One of the most common questions I get asked is “What Software Packages should I know?". My usual response is Photoshop and Illustrator. Photoshop and Illustrator are like reading and writing in the graphic design and animation industry. From there it really depends on what aspect of the industry you want to work in.

If you just want to be a cartoonist, comic book artist, designer or illustrator you really could just get away with knowing Photoshop or Painter. Then again you could still be an artist with one arm. Having the ability to produce both hi quality bitmap and vector images is a must now days. If you are going to be in the print world knowing Indesign or Quark is also a must.

So you want to be a web developer? Ok, in addition to Photoshop or Illustrator you will need Flash and Dreamweaver. An argument could also be made that you will need After Effects and a 3D package like Swift 3D. More and more video is popping up on the web. The Flash video format (.flv) is the preferred method of delivery for U-Tube and Google. Many clients are also wanting to include 3D elements in their projects so having the ability to produce basic 3D is becoming more and more of necessity.

Motion Graphics is your thing? Do I need to mention Photoshop and Illustrator again. Ok, here we go - After Effects, Flash, Premiere or Final Cut Pro. If you want to be a serious long-form editor there are systems like AVID, Flint, Flame, Smoke, Shake etc. Knowing basic 3D is also a good idea. If we are going to have the ability to work with 3D objects in Photoshop CS3 extended, it is a very good indicator that knowing basic 3D is becoming essential.

Ok, we have been talking about 3D, so what if you want to make that your career? Well, folks that really depends on the studio you want to work for. Some studios are Maya based or 3D Studio Max based. Other studios use XSI Softimage, Lightwave or Cinema 4D. There are also packages like Modo, Mudbox and ZBrush that are focused on the modeling aspect of 3D. All of the 3D packages have their pro’s and con’s.

Wait, what about 2D? So you want to be a 2D animator. Ok, there are a few packages out there. I recommend Flash and Toonboom. Flash still has a few features that I would like to see, however it is becoming a standard. Some commercials and animated TV shows have even been produced in Flash. Toonboom has also been used to develop commercials and animated films. Toonboom also exports to Flash’s .swf file format.

Did someone say special effects? Well, it really depends on what type of effects you want to do. After Effects can get you a long way, especially if you integrate third party plug-ins like Trapcode. The high-end editing systems also have their own bags of tricks. A lot of visual effects are also being done in 3D packages. One of my favorites is Houdini. Most the heavy visual effects in many of the feature films over the past years have been done with Houdini.

I am sure I have left out some really great packages, but hey it's a start. No matter what the package remember it's not the paper or pencil that makes the artist, it's what the artist can do with the tools that makes the difference.