You need to create an animation or motion graphic. What are the best design tools to use?

There's no best or worst tools to use. It's upon you how handy you are with which tool and what helps you get your job done easily. I started with using After Effects and had my hands set on using it. While it's important to find the tool that works for you, it's also important to keep on trying different tools to see which one can be your choice.

Numerous vector tools include features designed with animation in mind. One of these features might be the capacity to alter and change the pathways themselves, enabling fluid motions and transitions. Furthermore, tools like handles and anchor point control provide animators with the accuracy they need to polish their work. Animators can produce crisp, scalable images that are easily altered and changed during an animation production .

One thing I would say is to try the tools that are out there to know exactly what you are comfortable with. But also the best tools that would also bring out and enhance your creativity. I find that After Effects and illustrator is more comfortable for me but I do not limit to just those two. It depends on the idea and what I want/need to achieve to get the right outcome.

There so many tools that can come in handy for motion designers. And to avoid getting lost in the variety, I would start by considering the style you are aiming for: For Cel Animation - Adobe Photoshop with AnimDessin2 plugin and Procreate on the iPad are great and easy to learn tools. For Motion Graphics - Adobe After Effects is a timeless classic with endless possibilities for creators. For 3D Motion Graphics - Industry standards are Blender and Cinema 4D. Blender is particularly worth exploring right now. Not only is it a free software, but it also allows for creating both 3D and 2D animations and covers the full pipeline of 3D graphics production.

For creating animations or motion graphics, some of the best design tools to consider using include Adobe After Effects, Autodesk Maya, or Blender. These software offer powerful features for animation creation and allow for precise control over timelines, keyframes, and motion paths. Experiment with each to find the one that best suits your needs and preferences for timeline control.

Keyframes are like checkpoints within your timeline, marking the starting and ending points of an animation action. Mastering the timeline involves effectively using these keyframes to define the movement and transitions. A user-friendly interface makes it easy to set, edit, and manipulate keyframes, giving you precise control over the flow of your animation.

Timeline control in motion design is crucial for creating dynamic and engaging animations. It allows designers to precisely control the timing, pacing, and sequencing of visual elements, transitions, and effects within a motion project. By manipulating the timeline, designers can create smooth transitions, synchronize audio with visuals, add special effects at specific moments, and ensure that the animation flows seamlessly from one scene to the next. Timeline control helps maintain coherence and storytelling in motion design by allowing designers to choreograph movements and actions with precision, ultimately enhancing the overall impact and effectiveness of the animation.

For your animation to have a convincing impression of depth and perspective, lighting effects are essential. One way to add realism to your scenes and characters is to simulate varied lighting conditions, such as firelight, moonlight, or sunshine. This will give the impression that your scenes and characters are set in a real environment.

Color and light are essential elements in motion design as they play a crucial role in evoking emotions, setting the mood, creating visual hierarchy, guiding the viewer's attention, and enhancing the overall visual experience. Color choices can convey different meanings and emotions, while lighting effects can add depth, realism, and emphasis to the design. By effectively using color and light in motion design, creators can communicate their intended message more effectively and engage the audience on a deeper level.

To create realistic character movement is the ultimate objective of skinning and rigging. This includes maintaining seamless transitions between postures and avoiding the mesh from unintentionally extending or shrinking during animation. Animation software enables animators to accomplish these objectives and produce figures that move with fluidity and plausibility by providing user-friendly tools and capabilities.

In my opinion, Autodesk Maya, Blender and Cinema 4D are the best tools for 3D animation. Each and every one of them provides tools for rigging and skinning. Which one to use is a hard question. Some people say that Blender is easiest of all of them, Maya is industry standard and Cinema 4D is just good. Anyway, using one of these apps will let you create a functional and highly customizable skeleton for your character. We can also create a skeleton for 2D characters. For this task I would recommend using a combination of After Effects and free plugin DUIK. It has a lot of options and not that easy to comprehend. But once you understand how does it work you will have a very powerful tool in your arsenal.

You may include these effects in the timeline with your character animation and other components using the best animation software. This faster process guarantees a consistent end animation and removes the need to flip between applications.

Particles system is included in every 3D software without any other plugins. Maya, Blender and Cinema 4D have powerful tools to create whatever you need. You can also create animations that involve particles in After Effects. The only problem is internal effect for that is not that customizable. I would recommend using Trapcode Particular plugin by Red Giant. It is paid one but it's definitely worth the money.

Using dynamic effects in motion design is essential for creating visually compelling and engaging animations that captivate the audience's attention. Dynamic effects add movement, liveliness, and energy to static graphics, making the design more vibrant and appealing. They help convey a sense of realism, create a sense of depth, and bring designs to life by simulating natural interactions, such as bouncing, stretching, and rotating. Dynamic effects also enhance storytelling by adding emphasis, transitions, and visual interest to key elements within the animation. By incorporating dynamic effects, designers can create more immersive and memorable motion graphics that leave a lasting impression on viewers.

I use Soundly for my sound effects because it makes the process enjoyable and effortless. The right sounds can dramatically change the entire vibe of a video, enhancing its impact and making it more engaging for the audience.

Sound effects allow you to create an additional dimension for your animation. In order to add sound effects you can use Adobe Premiere Pro. This app has a lot of useful tools to edit sound effects. But more than that could do Adobe Audition. You might remove echo, noise or anything that makes you audio sound bad, add some effects, increase quality in Audition. After that you can easily send it to Premiere Pro and apply it to your animation.

There are numerous animation tools that use artificial intelligence, like Adobe Express, to easily create animations. Anyone can do that. At the same time, if you want to create original work that stands out, you need creative ideas and highly developed design skills. It's not so much about the tool you choose, it's how you use it and what you are able to do with it. A talented animator just needs a pencil and some paper to create an incredible flip book animation!