ZU3D - brilliant animation software

If, like me, you have been waiting for something to replace your ageing copy of Digital Blue's rather horrible Movie Creator software, then look no further. ZU3D version 3 has arrived and after a couple of days of playing around with it I am smitten.

I've had the original version for a while and my 10 year old son has found it very easy to use. I was always impressed with the friendly interface and the simplicity, but for me there were a few things missing in the original version; I frequently found myself using other software in addition. But not any longer!

The developers have managed to maintain the simple interface but have added so many more features (live video, time lapse, chroma key, multiple time lines to name but a few). You can even draw animations or import animated gifs which makes creating your own special effects a real possibility.

An exploding meerkat courtesy of ZU3D

So, now you can do stop motion, live video, and 'movie maker style' editing all in one package just like you could (ish) with the Digital Blue software - except ZU3D does it all so much better.

Do your school or your home a favour and check out the website. I only have the software, but their animation kit including camera, software, sets, green screen and plasticine looks like a good deal to me.