Is After Effects really necessary for creating explainers, or is it unnecessary?
Is After Effects really necessary for creating explainers, or is it unnecessary?
I’m looking for ways to make explainer animations about technical and mathematical subjects, similar to 3Blue1Brown’s style. I’m considering using After Effects but wondering if it’s the best fit or if another tool would be more suitable. I need options for animating computer science ideas, circuits, physics, and astronomy concepts. Manim works well for math parts but might be too heavy for my needs. I’m on Linux and can use Wine or a Windows VM with GPU support, so I’m not limited by the operating system.
I can envision various approaches, some less clever than others.
Flash might still be viable, though not ideal for web use anymore, but it’s possible to animate and capture it.
You might be able to accomplish much with PowerPoint if you’re merely rearranging simple shapes, then recording the screen.
There are numerous free tools available for creating frame-by-frame animations—essentially turning images into videos by editing individual frames in programs like GIMP.
You could even tailor a solution using Unreal Engine for basic 2D animations and movements, thanks to its built-in 2D animation engine. Combined with flow diagrams, you might be able to replicate and repeat simple motions.
Once you become comfortable, manim could prove more manageable than anticipated.