31/01/2024

Best free online whiteboards for teaching and collaboration

Online whiteboard is a software solution that comes along as apps or browser-based tools. They support teams to collaborate visually over distance in real-time.

Today, virtual whiteboarding has become the norm among educators and distributed teams, as it supports better collaboration between team members or students and increase their productivity and creativity.

Having a virtual whiteboard app is pretty essential, they have been widely used to brainstorm, plan, explain, and teach.

With the digital canvas it offered, Drawing not only pictures, but much more — charts, structures, text, mind maps — еverything that expresses our thoughts.

A very useful and convenient way to communicate a distance for creation teams, designers, teachers and students, marketing specialists, and more.

Looking for the best online whiteboards for teaching and team collaboration? Online whiteboards come a dime a dozen, some cost money, and some aren't that functional.

With so many options available, it is easy to feel overwhelmed with the 100s of options out there. what ones are the best for you?

Fear not! We've narrowed it down to the top 12 options. We will also introduce the features, price points, and some brief descriptions to differentiate between each online whiteboard.

What are the most important benefits of online whiteboards?

Real-time Collaboration: Online whiteboards enable multiple users to collaborate simultaneously, regardless of their physical location.

This real-time collaboration allows team members to contribute, edit, and share ideas in a synchronous manner, fostering effective communication and enhancing productivity.

Digital Drawing Tools: online whiteboards often provide a variety of digital drawing tools, such as pens, markers, shapes, and colors.

These tools allow users to express their ideas visually, create diagrams, sketch concepts, and annotate content, making the brainstorming process more dynamic and engaging.

Integration of Media: Online whiteboards often support the integration of various media types, such as images, videos, and documents.

This feature enables teams to incorporate external resources, reference materials, or multimedia elements into their collaborative sessions, enhancing the richness and depth of discussions.

Remote Accessibility: With an online whiteboard, team members can access and contribute to collaborative sessions from any location and device with internet access.

This flexibility is particularly beneficial for remote teams, distributed work environments, or situations where in-person meetings are not possible.

Persistent and Shareable Boards: Online whiteboards typically offer the ability to save, store, and share boards, allowing users to revisit previous sessions, refer to past ideas, and continue discussions over time.

This feature promotes knowledge retention, facilitates asynchronous collaboration, and enables team members to collaborate across different time zones.

12 Best online Whiteboards

There is a lot of online whiteboards, But the top 12 highly-rated online whiteboards are:

1. Miro

Miro is a visual collaboration platform that allows teams to work together in real-time on a digital canvas.

It has infinite canvas that can create content such as adding sticky notes with different colors, adding lines to connect objects.

2. Mural

Mural provides a digital canvas where teams can work together, share ideas, and design workflows. With AI capabilities, MURAL assists in automating repetitive tasks, organizing content, and suggesting relevant templates and frameworks for better collaboration.

3. Stormboard

Stormboard is a great whiteboard for meetings workshops, seminars and conferences.

The software is very easy to use and the aestethics are pleasing. Having customizable templates is a great option for creatives.

4. Explain Everything

Explain Everything is a collaborative whiteboard tool that combines real-time collaboration, interactive features, and AI-powered functionalities. It allows teams to collaborate, share ideas, and create engaging presentations.

AI features include handwriting recognition, shape recognition, and intelligent object resizing to improve the visual experience and streamline collaboration.

5. Whiteboard.fi

Whiteboard.fi is a versatile and activating tool for teachers and students that can be used in a wide variety of teaching setups.

6. Ziteboard

Ziteboard is an online whiteboard with real-time collaboration features. Its touch-friendly interface is a boon for tablet users.

7. Microsoft Whiteboard

Microsoft Whiteboard is free and collaborative, The features are simple and easy to use.

Within Teams meetings, it becomes a virtual whiteboard for organizing, sharing and explaining ideas visually.

8. Google Jamboard

Google Jamboard has a clean UI and provides all the basic whiteboard features like pen, eraser, sticky notes, shapes, text box, ability to add pictures etc.

9. Limnu

Limnu comes with various small details and features that help teams to create the smoothest drawings in a seamless manner.

Features include session sharing, document storage, participant management, progress tracking, template creation and more.

10. Conceptboard

Conceptboard is a digital whiteboard platform that enables teams to collaborate visually. It provides AI-assisted features like automated layout suggestions, content tagging, and intelligent search capabilities.

These features help teams organize and find content more efficiently during collaborative sessions.

11. Lucidspark

Lucidspark is a virtual whiteboard tool designed for remote collaboration. It offers features like sticky notes, freehand drawing, and collaborative editing.

AI-powered functionality in Lucidspark includes intelligent object recognition and automated organization of content to improve team collaboration and productivity.

12. OpenBoard

Conclusion

In our view, these are the top 12 whiteboard apps for Virtual Teaching, Team Collaboration and more. But the list is by no means conclusive. There are a tonne of other whiteboard apps available – Sketchboard, Bitpaper, twiddla, liveboard and more.

Before opting for one of these boards, carefully consider your particular needs and preferences along with the various functions each offers in order to make sure you select the best option for your individual situation.

You should pair it with some free online meeting tools to ensure perfect harmony between your team; that way you can brainstorm, chat, and see each other all at the same time.

Go check it out and start whiteboarding! Do not forget to mention which you choose to use in the comment section below.

Related Posts: Best Graphic Tablets for Kids and TeenagersBest Laptops for KidsBest Chromebooks.

FAQs

What is the best free online whiteboard app?

It depends, Here are the 4 famous, most intuitive, simple, free options: Google Jamboard, Microsoft Whiteboard, Whiteboard.fi , OpenBoard.

Additionally, Many online whiteboard app has a free version with limited features.

Can I use a drawing tablet for whiteboard app?

Yes, With the right whiteboard app and a digital writing pen tablet for online teaching, you can give your teaching, team collaboration and brainstorming experience a serious boost.

pen tablets works well with whiteboard apps. It allow users to draw, sketch, and write digital content in whiteboard app by using a stylus. When you write something, others will see it immediately.

They can also be used for taking notes, creating interactive teaching materials, annotating PDFs and more.

Why use an online whiteboard for Virtual Teaching?

Online whiteboard is a unique internet instructing apparatus that can work both as an unique app or as an integral support of your video conferencing application.

In online teaching the whiteboard has an effective role, where you can compose notes, draw graphs, and cooperate with students.

Teacher collaboration and help maintain students' attention and interest during sessions. Students can make their own presentations, routines, and so on.

Why use an online whiteboard for Team Collaboration?

An online whiteboard can be an effective tool for managing teams, especially if you have remote or hybrid workers.

Using an online whiteboard allows a team to go beyond the screen-sharing experience and reach a real level of co-creation and collaboration.

Bringing all the attendees of an online meeting together on the same board, on which they can create content and interact in real-time with each other, fosters real collaboration.

Source: https://pctechtest.com/best-online-whiteboards

24/01/2024

What is the best software for 3D animation?

In today's world, 3D animation has become an essential part of the entertainment industry. From movies, television shows to video games, 3D animation is used everywhere to create realistic and engaging visual experiences for the audience.

3D Animation software provides users with a platform to create, design, generate and develop animated 3D graphics, simulations, and drawings. They can help artists and designers to make the most unusual fantasies come to life.

If you're looking to break into 3D animation, choosing your software is the most crucial starting point. A good software can help you save a lot of money, time, and effort.

There are plenty of 3D animation software available on the market, but no one ideal software for everyone. Some of the programs are simple, and a few are complicated. Choosing the best 3D animation programs requires consideration of a wide range of factors.

Fortunately, we have listed the 10 best 3d animation programs here, including both free and paid options, highlighting their pros and cons so you can make an informed choice.

What is 3D animation and its importance?

Unlike traditional 2D animation - 2D Animation software, 3D animation is the process of creating animated images and videos that appear to have three dimensions, using computer software.

The software allows artists to create 3D models of objects, characters, and environments. These 3D models are then rigged, animated, and rendered to create the final product.

3D is very technical and you have lots of other elements to consider outside of just animating: modeling, rigging, lighting, rendering, cameras, etc. And all of these things can break or run into issues…

The importance of 3D animation lies in its ability to create visually stunning and engaging content that can captivate audiences and effectively communicate complex ideas.

It is used extensively in film, television, video games, advertising, and education, among other industries.

How to choose the best 3D Animation Software?

Given that different software has different features, usabilities, and prices, it is imperative that you are aware of the program you acquire.

Some animation software is best suited to building games while others are suited to creating cartoons. So the best choice depends on the type of work you want to create.

Pixar, Rockstar, Epic Games and more all have their own approach to animation. Learn what the pros use, If you want to join these companies.

Of course, the cost is another important factor. Being a beginner you may not want to spend a lot on animation software.

10 Best 3D Animation Software

Are you a professional looking for the best premium 3D animation software, or an amateur seeking the best free option? There will be always suitable software in the list below for your choice.

Please note that the 3D animation software below demands high configuration computers to use, Otherwise you may experience frequent crashes.

1. Autodesk Maya

For making beautiful 3D animations, Autodesk Maya is the movies and visual effects industry standard.

Maya is great in doing character and industrial animation. It's also easily customizable, this means that it can be easily integrated with other third-party software.

2. Autodesk 3DS Max

3DS MAX is a popular and easy to use 3D modeling, animation and rendering software.

It was first used in animation of computer games, and then began to participate in special effects production of film.

3. Cinema 4D

Cinema 4D is pretty easy to pick up, the rigging tools are great fun to work with if you need to do any TD work or just rig your own models for animation.

The animation tools are great to work with too and if that wasn't enough you get the added bonus of the modeling and sculpting features.

4. Houdini

Houdini is mostly used for VFX and simulation, but you can use Animation in Houdini, especially when it comes to hair, body and muscle dynamics.

You could even use it to animate simulations for certain scenes quicker than animating simulations in other 3D software such as Maya or Blender.

5. Modo

Modo is a versatile 3D software program that can be used for a wide range of applications, including 3D modeling, texturing, animation, and rendering.

It has a clean and intuitive interface that is easy to use, making it ideal for beginners and professionals alike.

6. Blender

Blender, a free and open-source piece of software, is extremely well-liked for its adaptability, potent capabilities, and user-friendly design.

Blender provides a full feature set of tools for developing production quality 3D animations.

There are some complexities to Blender but nothing you can't overcome.

7. Daz Studio

Daz Studio is fundamentally intended for 3D person demonstrating, delivering, and movement.

It offers an easy to use interface and many pre-made 3D models and resources.

8. iClone 8

iClone 8 is a popular software for creating real-time 3D animations, particularly for character animation and virtual production.

It offers a range of features such as motion capture integration, character customization, and real-time rendering.

9. Clara.io

Clara.io is an online 3D animation tool which has AI-powered features like automatic camera framing, motion capture for animation, automated lip syncing based on audio, and more.

You can create cartoon characters, rig them for animation, and use the AI tools to speed up the animation process.

10. Cascadeur

Cascadeur is a standalone software for 3D keyframe animation of humanoid or other characters.

Thanks to its AI-assisted tools, you can make key poses really fast, instantly see physical result and adjust secondary motion.

Conclusion

We hope the above list will help you find the perfect tool for your animation needs.

Every software has a few specific functions and gear that every other application can't substitute. What you go with often comes down to budget, operating system and your tech skills.

Think about which features are most important to you and how you're most likely to use animation software. It can be helpful to write a quick list of your top priorities, that way it'll be easier to decide which animation software is best for you.

Many 3D animation software programs offer free trials. We highly recommend you try a few out to get an idea about how it'd look with your workflow.

Have you found the ideal option for your needs? Don't forget to share it with me in the comments section below.

Related Posts: Veikk Drawing Pads , Best Laptops for GamingBest Laptops for College Students .

FAQs

What is the best free 3d animation software?

Blender is widely considered to be the best free software for making 3D animations.

It supports entirely 2D and 3D pipelines including modeling, rigging, animation, rendering, compositing, and video editing.

Additionally there are some industry standard tools out there that have free learning editions such as Houdini, Nuke, Clarisse.

Can I do 3D animation without drawing?

While drawing skills can be a valuable asset in the world of 3D animation, they are not a strict requirement.

Many successful 3D animators can still make great animations without knowing how to draw.

Do you need a drawing tablet for 3D animation?

No, Generally you don't need a graphics tablet for 3D animation.

3D animators aren't normally drawing anything, they're adjusting controls created by riggers. And, for the most part, that means there's no big advantage to a drawing tablet.

But graphic tablet is still a must-have for anyone looking to simplify the tedious animation and drawing processes.

Source: https://pctechtest.com/best-3d-animation-software

17/11/2023

Using Pen Tablets for Interactive Online Teaching

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, online teaching has become an integral part of the learning process. Educators around the world are adapting to virtual classrooms to provide quality education to students.

As this mode of teaching continues to gain traction, it's essential to explore innovative tools that can enhance the online learning experience. One such tool that holds significant potential is the use of pen tablets.

In this article, we'll delve into the ways educators can leverage pen tablets to create interactive and engaging online teaching environments.

Enhancing Visual Communication

Visual communication plays a crucial role in online teaching. Through the use of pen tablets,such as wacom, huion, xppen, gaomon, ugee, veikk, etc. educators can seamlessly illustrate concepts, annotate content, and create diagrams in real time.

This enhances the clarity of explanations and makes complex topics more accessible to students. By incorporating visual aids directly into their virtual classrooms, educators can foster better understanding and engagement among students.

Real-Time Problem Solving

One of the challenges of online teaching is the lack of immediate interaction.

Pen tablets for online teaching address this challenge by enabling educators to solve problems in real time. They can work through mathematical equations, scientific experiments, and other practical tasks while students follow along.

This interactivity bridges the gap between physical and virtual classrooms, providing students with an experience similar to traditional in-person learning.

Personalized Feedback and Assessment

Effective feedback is a cornerstone of learning. Pen tablets allow educators to provide personalized feedback on assignments, quizzes, and projects directly on the students'work.

This personalized touch not only enhances the learning experience but also helps students identify their strengths and areas for improvement.

The use of pen tablets in assessment encourages a more holistic understanding of students progress.

Creating Dynamic Presentations

Static presentations can sometimes lead to disengagement. Pen tablets enable educators to create dynamic and interactive presentations.

They can use annotate pdf with digital tablet, highlight key points, and draw connections between concepts on the go.

This dynamic approach captures students'attention and encourages active participation, making the online learning experience more vibrant and memorable.

Fostering Collaboration

Collaborative learning is a vital aspect of education. Pen tablets facilitate collaborative activities by allowing educators and students to work together in real time.

Whether it's a group brainstorming session or a collaborative project, the ability to sketch, draw, and write together fosters teamwork and a sense of shared accomplishment, even in a virtual environment.

For educators teaching in diverse settings, language barriers can pose a challenge. Pen tablets offer a visual way to overcome these barriers. Educators can use them to explain concepts without relying solely on language.

Visual representations transcend linguistic differences, ensuring that all students can grasp the content effectively.

Adapting to Hybrid Learning Models

As education transitions into a hybrid model that combines in-person and online teaching tools, pen tablets become even more valuable.

Educators can seamlessly switch between traditional teaching methods and digital interactions using pen tablets.

This adaptability ensures a smooth learning experience, regardless of whether students are attending class in person or remotely.

FAQs

Q1: Do I need any specific software to use pen tablets for online teaching?

While some pen tablets come with proprietary software, many are compatible with popular online teaching platforms and whiteboard applications.

Q2: Can pen tablets work with different devices?

Yes, pen tablets can be used with computers, laptops, and even some tablets, offering flexibility in your teaching setup.

Q3: Are pen tablets suitable for subjects beyond art?

Absolutely. Pen tablets are versatile tools that can be used across various subjects, from mathematics to science and even language arts, such as graphics pads for pixel artdrawing pads for tattoo design and etc.

Q4: Do students need their own pen tablets to participate?

No, students can follow along and engage with the content even without their own pen tablets. Educators can share their screen and interact using their tablet.

Q5: Are pen tablets user-friendly for educators who aren't tech-savvy?

Yes, many pen tablets are designed with user-friendly interfaces, making them accessible to educators of all tech levels.