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ArcHub: Video & Animation

Free, open-source creative tools

Animation

  • Blender - Incredible software that offers professional capability in 3D modeling, 3D animation, 2D animation, CGI/VFX, and more.
  • FreeMoCap - Advanced but usable motion capture framework for everyone
  • OpenMoonRay - MoonRay is DreamWorks’ open-source, multi-award-winning, state-of-the-art production MCRT renderer, which has been used on feature films
  • Pixie - Photo-realistic ray-tracing renderer for generating photo-realistic images. Developed by Okan Arikan and George Harker from the University of Texas, Austin.
  • Storyboarder - visualize a story as fast you can draw stick figures
  • OpenUSD - Format made by Pixar that combines lots of scene data and allows for real-time collaboration between artists across multiple applications.
  • OpenToonz - 2D animation software famously used by Studio Ghibli
  • How To Think When You Draw - blog and books by the Etherington brothers
  • DrawPile - collaborative drawing program that lets multiple people draw, sketch, paint and animate on the same canvas simultaneously
  • RenderChan - Rendering manager for 2D animation projects.
  • Pencil2D - Minimalistic, cross-platform 2D animation software that allows for easy switching between raster and vector workflows.
  • Infinigen - A powerful tool for procedural generation of infinite, photorealistic worlds with real geometry.
  • Tixl - Amazing realtime animation toolkit for motion graphic artists that can be used in audio-reactive VJ content, automating keyframe animation, development of fragment or compute shaders, and much more.
  • Friction - Raster and vector motion graphics software with effects and other cool features. It is based on enve, a now defunct open source animation software.
  • Wick Editor - Adobe Flash/Animate-inspired animation tool with bulit-in scripting that can also do games/interactive projects.

Video Production

  • kdenlive - Video editor with multi-track capability, support for a wide varitey of video and audio formats, and a suite of useful production tools. It's been in active development since 2002!
  • Shotcut - Video editor with professional audio processing features, lots of video effects, and a customizable interface with undockable panels. It also boasts support for some video-related hardware.
  • OpenCut - Multi-platform, intuitive video editor that even runs in the browser.
  • Pitivi - Video editor with a focus on design and usability, with natural integration into the GNOME desktop environment.
  • Flowblade - Video editor with a multitude of included tools, boasting stability and a speedy workflow.
  • Olive Video Editor - Video editing software with node-based compositing built-in and fast disk cache performance.
  • OpenShot - Simple, bare-bones video editing akin to Windows Movie Maker or iMovie.
  • Avidemux - Small but mighty. Ideal for quick edits, filtering, and encodes.
  • Gyroflow - Gyro-based video stabalization.
  • OpenColorIO - Color grading/management tool for use with Olive Video Editor, Blender, Krita, and more.
  • Natron - Professional compositing software for Motion Graphics and VFX.
  • Open RV - Award-winning image and sequence viewer for VFX artists and animators.
  • xSTUDIO - Similar to Open RV, this is another media playback and review program for film and animation.
  • Handbrake - Powerful, cross-platform video transcoder.
  • Video Hub App - Brilliant tool for organizing and managing video libraries, great for filmmaking and media consumption. Pre-built binaries are available for $5 (most of which goes to charity), or you can build it from source for free!

CAD Software

  • FreeCAD - 3D parametric modeler for product design, mechanical engineering, and architecture. Features Python integration, OpenSCAD integration, and 2D drafting.
  • QCAD - Another excellent CAD program with layers, grouping, 60+ tools, a part library with 4800+ CAD parts, and more.
  • OpenSCAD - Code-based, non-interactive 3D modeling workbench.
  • LibreCAD - Lightweight 2D drafting software.
  • OpenVSP - Parametric aircraft geometry tool for designing functional air vehicles.
  • Avogadro - Molecular editor and visualizer for chemical engineers.
  • MolView - Web-based molecular editor and visualizer.
  • topologicpy - Spacial modelling and analysis for architecture, engineering, and construction.
  • Mayo - 3D CAD model viewer and converter.