Vyond reviews

The Best Animation Software for Instrucional Designers, Freelancers, and Business Owners

Opmerkingen: Vyond allows me to quickly enrich training material in an absolute impressive format. It helps me to work Agile by eliminating the need to wait for Voice Over Specialist because the HQ voice-over voices sound extremely human like. On top of that, it's an amazing tool for storytelling creation, even for gamification purposes.

Pluspunten:

The animation effects are amazing, the new HQ voice-overs are impressive because they sound human like and the lip-sync is very good. The character creator could offer more options, but it certainly offers good enough variety to create a similar version of yourself or others. Combining actions like for example walking into an scene and then saying high is pretty easy to setup with motion path and you can even select in what direction the character is looking.

Minpunten:

Every time you want to Preview and scene, you have to wait a few seconds. When using it for a long time, it would be better to refresh the web browser to reduce loading. It requires a very high-speed internet connection.

Expensive but Good (and Getting Better!)

Opmerkingen: All of that being said, we needed to get out some informative, appealing videos out quickly for a project, and Vyond definitely allowed me to do that, with a reasonable learning curve.

Pluspunten:

Some aspects of it are pretty easy to use -- if you design for the tool, it's easy to use; if you design for what you want and then try to use the tool to realize your design, it can be quite a bit trickier. I like that there's a decent built-in library of characters and actions and that the characters will appear to speak according to the audio. I did find it much easier to use, and more powerful, than our prior tool, VideoScribe (but it's also more than six times as expensive). My internal customers have been very happy with what I and others were able to create in Vyond and the whiteboard style videos were especially easy to create and publish. I also really like that Vyond has been enhancing their product...there was something that I was really wishing they had (motion pathing) when I was creating my videos last year and I've seen announcements that they've added that functionality since then. (I haven't used Vyond since the end of last year, since I've had other projects to deal with.)

Minpunten:

The biggest con is probably the cost...it's expensive for this kind of product. I also dislike that it's subscription based...I prefer apps that you purchase up front (maybe paying a bit extra for a maintenance contract to allow for upgrades). In terms of functionality, one problem is that you can't make a single video file with more than ~100 scenes (if you're using one of the non-whiteboard styles) or you'll start having problems with previewing it. You have to break it into two separate videos (which isn't easy) and then knit the published mp4 files together to make it back into one video. Given this, the product should include a little video splitter/joiner utility (instead of directing folks to use a piece of freeware, which my company won't allow us to do). I also have a laundry list of improvements that Vyond could make to their product to make it even better....for example, it desperately need visibility toggles - can't get it to stop selecting stuff I don't want when working with other stuff that's near it and it also really needs to give the user some way to see layers - can't easily move things to the right layer when there are a ton of objects in the scene. There are also no views of characters from the back -- you can sometimes "fake" this, but it's not easy with all characters/character positions. There's also no way to lock an object in position (like the bookshelves I put on the wall in the scene). I have a bunch of other suggestions, but you get the gist.

This experience was VYOND frustrating!

Opmerkingen: I wholly regret the decision of purchasing this software. The extreme lack of common, everyday items for props and character animations you find yourself needing, the bugs and poor customer service make it a thoroughly disappointing experience. After spending hours trying to make a two-minute video with realistic actions and props, you find yourself forced to be creative just to cope with the lack of what you assumed would be standard. If I could do it all over again, I would have tried different software.

Pluspunten:

This software has a lot of templates that can help you create videos quickly without starting from scratch. It seems to be well-suited for beginners to create very simple videos.

Minpunten:

Let's start by talking about the bugs. Several times a day I encounter "video cannot be played" errors when trying to preview the changes I make while editing. Also several times I've been kicked out and told I need to log in again while in the middle of editing a video I had been working on for over an hour. When this happens, I lose all the progress I've made since my last save, which tends to be significant. I contacted customer support who told me "this is fairly common" and I needed to clear my cache, clear my cookies, AND restart my PC. I asked if they could extend my subscription or offer any form of compensation to make up for the lost time. They said they "can't" do anything of the sort. So aside from the software bugs and poor customer service, let's dive into the problems with the features. At first glance, it almost seems like they have too many props, character action animations, and so forth. But once you begin to create videos with any level of detail or natural actions, you'll notice just how frustratingly limited it really is. Say you want to create a scene where a character walks through a door. You'll find just two door props that have an open and close animation, but no static props of a matching door staying open. Nor will you find a wall prop to go with that door. Want your character to order a drink in a bar? There's no animation for walking while holding a drink. I've run into dozens of similar limitations of things that should be commonplace.

Fun way to share content

Opmerkingen: Excellent product.

Pluspunten:

Facial expressions and gestures are abundant.

Minpunten:

I’d like some realistic b-roll similar to other products instead of all cartoons.

Wide variety of applications for a wide range of skill levels

Opmerkingen: My first Vyond projects were change management prior to a big software implementation with a training push. The animations were engaging and could be sent out in microlearning sized chunks of 1-2 minutes of information about the new product. I've also used it to show scenarios before and after a new process or procedure, but my favorite is using it to provide animations to explain a concrete concept in a conceptual way before digging into detailed skills.

Pluspunten:

This software has many more built-in templates than similar products, and includes lip-sync and camera movement options that create a polished look. It's easy to start, although users with more practice will be able to create more engaging storytelling and learning events. I also like the options for purchasing for a short period of time, if needed.

Minpunten:

It's expensive for a freelancer like myself to own a license at all times. I tend to get it for a quarter at a time on an as-needed basis.

Simple tool adds so much value

Opmerkingen: Our course engagement has increased among our learners, and surveys are showing a great response to eLearnings that include Vyond videos. I've greatly enjoyed using Vyond over the years. It's one of the best tools in my training toolbox.

Pluspunten:

The ability to show a concept to my learners in such a way that is engaging, and helps people who learn best with video.

Minpunten:

A format painter would be great, especially for customizing templates.

Vyond Makes Animation Easy!

Opmerkingen: It's been great! My company asked if I could create animated explainer videos for them (which I've hadn't done before) but once I found this software, it was a no brainer. I've been able to create professional, clean animated videos to highlight and promote our products.

Pluspunten:

The range of flexibility you have to make customizations, the ease of use, the library full of characters, props, templates, etc.

Minpunten:

Sometimes you need to be creative and think outside of the box to execute the animation you want - this may involve outside programs.

Quality Customization with Small Learning Curve

Pluspunten:

I love the level of control over interactions and how easy it is to tweak animations to match just about any requirement that comes up with an e-learning script. Even for new users, the time it takes to get started is pretty minimal.

Minpunten:

I wish there was a way to import your own character assets in order to further customize the videos. While there are a ton of options to make your own characters, being able to add your own models would make it easier to align to internal branding.

Fun Product to Use

Opmerkingen: I use this to create fun, engaging communications. I love the support that I receive from Vyond. I'm currently taking a free 8-week training from Vyond on how to create better stories. What a class-act organization.

Pluspunten:

This is a fun product - both from my perspective as an Instructional Designer and from the aspect of being able to engage my end users. I can take a simple message and my users are so much more likely to click the link and view the message. There are so many options and it is fairly easy to use. Vyond has a lot of great resources to get you started but to also keep you learning.

Minpunten:

I actually have nothing that I don't like about the software.

Vyond - the software for quick and fun videos

Opmerkingen: I love this tool - I can't see us using any other animation software.

Pluspunten:

I like the variety of templates that are included in the software. I also love the props, stock images and royalty-free music that is included. The software is easy to use, although it takes a while to truly master - like any software I suppose!

Minpunten:

Being network/internet based, there can be a delay in adding or editing scenes. I've also experienced delays when trying to render videos.

Release Your Creativity with Video

Opmerkingen: My primary use has been creating videos in the eLearning space. Training videos where characters are interacting is a common use scenario that Vyond is good for. I've used most of the graphics styles to provide learners a different experience from one course to another. I particularly enjoy, using scene transitions, changing camera perspectives and using professional voice over talent for a polished and professional result. The Vyond videos I create are almost always integrated into Articulate Storyline 360.

Pluspunten:

Nearly everyone is looking to create compelling motion graphics and video. I have used the product since it was formally called, GoAnimate. And the video platform has simply gotten better-and-better. Whether a beginner or experienced designer Vyond gives you real teeth for creating amazing videos. From the outset, you can choose a graphics style using different option provided: business-style characters, contemporary, or white board animation style. Vyond then provides many different kinds of templates based on the type of video you are looking to create. Although you can freely edit scenes, you will no doubt hit the grounded running picking from a vast number of backgrounds. Don't find just the right character for your video? Vyond includes a Character Studio where you can change many options such as skin tone, hair style, facial features, clothing style and any number of color options, which can be important for the purpose of applying your own branding. The more advanced designers will find creative ways to mix media such as to integrate Vyond characters and video or photographs. The timeline is particularly helpful in getting your characters, music, narration and graphic assets working just the way you want. You can expand and collapse elements on the timeline to help with management as well. Voice recording assigned to a character, automatically synchronizes mouth movements. You can assign character movements, expressions and emotions.

Minpunten:

There are so many different tips and tricks that can be used that separates a polished video from one that is amateur. I recommend taking advantage of any of Vyond's free webinars as well as peruse the online community. You occasionally wish for a character you can neither find or create. I'd like the additional capability to be able to copy camera settings from one scene to another.

Fast, easy, and versatile

Opmerkingen: We use it for internal employee training and external consumer education. We are developing a series of how-to videos for some customer facing technology also, a first for us. It is easy and quick, so it allows my super small team to do a lot. As a non-profit I have to do a lot of work with a small team and and a small budget.

Pluspunten:

Vyond is easy to learn, easy to use, and we can create and deploy training quickly. We use it intnerally and externally for employees and customers. When you have people from the organization sending you emails that they enjoyed the mandatory compliance training, you know you are on the right track! Vyond makes that possible with fun, engaging characters, audio, ability to import video, images, audio, etc. And ease of exporting as .mp4 and then bringing into Captivate to make SCORM modules for our LMS.

Minpunten:

The only thing I'm not happy with is the rudimentary formatting capabilities. It really needs to step up to PowerPoint's level of grouping. selecting, having a true selection panel. It gets the job done, and they enhance it frequently. But the clunky formatting is my only issue. It's improved a lot in the 2 years we've been using it.

Great for microlearning!

Opmerkingen: I started using Vyond about six months ago to create a series of microlearning videos on my company's core values. I had previously used Powtoons, which was user-friendly as well, but not as robust. I found Vyond to be extremely easy to learn as someone with no experience going in. The character sets are pretty comprehensive on their own, but the addition of the character creator was awesome! It allowed me to create one character I could use for consistency throughout each of my videos that won't be seen anywhere else. The developers at Vyond are also consistently releasing enhancements (finally there's align/distribute options) and idea videos that truly do improve the quality of what I'm creating and delivering. Text-to-speech options are pretty standard, too. Vyond does have a Community site that is very helpful and they frequently host office hours and workshops for budding and experienced developers alike. Using their resources and community, it's easy to have my Vyond questions answered.

Pluspunten:

Ease of use; variety of characters, poses, actions, objects; character creator; entrance and exit effects; screen transitions; consistent improvement by developers

Minpunten:

Need more animated objects for whiteboard videos; I feel like most of the development and new character and object sets are for the colorized versions of videos; some text-to-speech sounds VERY mechanical

Good product

Opmerkingen: Decent amount of templates and environments available. There can never be enough of these, please continue making more. I keep losing character's action continuing when Continue Scene option is used to extend scenes where character is performing actions. So if a character is explaining something and looking left, his arm/body re-orients to the Continued Scene if I decide character's head looks right, instead of left for new Continued Scene. This makes simple, fluid character actions like arm moves and stance appear choppy and incongruent.

Pluspunten:

Templates speed up the mundane tasks of creating moving images and environments.

Minpunten:

Lots more templates needed. Get ride of the amputee options that always seem to appear first for any character actions. Simple actions like "Standing" or "Talking" often return amputees as first option with regular appearing options further down the Actions List. Or perhaps have a group of Frequently Used Actions for characters instead so I don't have to scroll all the way down for the ones I need in each desired action.

Epic!

Pluspunten:

Vyond is easy to learn and has a robust set of props, characters, expressions, etc. that allow us to enhance our training content with storytelling elements. Since implementing Vyond, we've produced more video content faster, and with better engagement from employees.

Minpunten:

Overall we're very happy- I would like to see a number of 'quality of life' improvements to make working within the tool faster, as well as continued growth of the props, characters, etc. Specifically white board style options.

Something for all experience levels

Opmerkingen: I've created elearning videos that were embedded in scenarios within Articulate Storyline, and standalone learning bursts that are more like reminders of concepts. And we've modified templates to use for COVID training internally. Most recently, I've created marketing videos that are more like commercials for our products, used on our external website and sent to our clients.

Pluspunten:

I love how easy it is to use Vyond - and it's great for a wide range of experience levels. If you have no background in animation or video, and just want to get something out fast, the templates make it super easy. If you are more experienced, there's a huge variety of characters, props, actions, and other features to let you can get as creative as you want. Plus, it's just so danged fun to use! It's appealing from that perspective as well. I love being creative, and the end results are fun, but also polished and professional. Makes me look good ;-P

Minpunten:

I can't think of anything I don't like. Maybe a wider variety of characters? We like to show diversity. But that is nitpicking, because there IS diversity. Just be nice to have more.

Level Up Your Instructional Videos

Opmerkingen: Vyond helps us create clear, fun videos to explain all sorts of processes. It has always been well received.

Pluspunten:

This software is a real game changer! You are able to create custom vides that can really impact eLearning products. We use it often and it really enhances our products.

Minpunten:

At times the web based app is not responsive. Items freeze or do not work properly. Would like to see more character, scene and item choices added bi-annually.

Vyond Animated Video Software

Opmerkingen: We use it for so many different things, small learning moments, scenarios, and video explanations. It really gets the job done and shows something the learner wants to pay attention to.

Pluspunten:

This software is by far one of the easiest softwares to use, learn, and create absolutely brilliant and engaging work. I absolutely love how great everything looks and the sky is really the limit with what you can do.

Minpunten:

The only thing I don't like about it is that you can't make the background invisible and it doesn't have specific dimensions in the software. I'd like the ability to remove the background to put them in my eLearnings and have the video be different sizes.

Vyond for your training needs

Opmerkingen: Vyond has been used to create the majority of our training and product marketing videos. I find that people truly enjoy watching short informative animated videos. The creation time is Vyond is short compared to other video production products because almost everything you need is within the platform. I highly recommend Vyond to anyone looking to step up communications and training.

Pluspunten:

I've used Vyond for many years. I appreciate the fact that Vyond is constantly improving their platform, adding new assets and learning opportunities. Vyond adds value to an organization because it gives the developer the ability to share information in creative ways. Vyond has a great library of assets, characters, and character movements. I appreciate the ability to upload my own images, assets, music, and video clips. On top of this, Vyond has great customer support. The support team is always available and there are regular webinars to teach you how to create even better content. Adding Vyond to your tools is a must!

Minpunten:

I would like to see more text animation and scene transition options. Also, it would be nice to have more music to choose from. I have a subscription to a music provider since there is not much to choose from in Vyond. I would also like to see more templates available. The templates help me better understand more complex animation techniques.

Keeps getting better!

Opmerkingen: Whenever I can, I'm using Vyond. If I need a still, a GIF, or a full out video, I always go straight for it. We've got several other tools and I like having them as options, but between Vyond's ease of use, constant improvements, and customizability of characters and props, I don't plan on switching to a competitor any time soon.

Pluspunten:

I love Vyond's efforts in constantly improving. Every time I see something that I could use if it was available, they roll out an update that addresses the issue. The fact that the updates are pretty massive is also helpful and shows that they're attentive to customer needs.

Minpunten:

Initially, I didn't like the limitations on controlling movement, but there have been some great strides taken to improve this functionality. I'd still love to see some more improvements, maybe a better/faster way to allow for character transition within a scene rather than only relying on scene cuts, but that's getting knit picky.

Easy & Quick Engagement eLearning Tool

Opmerkingen: This is a tool you can use if you do not have a lot of time to put something together. You can make characters extremely animated where there is a lot of movement, or not, depending on how much development time you have. If I have questions, customer service is very quick to answer them. I usually can locate any questions in the help center. The overall experience has been really good.

Pluspunten:

I like the fact there are many choices to use for the characters and scenery. It is very easy to use. I picked up how to use the tool in no time at all. I like that you can customize characters. If you know how to use Adobe Captivate or other eLearning tools, this one will be easy to use. The best part is characters are interactive vs. still photos. This increases engagement and keeps learning flowing as close to a video as possible.

Minpunten:

I would like to see more clothing and accessory options in the characters. Closed caption would be nice but there is a work around.

Vyond - Easy to Use - Fantastic Results

Opmerkingen: Vyond is an extremely cost effective and valuable tool in our training creation toolbox.

Pluspunten:

I like being able to create custom videos and training materials for my organization. The software is super easy to use to create dynamic, effective training courses. Our users have said our courses are the best on-line training they've taken and that is, in no small part, due to Vyond. I also like that they hold regular training webinars where you can learn from others - I never fail to pick up a new tidbit I can use in my courses.

Minpunten:

More manufacturing (especially food manufacturing) templates would be helpful.

Perfect tool for our businesses that help in making interactive and animated video with zero technic

Opmerkingen: Vyond is a video platform that allows us to create, edit and then share video stories with our audience. Vyond is the perfect tool for businesses looking to create animated, interactive videos without any technical skills or expensive software. Whether you are an individual or a business, you can use Vyond to add an extra dimension of interactivity to your videos and engage your audience.

Pluspunten:

working with Vyond has helped us to build a brand of our own, as well as identify and define how we want to be seen through an eye-catching animation videos. The platform has helped us to create a unique brand and visual style for our content, and we look forward to continuing to grow our brand through the platform.

Minpunten:

Vyond is a highly intuitive platform that enables us to create animated videos, explainer videos, whiteboard videos, and more.

Vyond for healthcare EDU

Opmerkingen: Overall, I have a good experience with Vyond. I design educational videos by creating funny characters in an ongoing series or a serious video that is impactful. I've created videos on the same topic in different genres.

Pluspunten:

Vyond allows customization of characters and scenes which allow me to address a specific topic in a variety of ways.

Minpunten:

For my purposes, I would like to have additional healthcare scenes and character clothing and accessories. Also, something that is annoying - the only way to paste text or an asset is to ctrl+v. I can right click to copy, I don't understand why I can't paste that way as other programs do.

Taking training to a new level

Opmerkingen: We are using Vyond for human services and non-profit services. We have already used Vyond to create tutorials for new software that staff have to use. We plan to use this to train on policies for greater impact and memory retention. We also plan to create videos to use to supplement virtual classes for our clients.

Pluspunten:

I love that this software allows me (non-graphic-design-inclined) to create engaging and creative videos to train staff in a way that has more impact and memory retention than documents, emails or PowerPoint trainings. Without attending a tutorial, I was able to create a video with animations, voice-over audio and music. The software is very intuitive. For any unclear features, they use their own tool to create short informational videos to answer help topics.

Minpunten:

I wish there was a way to create an animation path in a curve or other non-straight line. The template library is vast, however, there were still some needs that I had which I had to manually create. Hopefully they continue to grow this library as users increase.