These software packages allow artists to simply push digital puppets around the screen without so much as doodling a single toothy grin. Drawing on Past Strengthsĭigital 2D tools are often bemoaned as the death of drawing.

But I'm also starting to see how these tools just might co-exist in a powerful pastiche of software unity.ĭrawing is easy and fun in Animate. But with their latest release, Toon Boom Animate, they have brought to market a tool that has the potential to storm the Flash gates.Īs a mega-user of Flash, I know those gates well, and can't actually imagine a 2D world in which I wouldn't use Flash. The Montreal-based team at Toon Boom, which offer Harmony and Storyboard Pro, among others, are no strangers to this market, and have seen their products used on such high-profile projects as The Simpsons Movie, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and The Triplets of Belleville. But Flash surely isn't the only game in town. Around the turn of the century, Adobe Flash emerged as the breakout player in this segment, of course, even though it was never truly intended for TV or feature film production. But a new wave of digital tools, starting back in the early 1990s with TVPaint and other software, allows 2D artists to take unique advantage of computer horsepower. In fact, ever since Pixar wowed us with environments and characters that looked like they could leap off the screen, 2D animation has taken a bit of a back seat to this newcomer. E and Kung Fu Panda, you'll know that CG animation now rules the roost.

If you've seen the eye-popping animated blockbusters lately, including WALL All Images Courtesy of Toon Boom Animation. Toon Boom Animate, released in November 2008.

Pencil animation review