Computer animation

[cdeemer]

I don't know the first thing about animation. However, I know this -- I can't draw my way out of a paperbag. My question is this ... are there animation software programs that don't require drawing ability? That is, with no drawing skills, can one still make a basic animation of figures moving and such? Which programs are best for non-drawing-artists?

[Chuck Engels]

This looks promising Charles
http://download.cnet.com/Anime-Studio/3 ... ?tag=mncol

Draw original art, import your digital pictures, add sound, dub and add subtitles to your existing videos or choose from many built-in characters to get started! The revolutionary bone rigging system makes animating fast and an efficient

[Chuck Engels]

By the way, are you asking about cartoon type animation or something else?
Text and graphic animation is different than cartoon type animation and there is different software.
Google has a tool called sketchup and there are many other tools for text and graphic animation.
In most cases you can get graphics from anywhere and use them in the projects, you don't have to draw anything.

[momoffduty]

Here is a free animation software from Carnegie Mellon Univ:

http://www.alice.org/

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

Here is a free animation software from Carnegie Mellon Univ:

Bookmarked. Thanks

[cdeemer]

Looks good, thanks!

[cdeemer]

Taking Alice tutorials ... an amazing program, exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much for the link!

[momoffduty]

Taking Alice tutorials ... an amazing program, exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much for the link!

Your Welcome! I tried it a bit last year, but was learning AE at the time so quit. Let us know how it goes.

[cdeemer]

ALICE UPDATE. This program is really very powerful ... but I'm taken back to my math major days over half a century ago to understand the complex things to do, like making expressions or fingers move. But simple things are not so hard, which is an attraction because you can program SOMETHING almost immediately.

Here's a very simple start. For my uses, the writing will make or break the presentation and the movements pretty basic.
http://cdeemer2007.blogspot.com/2010/05/blog-post_14.html

[Chuck Engels]

That looks pretty good for just getting started Charles

FYI, I could not view the video in Firefox but Internet Explorer worked fine.

[Jayell]

FYI, I could not view the video in Firefox but Internet Explorer worked fine.

I viewed it just fine in Firefox, Chuck (V3.6.3)

[Chuck Engels]

Must be some plugin I don't have.