Like Shrek -- not too intensive though - very basic stuff to begin with!

For low price and ease of use, my two favorites are Poser and Vue. Both are quite powerful but easy to learn to use. They can intergrate with higher end computer animation programs like Maya, 3-D Studio Max, Lightwave and Cinema 4D. So they will still be quite useful if you ever decide to upgrade to one of those big boys.

Poser does character animation simply and effectively. Vue does 3D landscapes and environments quicker and easier than just about anything else. You can get both of them and the bridge program to integrate the two of them together for $299 at http://www.e-frontier.com/. So you could animate a character in Poser and plop them into a CG environment in Vue.

The only thing you will be limited in doing will be the more complicated modeling and advanced dynamics that the big programs offer. They are much more expensive and harder to learn than Poser or Vue. Between those two you can do some really fantastic 3D work with a little practice. Mind you, ease of use is a relative thing. All 3D animation programs will take some time and patience to learn. I'm still trying to learn them both myself.

I've been hearing really good things about Mirage from Bauhaus. Not sure if this is what you had in mind but it looks very interesting and other people have also used it for text/titling effects. BTW, Safe Harbor has it for $329 while the Bauhaus site is $395.

Hope that helps :)

If your looking for the 2d look, toonboom has different animation tools from beginner to experienced pro.

http://www.toonboom.com

Studio Express is for beginners, Studio has great tools for tv and web oriented output, including a 3d perspective 'stage'

btw I have a NAB discount code for 25% off Toonboom Studio until May 15. (not the express version).

There's also a company called Allume with a low-cost entry level cartoon illustrator at the J&R Computer World site:

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4075345

Since you mention Shrek look ( 3d ), then XSI Foundation for only $500 is by far the best one. Animatiion tools in that one rival software 4-5 times more expensive.

It will take some time to get used to working with a 3D app like that if you've never done it.

Animation master comes to mind too, but XSI offers much more for other things.

I'll second jwcarnery's recommendation for Toonboom.
The animation program in the college I work at uses this for all their 2D training.

Mike

I'm profesional 3d character animator...

What is your goal?

Are you trying to do something for a project in a weekend? If so, 3D animation is not for you.

How much experience do you have with 3d animation? sounds like none, and that would leave you at a huge disadvantage for the journey you're embarking on.

If you're looking to learn how to animate a character, you're looking at learning the fundementals of 3d math, modelling, character rigging, and animation... And throw in the art of sculpting, acting, animation, compositing, rendering, lighting...

Its just a warning, but 3D is a long difficult road that is not as easy as picking up an editor and just knocking something out.

If you're interested in 3D for a one time thing, i suggest finding someone who can do it for you. If you're looking into 3D with the hopes of becoming a real 3d animator... expect a very long journey :)

If you're talking about 2D animation... still hard, but there are a few programs out there like Bauhaus software. http://www.bauhaussoftware.com/2D_Animation.php

Jumping into a 3d program such as Softimage XSI, Maya, 3DSmax, Lightwave, Houdini, Messiah, Animation Master, blender, etc will be overwelming for you if you have no experience with 3D. It really is a complex craft.

I dont mean to sound discouraging but its a long road to take. I'm not sure what your goal is, but if you're looking to do character animation, it really involves a lot of learning.

Jackie is right about 3D, its tought, a lot of long hours designing surfaces, frames, etc... I believe most 3d artists and animators never see daylight or go on dinner-dates or are never seen in public places, except courtrooms.

But it is getting easier, after the character is designed, to rig the sk for motion, using programs like motionbuilder then output the movement into 3d app, like r9.5 or lightwave... Software is getting better but designing chars and movement in a 3d world that looks good, is really hard work and usually done by large teams.

You might want to try this, Synfig Studio for 2D animation. It seems to be a very competent software. I have downloaded it but haven't had the time to try it myself.

I’m looking for the same thing. If you just want to fool around and not invest your life in this, then iClone from Reallusion is very easy to use. The Motion Editor has a timeline with keyframes which should be familiar to any Vegas user. You can even act out the motion on video and then bring the video in and keyframe to it. This is not for serious 3D authors; it is very basic and easy to learn. I’ve played with the trail and it’s on my list of possible purchases.

DAZ Studio is another entry level 3D character animation program. I think they give DAZ Studio away and charge for the content to put in it. Still it’s a quick and easy way to get up and running fast. You would also buy Bryce to make your worlds. The nice thing about DAZ is they have a lot of content and don’t kid yourself, good content is difficult to create. Especially if you’re not a talented artist.

After reading this thread, now I have to check out Poser/Vue ‘cuz it has my curiosity too. ;-)

~jr

I do a lot art work myself and been interested in using it in some animations. Was leaning towards poser myself... whats daylight anyway? Lots time spent doing this. Great fun. Get a chance post which one choosen and let us know how it works.
fishbelt

Just on a side note, the difference between something like Poser, and Softimage XSI, Maya, 3Dstudio Max, Houdini, Lightwave etc... is that Poser would be the crayola crayons of 3d, where as the other apps are more like a virtual set of building blocks where you're essentailly creating everything from scratch, down to teh very basic mechanics. And mechanics in 3D can best be related to robotics.

Poser is good for what it is, but in the big picture, its a toy. It's great for "posing" something to paint over, which is what it was intended for.

Poser is a place you start when you're curious, but the knowledge you learn in poser wont prepare you for the shock of having to start from scratch in a real virtual animation environment

You're right about Poser not being as powerful as the big boys. But Poser 6 has come a long way over what even Poser 4 could do. You can map face photos of people onto models. It has dynamic cloth and dynamic hair that can move quite realistically. It even has some wind simulation. Within a few months of using Poser 6 and Vue 5 together, one could make some surprisingly good looking CG animations. Shrek quality - No. But useful in all but the highest levels of video productions.

The models are getting much more realistic looking. In longer shots you might be able make something look realistic enough to cut in with live-action close ups. In a few weeks of using Poser one could become quite proficient with it. In a month, someone learning Poser could make something much better looking than someone with a month of Maya experience. At 6 months out, the person learning Maya would likely win out.

So I guess it depends on your intentions. If the goal is to become a high level computer animator then Poser will be anemic. If you are a videographer or editor and want to be able to add in some decent looking computer animated characters to your videos, and don't want to spend forever learning, Poser will likely suffice. If your goal is to work at a professional effects house as an animator, go ahead and learn Maya or one of the other big boys.

For 2D style cartoons, Flash is often used.

Thanks to you all for wonderful input!

It helps me to define my goals and look at what learning strategies I am applying -- I just want to experiment with making videos for my music creations.

Thanks again == I will post more once this project evolves to the next stage.