Cartoon Animator 4 (formerly CrazyTalk Animator) is a 2D animation tool designed to allow users to create professional animations easily. Users can apply motion effects to static images, turn videos of human faces into animated avatars, etc.
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Snagit
Score9.7 out of 10
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Snagit is screen capture and recording software from TechSmith, that lets users capture the screen and camera, add additional context, and share images, GIFs, or videos across preferred platforms.
$39
per year per user
Pricing
Cartoon Animator
Snagit
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cartoon Animator
Snagit
Free Trial
No
Yes
Free/Freemium Version
No
No
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
No
No
Entry-level Setup Fee
No setup fee
No setup fee
Additional Details
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One-time license cost
One license per user - install on 2 machines, for work and home use
Compatible with Windows and MacOS
Optional Maintenance renewal - first year included
FREE Upgrade to the next version
Phone, chat and email support
Access to Snagit Certification with 20+ exclusive how-to videos
Enhanced Screencast integration to share content, plus the newest starter Assets for Snagit
This is a difficult question to answer. This software can be used for a hobbyist or professionals alike. On one hand, you can make fun, simple animations for things like YouTube or Facebook. However, on the other hand, you can use this tool for professional looking animations that can be used in marketing, presentations, etc. I am someone who uses the program for both - as a hobbyist and also professionally. The first time I took it upon myself to make an animation for something job-related, it impressed my colleagues so much that they bought the company their own copy of the software and encouraged me to make more. There have been numerous times where I have used the program to entice new clients. I would even take it a step further by using a potential client's logo or CEO as a character in the animation. In 2015, CrazyTalk Animator (CTA) has even helped me land a new job. I had been laid off and was out of work for a few months. I saw a job opening I was interested but had learned that the position had literally hundreds of potential applicants. Basically, I created a video using CTA of me performing the job as if I already had been offered it. I even included the company logo. In the video, I made an animation explaining why it was a good idea to hire the company. Once I finished the video I included it along with my resume. To make a long story short, I got the job.
I have recommended Snagit several times. Discussion of screenshot programs is not something that often arises often, in my work environment. When such a situation does arise, I make it clear that Snagit is my go-to solution for anything related to screenshot capture. It opens the captured image directly into an editor window for quick and easy manipulation.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
The main pro of the entire program is that it makes animation incredibly simple. You are not required to even know how to draw. Once you grasp the gist of the software it is extremely simple to use.
Another great aspect of CTA is the online community. There are a vast amount of online tutorials and an online forum for anyone who has questions. They even provide a content store in which users can sell their own content to other users.
A recent update has allowed Photoshop integration. This allows even more customization of aspects of the animation you are working with.
A characters mouth movements are automatically synced with voiceover audio. I felt this gave me one less thing to animate and has saved me time on more than one occasion.
Being able to take screen captures quickly and with just a keystroke is a prime feature. I took several screenshots just yesterday to show folks, which saved me from taking the time to meet with [...] everyone.
Obviously recording and sharing video is Snagit's strength. It does this as well as any product I have used. It is not an editor but there are a lot of capture features that cover just about any situation.
One great feature that Snagit has is the ability to pull text from a capture. We don't use this a lot but when it is needed it is a huge time saver.
The settings and tools within Snagit are intuitive and easy to find.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Other products made by this company (Namely their 3D animation software) have a character creator. I would love to see something like this with CTA.
I would like to see a bigger integration with social media. Having the ability to live broadcast a CTA character in real-time (like mo-cap) would be amazing. If this were a possibility you could live stream a video chat or Facebook live portrayed as your CTA character.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
I think that the tool is excellent for what it is being used for. I particuarly like the ability to capture content from the screen whilst using the scroll wheel on my mouse. It is very annoying when your try to capture something with grab and you can't scroll which leads to multiple images
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
It's button centric for easy access to every feature. Everything allows undo! It works like any other standard Windows application. Everyone can be a professional without having to select every feature yourself by using the built in styles with just one click of a button in most cases. Every button is clearly labeled too.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
I've actually never had to contact support as the tool is easy to use. One aspect is that they upgrade and send email notifications of the upgrades. They don't charge extra for upgrades and their enhancements fall in line with the way we use the tool. We haven't had to submit any upgrade requests as the tool already does what we need it to do.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
It's a simple next next finish install. The SnagIt Library in the user profile should probably be backed up to make sure they have access to their old screen captures. We frequently will go back to previous captures and add context bubbles etc. when software changes to show the "old" vs "new". Also, go to SnagIt's website and download the additional Stamp Sets for the user. These are terrific. I wish there was one download to get them all, but you have to download and install them one set at a time. It's worth it - especially for training how-to's.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
CTA was a program that got me interested in 2D animation. After about a year of using the software, I began looking for other similar products. I had come across a program called Toon Boom. This was another 2D software somewhat similar to CTA. Toon Boom is a fantastic program however the price was higher than CTA. Aside from that, learning how to use Toon Boom had a much higher learning curve. Eventually, I purchased Toon Boom and learned the program. It is definitely a powerful 2D animation platform however I always seemed to bring myself back to CTA. I felt CTA was much more simple to use. It was also easy enough for other people to contribute to my animation projects. Having to reteach my coworkers another program was not going to work for us. Not being solely responsible for animations is a huge relief.
Windows free snipping tool - Con: had to save each screen shot before I could take another screen shot and couldn't draw nice circles/rectangles around the area of the screen shot to bring attention. Chrome plugin options - Con: editing tools were lacking.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Since my company discovered that I was an animator, they are constantly wanting me to make videos. If the company were to outsource someone to create animations like the ones I am creating, they would be extremely pricey. CTA was only a one-time purchase. I have even trained several other employees of the company how to use the software. That way, if I ever exit the company they can continue to create marketing animations without me.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
