Here's another interesting one - aimed at 2d games animation so the only export options for films would be avi and images and a compositor would be required.

spine2d

Another popular choice for games spriter

Flash has never required the user to use symbols in order to animate. You can easily just draw your cels the way you would in a real traditional environment. In fact the cel animation features in flash are far superior to Toon Boom. Combine them with its shape morphing for clean up work and you can easily produce animation that is 1:1 on par with anything Disney has ever produced.

I've been using Flash for this type of work since Flash 3.







Ibis Fernandez   |   (available for hire)
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Professional Animator, Filmmaker | Creator of the highest quality (modular) G2 rigs for cartoon animator and developer of Toon Titan and Puppet Producer 
Author of Flash Animation and Cartooning: A Creative Guide
>>> be sure to check out http://toontitan.com for professional grade assets, templates, and custom tools for Cartoon Animator and more.

Of course drawing each frame, ala frame by frame wouldn't require symbols, but really isn't the same type of animation. You could use Photoshop for cel (fbf) animations too, but that wasn't the question asked.  The question asked was which application similiar to CTA2.

It's a direct response to your response. In your reply, you specifically state that the only way to animate in flash is by using symbols. This is not true. and this why i replied. Because people should know this is not the case. My point being that Flash is a far superior tool when you use properly. Also the animation demo above is not 100% frame by frame (its more like 10% FbB) lol, it just looks that way. It's only about 8 actual frames drawn. It simply makes use of one of Flash's oldest features called shape morphing, to morph one shape into another to fill in the blanks for you.

In terms of whether there is any other tool similar to CTA2. The answer is CTA1.

Aside from that there isn't one. Here's the thing, as far as I know CTA2 is the only software that allows you to work with a 2d sprites mapped against a 3d skeletal system in a native way. You can actually do this is most 3d apps but you have to rig and sort out all the mappings yourself. Which no one is crazy enough to do. CTA has done the work for you. So the answer is NO. There isn't and there provably wont be one for years. The technology is new and like anything new, it comes with a learning curve.



Ibis Fernandez   |   (available for hire)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Professional Animator, Filmmaker | Creator of the highest quality (modular) G2 rigs for cartoon animator and developer of Toon Titan and Puppet Producer 
Author of Flash Animation and Cartooning: A Creative Guide
>>> be sure to check out http://toontitan.com for professional grade assets, templates, and custom tools for Cartoon Animator and more.

There are actually many 2D applications that deal with animation from a bones/skeletal perspective and is not nearly as hard to rig up as some will make you think.  Personally my opinion is 3D has no place in 2D animations, and the appearance of 3D can be just as easily simulated with well thought out and designed character rigs in 2D.  2D animators have been doing psuedo-3D animations long before CTA was ever around.  Many of them are easier to create characters in than CTA as well since many of them have actually drawing capabilities and custom rigging.  With CTA you're locked into their rig only, and creating a character for it is a big ole PITA.  It would be easier mapping sprites to a 3D skeleton in a 3D app such as the creators of South Park do.  Another downfall of the approach of CTA is the sprite switching that occurs in using 3D motions is really jarring, there is no easing into it or interpolation.  As far as alternatives to CTA, and other decent 2D animation package is a far better alternative than CTA.  Unless you just want to use their assets, in which case CTA is a dream to use, assuming you don;t want to create anything really nifty.

I went with CTA 1, Anime Studio Pro 11, and After Effects CC 2015 -- hopefully that's going to give me all the capabilities I could need at this point in my education!