Free Tools And Resources For Creating Pivot Animations

The provided source material details several free software tools and resources available for creating animations using Pivot Animator, a stick-figure animation program. The information is derived from educational guides, software download pages, and community asset repositories. The available data does not cover the traditional "free samples" or promotional offers referenced in the system prompt, such as beauty products, baby care items, pet food trials, or household goods. Instead, the sources focus exclusively on digital tools and instructional content for animation. Below is a factual summary based on the available data.

Overview of Pivot Animator and Related Tools

Pivot Animator is a free downloadable software tool designed for creating stick-figure animations. According to the provided sources, it is available for Windows operating systems and is not compatible with Chromebooks or Macintosh computers. The software is promoted as a free tool that users can download and play with at home. One source specifies that the latest version, Pivot Animator 5.2.5, requires Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 or later (Windows 10 is recommended), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), and DirectX version 11 or later. It is noted that this version will not overwrite version 4, allowing users to have both installed simultaneously.

The sources include an educational assignment guide that outlines steps for using Pivot Animator. This guide instructs users to create a Google Slides portfolio for grading purposes, set up a specific file-saving structure, and use MS Paint to draw a background image (e.g., a body of water with specific elements like blue water, brown ground, a yellow sun, and blue clouds). The animation process involves setting the software's dimensions to match the background image (1200 pixels width by 800 pixels height), loading the background, and animating a figure to perform specific actions, such as jumping over the water or performing a skateboard jump. The guide specifies file formats for backgrounds (.bmp, .gif, .jpg, or .png) and for saving animations (.piv files and exported animated GIFs).

Free Add-ins for Excel Pivot Tables

A separate tool mentioned is the Pivot Power Free add-in for Microsoft Excel. This is a free add-in designed to automate basic pivot table tasks. According to the source, it is compatible with Excel 2007 or later and is for Windows only (not for Macintosh). The add-in allows users to save a pivot table layout, summary function, and number format, and then apply these settings to any pivot table with a single click.

Key features highlighted in the source include the ability to quickly change all value fields in a pivot table from COUNT to SUM, apply a specific number format to all value fields simultaneously, turn column AutoFit on or off, list all pivot tables in the active workbook, and clear old items from pivot table drop-down lists. The add-in is provided "as is," and the authors do not warrant that it will meet user requirements or operate error-free. The latest version mentioned is 2.01, released on December 4, 2024, which fixed an issue with the 'List All Pivot Tables' button.

Free Animation Assets and Community Content

Community-driven resources for Pivot Animator are also available. One source references a "Pivot-Pack.zip" file hosted on a website (itch.io) that contains six stick figure files: Stickman, Elephant, Man Realistic, Man, Cowboy, and Horse. This pack was downloaded 1,606 times as of the provided data. Another source, LottieFiles, hosts a collection of free and premium animations, including those tagged for "Pivot 5 Animator." These animations can be downloaded in various formats (dotLottie, Lottie JSON, MP4, GIF) for use in web, app, and design projects.

Additionally, a source mentions a collection of free and premium animations on LottieFiles, including those specifically for "Pivot 5 Animator." These can be downloaded in formats like dotLottie, Lottie JSON, MP4, and GIF for use in web, app, and design projects.

System Requirements and Compatibility

The provided documentation specifies system requirements for Pivot Animator 5. It requires Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 or later, with Windows 10 recommended. A GPU and DirectX version 11 or later are also necessary. The software is noted to be only available for Windows and may not run on some older machines. For the Pivot Power Free Excel add-in, the requirement is Excel 2007 or later on a Windows system.

Educational Use and Assignments

The educational guide provided is structured for classroom use, with assignments carrying point values (e.g., 100 points). Assignments include creating a background in MS Paint, animating a figure to jump over water, and creating a short story-based animation. The guide includes specific instructions for saving and exporting animations for grading via Google Slides. It also includes a grading rubric for a final assignment, emphasizing no violence and specific criteria for background creation and animation length (4 seconds).

Conclusion

The available source material provides information on free digital tools for animation and data analysis, specifically Pivot Animator for stick-figure animation and the Pivot Power Free add-in for Excel pivot tables. These tools are available at no cost and are supported on Windows systems, with specific version requirements. The information also includes community-sourced animation assets and an educational framework for using Pivot Animator. The data does not include information on traditional product samples or promotional offers in categories such as beauty, baby care, pet products, health, food, or household goods.

Sources

1. Pivot Animator Educational Guide
2. LottieFiles Animation Collection
3. Pivot Power Free Excel Add-in
4. Pivot Animator 5 Download Page
5. Pivot Stick Figure Asset Pack