There are a lot of motion graphics and design software that can be used to create amazing things in different fields.
In today’s video, we are going to introduce you to 9 of the best motion graphics software that you need to work on your projects.
9- Cavalry
Cavalry is a new 2D software that can be used for Motion Design, Generative Art, Character Animation, Data Visualisation, Visual Effects, and much more.
Even though it is new it has a lot of potentials and it seems like it is going to spark some serious competition with the giants of motion graphics in the coming years. Mainly because it can do a lot of the things that industry-standard motion graphics software can do in addition to other innovative features.
What makes it stand apart is that Cavalry is fully procedural which gives designers and animators more freedom and flexibility when working on complex projects.
If you want to try it there is a free version, and there is also a professional version for £12/mo.
8- Apple Motion
Motion is a software that was created and produced by Apple for their mac operating system. It is used to create and edit motion graphics, titling for video production and film production, and 2D and 3D compositing for visual effects.
Motion is essentially Apple’s version of After Effects for the Final Cut Pro user base. Even though Apple Motion has been a solid option for those who work on motion graphics for a number of years, it only has been used by those who use Apple products and the Final cut Pro community in particular.
Motion is a powerful tool especially in combination with Final cut pro, regardless of the fact that it is not industry standard. over the years it became richer and included different useful plugins, in addition to some 3D features such as 3D text. It is not the best motion graphics software but it can be a good starting point for beginners or those who don’t have the budget because it is a one time purchase for only $49.99
7- After effects
After Effects is a digital-visual-effects, motion graphics, and compositing software developed by Adobe and used in the post-production process of film making, video games, commercials, and television production.
Right now it is the industry standard because basically, it is the goto software that is used by thousands or even millions of designers and animators around the world.
It is a 2D layer-based motion graphics software that works like a hybrid of video editing software and Photoshop. It is relatively easy to use and has a wide variety of tools that can help you create anything from simple projects to the most complex motion graphics for big brands.
The good thing about using After effects is that there is a suite of connected software that can make your job easier. These softwarer include Photoshop and Illustrator which are popular and widely used in other fields but they play a very important role in the job of motion graphics artists who use after effects, thus allowing you to seamlessly use AE within the Creative Cloud ecosystem.
Also, you can take advantage of a massive plugin library available to any user, as well as a lite version of Cinema 4D making it the king of 2d motion graphics right now.
To use After effects you need to pay around $20 per month.
6- 3ds Max
3Ds Max is a 3D modeling and animation package from Autodesk. over the years it has been used to create AAA video games and big VFX projects in films and Tv shows. But also proved to be useful in motion graphics work because it has a solid set of modifiers that can make the process of modeling and animating objects in space easier and faster.
3ds Max can be especially useful if you are going to create high-end motion graphics that include dynamics, simulations, character animation.
There are also additional third-party plugins that can specifically help designers streamline the process and make it easier and faster.
You can use 3ds max for free as part of the 30-day trial or pay for a yearly subscription that costs around $1600 per year.
5- Maya
Like 3ds Max Maya is also a 3D modeling and animation 3D package from Autodesk. Even though Maya and 3ds Max can be both relatively good for motion graphics. The fact that 3ds max relies too much on third-party plugins makes it less favorable compared to Maya, which has the most advanced animation tools among all 3d software, in addition to a fantastic dynamics and effects system known as Bifront. and of course other useful tools.
By the way, some of these tools that Maya has are going also to be part of 3ds Max very soon.
In the last few years, new tools for motion graphics artists have been introduced to Maya. These tools are great and easy to use. And they are created to capture the motion design users who recognize the power and want to use it in their field.
You can also use Maya for free as part of the 30-day trial or pay for a yearly subscription that costs around $1600 per year.
4- Unreal engine
Even though it is a game engine, Unreal Engine offers a number of incredible features for game developers, commercial production, and feature films, but most importantly for our topic, it is also a workflow enhancer for motion designers.
What makes the Unreal engine very important in motion graphics work is its real-time abilities that allow designers to see effects and correct them in real-time, in addition to showing their work to clients also in real-time and getting feedback super fast so they can take action immediately.
Some big studios are already using Unreal to do design work in video games and VFX work. Companies like Digital Domain, Disney, Industrial Light and Magic, The NFL Network, and even motion design studios like Capacity are all using Unreal Engine. which shows how important this tool is.
If you want to use the Unreal engine it is completely free, unless you are going to use it for making video games, in this case, you will be required to pay a percentage of your revenue when your game surpasses $1 million profit mark.
3- Houdini
Houdini can also be very good for motion graphics. Because of its procedural nature you can use its great tools to create various types of elements that can be used for motion graphics.
Houdini can do pretty much anything that the Other 3D motion graphics software can do, and it offers limitless possibilities and high degrees of flexibility in this type of work. But one of the major differences between Houdini and other software is the fact that is highly procedural which is great for those who know how to use it, especially in motion graphics.
Another thing it is highly dependent on nodes and coding, which makes it probably the hardest software to use on this list. But if you invest the time and effort you will be able to create crazy things using it.
2- Blender
Blender is also a good software for motion graphics because it also has good tools for animation, simulation, and dynamics, or anything else needed for motion graphics work. In addition to some nice add-ons that can make the process easier and faster.
The third party addon developers of Blender are very active and they are creating new and better tools all the time.
In addition to that, Blender also has a robust system for creating 2D motion graphics, which will hopefully open the doors for more possibilities for 2D animators and motion graphics artists.
Even though Blender is not primarily used for motion design its tools are becoming better every year and people are choosing it as an alternative for paid 3D motion graphics software.
1- Cinema 4D
Cinema 4D offers an excellent, intuitive workflow for creating and developing outstanding motion graphics, including start-to-finish integration with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects. Cinema 4D is known to be the go-to 3D software for motion graphics work because Maxon the Developers of Cinema 4D made sure to create a fantastic and robust toolset that helps motion graphics artists to generate amazing results using different powerful and easy to use tools.
For example, you can Clone numerous objects and create extruded text in a short period of time and with much more ease compared to the other 3d software. Also, it is possible to add Effectors to the mix and put everything in motion, and much more – often without creating a single keyframe! All this is perfectly integrated into Cinema 4D and offers a fast and easy workflow. And the good thing is that all functions are completely interactive and non-destructive.
Finally, I hope that you found enough information in our 9 best motion graphics software and that you can now choose the one that suits you the best. In the following link, you will find keyboards for all the software that we already mentioned, which I hope will help you get your job done easily and in no time.
https://logickeyboard.com/shop/3d-1116s1.html#a_aid=inspirationtuts&a_bid=d4075b87
