SpeedTree / Available On Streaming Rental or Purchase

While it’s best known for gaming backgrounds, SpeedTree is a useful animation tool for background environments. Through the tools’ procedural modeling, flexible art tools, and photogrammetry workflows, artists can create likelike, dynamic environments. Animators can quickly and easily add vegetation – plants, water, rain, etc. – to their backgrounds, without having to worry too much about realism or being too flat. Each element reacts to customizable wind settings, seasonal variations, and different textures, and can be adaptable for a variety of environments, including both urban and natural biomes. Independent studios can start using the software at $19/month, but animators looking to try the software can access the app’s Learning Edition for free.