usability for Children
Pros
- Compatible With Mac
- Sound Synchronization
- production Pipeline
Cons
- Lags and Glitches
- No Background Remover
- Limited File Formats
5. Pencil 2D
Pencil 2D is free, multi-platform 2D animation and graphic designing software. Most straightforward hand-drawn animation program that works flawlessly on Mac computers and works fine on Windows. It is an excellent platform for beginners, including a help and tutorial feature to learn and practice every tool.
The interface is easy to understand, and interaction provides quick access to the user to the library where pre-designed figures are stored. The features include a lightweight and minimalistic design that makes it very easy for starters to work with stick figures and animation, raster images, and vector workflow with quick switching between them.
The tools consist of layers, a keyframe manipulation system, onion skinning, pressure sensitivity, and many more. It has a stabilizer feature that facilitates the users to close the incomplete sketches that complete the image boundaries.
Features
- Lebel Privacy Control
- Editing Dashboard
- Image Library
- 3D Animation
Pros
- Weight Printing
- Import / Export Database
- File Reporting
Cons
- No 3D Animation
- Unattractive Interface
- No 2D Hand Drawing Animation
6. Toon Boom Animate Pro 3
Toon Boom is an award-winning software used to create stick-figure and animations; it works on almost all platforms. The software offers two tiers; animated three and animated Pro 3. As the name suggests, animation 3 is free and has limited features, and is an excellent platform for beginners to start creating animations.
Both applications’ interfaces are not that easy to understand, the learning curve is steep, but with little time, it is a powerful tool in the amination designing category. It includes Bone-Style Deform, actual pencil, drawing and modifying lines quickly, Tool Presets Toolbar which allows the user to save presets for any tools and remember its properties.
Features
- Advanced Cut-out
- Paperless Editing
- Multiple Color Gradient
- High-Resolution Files
Pros
- Brush and Pencil Properties
- Figure Comparison
- Auto Sketch Completion
Cons
- Complex Learning Curves
- Contain Glitches
7. Blender
A blender is an OpenGL-based software that provides 2D, 3D animations, stick figures, and sprite figure animations. Free software which can run on almost all operating systems. It is a tool for professionals; beginners do not have a pleasant experience because it is not very intuitive.
This tool enables users to turn still images into 3D animation and offers a fast-rigging tool that allows users to convert 3D models into animated characters. The core functions of the program offers are automated walk-cycle along paths, an editor for character animation poses, non-linear animation for independent character movement, and mirror functionality.
Features
- High-End Production
- Quality Rendering
- Curve Modelling Toolset
Pros
- Multi-stage Flexibility
- Story Telling Board
Cons
- No Built0ini Tutorials
- Limited Resources
- No Direct Integration
8. Bryce
Bryce is a multi-platform 3D modeling, rendering, and animation software. It allows stick and sprite figures animations and can save work in multiple extensions. The software combines exceptional power with an innovative user interface for comfortable usage.
Software specifications involve improved light tab, skylab improvement, improved instancing lab, render options movements, importing and exporting animations, and much more. It is free to download and has two versions; the pro version is not free and costs about $20.
The software blends adequately with an inventive interface that is user-friendly. Bryce is less time-consuming and offers more solution and autocorrect features; these features have made the program works perfectly with most of the other modeling programs in the category.
Features
- Instancing Lab
- Practical Emitter
- Daz Studio Bridge
Pros
- Simplest Rendering Tool
- Easy Animator Landscapes
- Lighting Control
Cons
- Slow Editing and Processing
- No Mirror Draw Tool
9. DAZ Studio
DAZ Studio is free software that offers 3D stick figure animation. The software has a fast and friendly interface and contains a straightforward GUI. A steep learning curve allows its users to gain more information in less time. The 3D factor is DAZ is the reason this software is more compatible with every operating system.
The massive library consists of pre-designed animated figures which allow the user to create and edit an animation in less time. A key feature of DAZ includes NVIDIA Iray that is a photoreal render tool with similar items to help make HDR photos.
Other features include 3D morphing, interactive tutorials that allow beginners and experts, GPU accelerated real-time rendering, and many more. It has a community base where you can contact the other users and discuss any issues that you might face during using it.
Features
- Customizable Figure Platform
- Product Browsing
- Smart and Modular Content
Pros
- Realistic Human Character
- 3D Printing
- App Learning Tutorials
Cons
- No Live Support
- Complex Interface
- Time Consuming Rendering
10. Synfig Studio
Synfig Studio, a free multi-platform animations creator which offers 2D designing tools. It comes with a sharp learning curve due to its Avant-grade feature and exceptional outcomes, which rely on helping the user in becoming a professional animation designer.
The software’s user interface is quite intuitive, which allows the user to separate the windows into categories like tools window, editing, navigator, and parameters window. Since most of the elements based on vectors and slabs developed are parametric; therefore, only raster images will appear and not the inherent pixilation.
Synfig Studio offers complete support for gradient routes, which allows the user to insert soft shading into the drawing without any effort and without the need for sketching the animation on each frame separately. It is available on all operating platforms like Windows and Linux.
Features
- High Dynamic Imaging
- Multiple Layer Setting
Pros
- Update Tools
- Simple Interface
- Built-in CVS Support
- Easy Plugins
Cons
- No Live Support
- Limited Tutorials
- Does Not Save Progress
11. Plastic Animation Paper
Plastic Animation Paper is a free stick figure and 2D animation designing software that support all operating systems. They provide their tutorials, so users don’t have to face any issues with the usage. The layout of the interface is easy to understand and provides guidelines.
Its features include essential drawing tools, the ability to organize a workflow with a menu creating option, zooming and rotating a sheet, and many more. It allows the use of a pressure-sensitive Wacom pen that allows the user to create more accurate designs.
Plastic Animation Paper has completed its features with onion skinning, light setup, layers, blue and red pen for planning and drafting scenes and poses. It helps in improving the color grading of pre-made sketches and renders the file on those scaling patterns.
Features
- Pen Tools Drawing
- Automatic Smooth Lining
- Animation Synchronization
Pros
- Playback Setting
- Pen Size Adjustment
Cons
- Limited Free Version
- No Learning Platform
- Not for Beginners
12. Stickman & Elemento
Stickman & Elemento is an animation software in which users can create and control cartoon characters. It is a cross-platform software and frees to download, although it will only work if the system has Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1.
The free version has many tools, but the pro version has all those tools but has some differences in the interface and additional tools, which makes the pro version stand out. The user can use the software for more than animation and stick figures, easy to use with a clean and straightforward GUI.
Key features involve infinite curves for drawing, path tools, drag-drop items, combining the video clips, pivot stick figure 2.2.5 integration, GDI+, AntiGrain rendering with OpenGL acceleration, and many more. It offers multiple import formats so that files can be used on other rendering software.
Features
- Multiple File Import Options
- Create Line Drawing
- Deform and Defect Nodes
Pros
- Unlimited Animation Length
- Video Clips Integration
Cons
- Limited Tracking Tools
- No Customer Support Service
Conclusion:
To conclude, in this article Stick Figure Animation Software is discussed in detail with their working pattern and the benefits their offer you. All software have bur loophole that hinders the proper working of professional. So, those shortcomings were also mentioned to facilitate you.
These animation platform has indeed altered the animation world and with advanced rendering feature, they are improving the quality of content and saving time by smoothing the incomplete sketches. You need some prior knowledge about any software to work on it. By exploring this article you can choose the optimum platform for your needs.
