Crazy Talk Animator (Windows / macOS)
Among the best programs for creating cartoons there definitely is Crazy Talk Animator: is a software available for Windows and macOS that allows both to create cartoons using ready-to-use animated characters and scenes and to import your own drawings from your computer. In addition, for each individual character, it allows you to set movements, modify facial expressions and apply animations, such as walking or moving the mouth. It is paid and starts at $ 49, but you can test its features for 15 days by downloading the free trial version.
To download the trial version of Crazy Talk Animator on your computer, connected to the website of the software manufacturer, click on the button Try present at the top and presses the button Free download related to the operating system of your interest.
Now, if you have a PC Windows, double-click the file CrazyTalk_Animator_Trial_Hub.exe, pigia sul pulsating Yes and click sul bottone Next, dopodiché pigia sul pulsnte Continue and wait for the download to complete. Finally, click on the button Next for six consecutive times, wait for the progress bar to reach 100% and press the button Finish to complete the installation and start the program.
If you use a Mac, april il dmg package just downloaded, double-click Crazy Talk Animator and presses the button Next, then enter the Password of your user account on macOS, press the button OK and click on the button Continue. Wait, then, for the download to complete, press the button Continue four consecutive times, click on the button Accept and presses on the buttons Continue e Install, then re-enter the Password of your user account on macOS and click on the button Install software to start the installation. Once the installation procedure is complete, press the button OK to close the window and start Crazy Talk Animator.
Now, create your account by selecting the item Sign up or by pressing the buttons Sign in with Facebook o Sign in with Google to log in with your social account. Once the registration process is complete, you are ready to create your first cartoon with Crazy Talk Animator.
First, choose the background to apply to your cardboard by selecting the item Scene present in the sidebar on the right and selecting one of the ready-to-use wallpapers in the folders Scene, background e Image layer. If, on the other hand, you want to load a wallpaper from your computer, click on the icon triangle within a square present in the sidebar on the left, select one of the options available from Prop, Image layer e background and select the file to import into the project.
Now, insert the protagonists of the cartoon by choosing them from the Crazy Talk Animator catalog. Then select the option Actor, click on the item Character and choose the character, animal or prop you prefer. Once you have identified the one you are interested in, double-click on its preview image to add the element to the scene.
To set the movement of the character, drag the cursor present in the timeline at the bottom at the exact point where you want to stop the movement and drag the character of your interest into the work area by acting on the points and lines that have been generated. In addition, you can also apply animations (such as the walking effect or the moving mouth) by selecting the option Animation visible on the right and choosing one of the animations available depending on the character of your interest. Then press the ▶ ︎ button to preview the cartoon created.
To export the final result, click the button Export (The freccia rivolta verse destra) present in the top menu, select the export format between MOV e WAV and click on the button Export.
Synfig Studio (Windows / macOS / Linux)
Synfig studio is an open source program for Windows, macOS and Linux that allows you to create cartoons using previously created drawings, with the ability to apply animations and create stories to be exported later to your computer.
If you think Synfig Studio is the most suitable program for your needs, connect on its official website and click on the item Download present in the top menu, then presses the button Stable version, select the operating system you use via the drop-down menu next to the item Choose your OS and enter 0 in the field Name a fair price to download the application for free.
Now, press the button Get Synfig, enter your email address in the appropriate field and click on the button Continue: within a few moments you will receive an email containing the link to download Synfig Studio. Download completed, if you have a PC Windows, double-click the file SynfigStudio- [version] .exe, pigia sul pulsating I agree and click on the buttons Next e install to start the software installation. Finally, press the button Close to close the window and complete the installation.
I invented a Mac, april il dmg package downloaded and drag Synfig studio in the folder Applications macOS, then open the latter, right-click on the program icon and select the item apri, to start the software for the first time and avoid macOS restrictions for applications from non-certified developers (next times there will be no need for this step).
You are now ready to make your own cartoon. First, click on the entry Fillet present in the top menu and select the option Import from the menu that appears to upload an image to use as a background for the cartoon from your computer. After adding the image in the workspace of the program, drag theorange indicator outward or inward to increase or decrease the size of the image, while dragging thegreen indicator you can set its position.
The next step is to upload the characters of your cartoon to Synfig Studio by repeating the procedure described above for the background image: then select the items Fillet e Import and select the characters of your interest, then act onorange indicator and l 'green indicator to set size and position.
Now, click onlittle green man present under the workspace to activate the recording function, select the character of your interest and create your first animation. To do this, click on one of the frame visible in the gray progress bar at the bottom and drag the character by acting on his green indicator. Then go back to frame zero and click on the ▶ ︎ button to view the final result, to be repeated for all the characters that make up your cartoon.
Once the cardboard creation is complete, click on the entry Fillet at the top, select the option Rendering from the menu that appears, enter the name to give to the file and change the extension from PNG ad REVIEWS, then set the option ffmpeg from the drop-down menu next to the item Destination, pigia sul pulsating Instruments and select the codec MPEG4 - part 2 to export the cardboard as MPEG4 video.
Scratch (Online / Windows / macOS)
Scratch is a tool that allows you to create animations using a block programming language. It is the ideal solution for those who want to make simple cartoons but have no experience with graphics programs or with the world of animation. It is available for Windows and macOS and can also be used from a browser, provided you have an active Internet connection.
To download Scratch on your computer, connected to its official website, scroll down the page and click on the entry Offline editor. In the newly opened page, click on the item Download related to the operating system of your interest and wait for the download to complete.
Now, you're got a PC Windows, double-click the file Scratch- [version] .exe, pigia sul pulsating Run and click on the button Continue to start the installation. Wait a few moments and click on the button end to close the window and complete the installation.
If you use a Macapri invece il dmg package downloaded, double-click the Adobe AIR e pulsing sul pulsating apri. Then click on the button UpdateI inserted the Password of your user account on macOS, press the button Install assistant and wait for the update to complete. Press the button end to complete the installation and close the window. To learn more, I leave you to my guide on how to download Scratch.
If, on the other hand, you want to use Scratch online, click on the item Crea present in the menu at the top of the website of the service and start creating your cartoon. To add a background, click the del icon landscape (present under the heading New background bottom left) to choose a ready-to-use wallpaper, otherwise click on the folder to upload a wallpaper from your computer.
Now, customize the cartoon by inserting the characters (called Sprite): click on the little man icon next to the item New sprite to add one of the characters available on Scratch, otherwise click on the brush to draw one freehand or on the icon of the folder to import it from your computer.
Inserted the background and the characters of your interest, you are ready to animate the cartoon using the commands available in the section Script, visible above. Then choose the category of commands you want to use (Movement, Appearance, Sound, Control, Operators, Pen etc.) and choose the command of your interest, then drag it to the right side of the program and repeat the operation for all the characters. Easy, right?
Animatron (online)
Among the most interesting solutions to create a cartoon with extreme simplicity, there is also animatronic. This is not a program to be installed on your computer, but a free online service that allows you to create your own cartoon using both the numerous characters available in its catalog and those created by the user to import from your computer. In its free version it applies a watermark to the cartons and only allows the export in low quality: to remove these limitations and have access to all the features of the service, it is possible to subscribe to one of the subscription plans between For ($ 30 / month or $ 15 / month billed annually) e Business ($ 60 / month or $ 30 / month billed annually).
To create your cartoon with Animatron, connected to the website of the service, click on the button Try free present under the heading Create HTML5 and video animation and, in the new open page, presses the button Start creating present at the top right to access the Animatron workspace.
First, set a background for your cartoon by clicking on the item Backgrounds (l'icona del landscape) in the left sidebar and selecting the wallpaper you like best. Alternatively, click the button Import at the top to import an image from your computer to use as a cartoon background. If, on the other hand, you want to have an animated scene as a background, click on the option Animation sets (l'icona del missile) and double-click on the one you are interested in to apply it to the cardboard.
Now, click on the icon again missile and choose the characters to be included in the scenes of your cartoon, otherwise press the button Import from the top menu and load the characters you previously created. To compose more scenes, press the button + present at the top right to create an empty scene or click on the icon + inside a square to duplicate the previous scene.
It will be useful to know that with Animatron you can also give voice to your characters by inserting dialogues to be recorded in real time. To do this, click on the icon microphone present in the toolbar at the top, press the button Allow and click on red button to start recording, then press the button Add to add the audio track to the Animatron timeline.
Once you have finished creating your cartoon, click on the icon rotella d'ingranaggio present at the top left to save the project online, otherwise press the button Download to download it to your computer. In both cases, you need to register for the service for free and create your account.
Then click on the item Sign in e seleziona l'opzione Sign up now, then enter your email address in the field Email address (required) e pulsing sul pulsating Continue. Within a few moments you will receive an email containing an activation link: click on it to activate your account and complete the registration.
App to create cartoons
Would you like to create a cartoon using your smartphone and, above all, your tablet? No problem here is a list of app to create cartoons che potrebbero fare al tuo case.
- Animation Desk (Android / iOS): is a free application that allows you to create a cartoon by drawing every single frame. It is the right solution for those who have good skills with graphic design and want to make a cardboard taking care of every single detail. It allows you to make in-app purchases (starting at € 1,09) to increase its functionality.
- FlipaClip - Cartoon Animation (Android / iOS): is another free application to draw individual frames of your own cartoon. Among its many features, it allows recording from the microphone of your device to create real dialogues to be used with the characters of the cartoon. In-app purchases are available to unlock more features.
- Toontastic 3D (Android / iOS): is the application launched by Google that allows you to easily create cartoons using ready-to-use characters and stories. It is free, but unfortunately not available in your language.
- ScratchJr (Android / iOS): Scratch, the software I told you about in the previous paragraphs, is also available in the form of an application for Android tablets and iPads in a version intended for children who, to approach the world of programming, can create cartoons with a programming language in blocks.
