This no-cost modeling, animation, and rendering software won’t break the bank
3D Software,The number and variety of 3D software packages on the market is staggering, but many of the top applications in use by commercial film, gaming, and effects studios cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
It’s true that most commercial applications offer time-limited free trials or abbreviated learning editions for students and hobbyists. If you’re planning to work in the computer graphics industry one day, these are well worth exploring even if you can’t afford a full license, because your skills in the commercial packages are what will ultimately land you a job.
However, plenty of free 3D software suites are out there for hobbyists, independent filmmakers who don’t have the budget for expensive software, and budget-conscious freelance professionals who have found all the tools and power they need in cost-free solutions like Blender or SketchUp.
Just because the software is free doesn’t necessarily make it any less valuable. This list isn’t exhaustive. There are dozens of other free 3D tools available beyond those mentioned here. However, these are the strongest of the bunch.
3D Software,Blender
What We Like
- Interface vastly improved over early versions.
- Great for video games and animation.
- Nearly on par with expensive professional 3D modeling programs.
What We Don’t Like
- Less useful in designing architecture and objects like furniture.
- Heavy use of shortcuts to execute commands can be daunting for new users learning the software.
3D Software,Blender is easily the most versatile entry on this list, and in many regards, it compares favorably to top digital content creation tools like Cinema 4D, Maya, and 3Ds Max. To this day, it stands as one of the greatest open-source development projects ever conceived.
Blender is full-featured, offering a complete range of modeling, surfacing, sculpting, painting, animation, and rendering tools.
The software is good enough to have produced numerous impressive short films and is in use by several professional studios.
Blender was criticized early on for having a confusing interface, but don’t let outdated complaints steer you away. The software was given a thorough overhaul recently and emerged with a fresh interface and a feature set that aims for parity with the best.
While you don’t see Blender in any Hollywood effects pipelines where Autodesk and Houdini are deeply ingrained, Blender has steadily carved out a niche in motion graphics and visualization, similar to where Cinema 4D excels.