Ask HN: How do you create nice, clean 2D animations?

#1

Post by pbnjay » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 2:37 PM UTC

For explainer videos, simple animated gifs etc. that you put on your website for example. The most recent example is the GitHub LFS animation: https://github.com/blog/1986-announcing-git-large-file-storage-lfs

I've found a few options but none seem to make quite as polished animations as I've seen around the web.

Re: Ask HN: How do you create nice, clean 2D animations?

#2

Post by beckler » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 2:53 PM UTC

This might be a good resource. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_2D_animation_software

Re: Ask HN: How do you create nice, clean 2D animations?

#3

Post by pbnjay » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 2:59 PM UTC

beckler wrote: post #2

This might be a good resource. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_2D_animation_software

Yeah I found that but that doesn't tell me what anyone actually uses. I've tried each of the open-source and freeware apps, I'm asking this because the rest seem pretty pricey for a bootstrapper.

Re: Ask HN: How do you create nice, clean 2D animations?

#4

Post by benologist » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 3:01 PM UTC

Adobe Flash, gives you a layered timeline, transitions you can apply/create on elements you put on the stage etc, and you can do it all programmatically too. There are multiple export formats including gif.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU6BwCPv3Ak

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-create-your-fir...

If you're comfortable doing it in code there's also JavaScript/HTML like this library which came from / uses Flash methods but I'm not sure how you go from this to gif:

https://greensock.com/get-started-js

Re: Ask HN: How do you create nice, clean 2D animations?

#5

Post by dinkumator » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 3:04 PM UTC

I've used google web designer for a few simple animations: https://www.google.com/webdesigner/

Re: Ask HN: How do you create nice, clean 2D animations?

#6

Post by pbnjay » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 3:21 PM UTC

benologist wrote: post #4

Adobe Flash, gives you a layered timeline, transitions you can apply/create on elements you put on the stage etc, and you can do it all programmatically too. There are multiple export formats including gif. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU6BwCPv3Ak http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-create-your-fir... If you're comfortable doing it in code there's also JavaScript/HTML like this library which came from / u…

Interesting I didn't know Flash could export to GIF, thanks! I have some experience with Flash from many moons ago so that might be a viable option.

I wish I could just pay and download though, I really don't want a subscription...

Re: Ask HN: How do you create nice, clean 2D animations?

#7

Post by benologist » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 4:34 PM UTC

pbnjay wrote: post #6

benologist wrote: post #4

Adobe Flash, gives you a layered timeline, transitions you can apply/create on elements you put on the stage etc, and you can do it all programmatically too. There are multiple export formats including gif. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU6BwCPv3Ak http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-create-your-fir... If you're comfortable doing it in code there's also JavaScript/HTML like this library which came from / u…

Interesting I didn't know Flash could export to GIF, thanks! I have some experience with Flash from many moons ago so that might be a viable option. I wish I could just pay and download though, I really don't want a subscription...

You can also use it as a basis for searching - "flash alternatives" might turn up something good enough with better licensing.