This page is a list of 3D modeling software for various purposes.
I don't have experience in using them except dabbling in a few as toy and admire the technology.
Note: 3D modeling software are quite complex and diverse. For examples:
Software designed for engineering, architecture, CAD, is almost useless for creating commercial animations that's mostly free-form shapes, and vice versa. Similarly, those from gaming community has its own purposes, features, requirements.
Also, the underlying modeling approach is very different. Most popular are mesh/polygon based. (they represent a object by its surface) Then there are solid based, that represent objects with a thickness as in real life. And there are ones focused on spline/nurb free-form curve based. There are ones based on sculpting and painting directly to the surface.
Even within a field, the interface is very diverse and totally different.
In other software, such as word processor, image editors, different
ones are still pretty similar. You know one, and you know them all. But
this is entirely different for 3D software. Each one will have completely
different user interface and the ways you create models.
Part of the reason is the inherent complexity in 3D modeling.
First of all, you have to understand basic analytic geometry: coordinates, perspectives, projections, polygons, …, and can get technical, such as nurbs, math equations, physics of light, game engines ….
3D modeling are also tied to animating 3D scenes, rendering, both are quite complex.
SketchUp
SketchUp is a 3D modeling computer program for a wide range of drawing applications such as architectural, interior design, landscape architecture, civil and mechanical engineering, film and video game design.
It is available as a web-based application, SketchUp Free,4 and a paid version with additional functionality, SketchUp Pro.5 Previously, a freeware version, SketchUp Make,657 was also available.
AutoCAD LT is a lower cost version of AutoCAD with reduced capabilities first released in November 1993.
AutoCAD Freestyle
AutoCAD Freestyle is a simplified, low-cost (US$149) application that makes it easy to create accurate, professional-looking 2D drawings and sketches.
Illustration, Art
Autodesk 3ds Max (3D Studio, 3D Studio Max)
Autodesk 3ds Max, formerly 3D Studio MAX, is a modeling, animation
and rendering package. It has modeling capabilities, a flexible plugin
architecture. It's frequently used by video game developers, TV commercial
studios and architectural visualization studios. It is also used for
movie effects and movie pre-visualization.
In addition to its modeling and animation tools, the latest version of 3ds Max also features shaders (such as ambient occlusion and subsurface scattering), dynamic simulation, particle systems, radiosity, normal map creation and rendering, global illumination, a customizable user interface, and its own scripting language.[1]
Autodesk Maya is a software application used for 3D animation, 3D modeling, simulation, visual effects, rendering, match moving, and compositing.
Maya is used in the film and TV industry, as well as for computer and video games, architectural visualization and design.
Autodesk Maya, commonly shortened to just Maya (/ˈmaɪə/ MY-ə[3][4]), is a 3D computer graphics application that runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, originally developed by Alias Systems Corporation (formerly Alias|Wavefront) and currently owned and developed by Autodesk.
It is used to create assets for interactive 3D applications (including video games), animated films, TV series, and visual effects.
Autodesk Softimage is a 3D computer graphics application for producing 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling, and computer animation. The software is predominantly used in the film, video game and advertising industries for creating computer generated characters, objects, and environments.
Sculpting
Zbrush
Zbrush is a digital sculpting tool that combines 3D/2.5D modeling, texturing and painting. It uses a proprietary "pixol" technology (see below) which stores lighting, color, material, and depth information for all objects on the screen. The main difference between ZBrush and more traditional modeling packages is that it is more akin to sculpting.
Mudbox
Mudbox is a computer-based 3D sculpting tool, akin to Zbrush. Mudbox was created by Skymatter, founded by former artists of Weta Digital, where it was first used to produce the 2005 Peter Jackson remake of King Kong. With a simplified interface to allow for a more intuitive experience, Mudbox's primary application is high-res digital sculpting, displacement and normal map creation, though it's also used as a design tool.
POV-Ray Free. Building a model based on mixing simple primitives like boxes, spheres, cones. Primarily for programers. Input is a script. Not GUI. No interactive feedback of modeling process. However, Moray modeler is the interactive 3D interface that generates POV-Ray files.
Gaming Oriented
Second Life
Second Life is a Virtual world. It is not much of a 3D molder, but more as a 3D virtual world environment where you can quickly build basic concepts of architecture or a 3D object, and immediately explore it inworld such as walk-thru or fly thru.
Second Life is not useful as a modeling tool for engineering, CAD, or creating pro quality animations. (you can, of course, make video recoding of the screen). Can't export to standard 3d formats.
To get a quick sense of what building is like in Second Life, see: Second Life 3D-Construction Tutorial. For video, web search for “second life building”.
MilkShape 3D (MS3D) is a shareware low-polygon 3D modeling program created
by Mete Ciragan. It is used mainly for compiling models for Half-Life,
Blockland, The Sims 2, The Sims 3, Rock Raiders, and other sandbox video
games. It is also used to create models for a large number
of indie games, Milkshape 3D's repertoire of export capabilities has been
extended considerably, due to the efforts of both its creator and the community
around it, and it is now able to be used for most games today, so long
as an exporter for the required format is available.
A screenshot of the Milkshape 1.8.4 workspace context with a user-created low polygonal model displayed.
14 November 2011.
by Anfractu0us
〔image source 2018-12-20 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lowpolytank.png 〕
