[Technical Talk] - Free or low cost 3D and 2D apps.

[bearkub]

OK, since we always get people coming and asking for links of applications to start modeling or doing digital art, This sticky is going to be for any and all free or very low cost 3D and 2D applications you can think of or find.

3D Applications
<ul type="square"> Wings3D (http://www.wings3d.com/)
Blender (http://www.blender3d.com/)
Silo (http://www.nevercenter.com/)
(this one isn't free, but very low cost)
Zbrush (http://pixologic.com/home/home.shtml)
(again, not free but low-cost)
[/list]


2D Applications
<ul type="square"> The Gimp (http://www.gimp.org/)
Art Rage (http://www.ambientdesign.com/artrage.html)
[/list]

This is all I have, if you have anything to add, please do but make sure to include a URL to the product and whether it is a 2D or 3D application. Enjoy!

[JKMakowka]

3D:

Anim8or:
http://www.anim8or.com/main/index.html

I am not a big fan of it, but some pleople really like it.

Same goes for Milkshape3d:
http://www.swissquake.ch/chumbalum-soft/index.html
(not free but only 20€ I think)

P.S.: I think you should add that cheaper does not equal worse than full price apps, exspecially concerning Wings3d (and maybe also Blender)

[bearkub]

You just added that, thanks. =]

How the hell did I forget Milkshape?...

[NoSeRider]

http://www.jaquays.com/gameart/model_resources.html

Go thru Paul Jaquays site.

[CheapAlert]

Blender.org's the correct site. :P

Don't forget the age-old Maya, XSI and Gmax limited versions

[dur23]

XSI foundation goes for nearly the same price as zbrush. (http://www.softimage.com/Products/Xsi/v4/pricing/default.asp?pkg=foundation)

Its $495 usd.
copy&amp;paste of what it comes with:
-2 CPU mental ray® v.3.3 rendering
-Advanced Subdivision Surface Modeling
-Full Cloth &amp; Particles
-Standard Character Rigs
-NLA3 Full Nonlinear Animation, Audio, and Actions
-5-DVD Softimage Production Series

ps. the 2 cpu licenses for mental ray are worth nearly that price alone.

[Irritant]

QME

Not sure of the price...but I THINK you can still order it from the links on this site http://www.xs4all.nl/~renep/quakeme/download.htm

It's still pretty good for doing some things, I still use it for building my initial shapes, poly by poly.

[NuclearTes]

[ QUOTE ]
Blender.org's the correct site. :P
Don't forget the age-old Maya, XSI and Gmax limited versions

[/ QUOTE ]
Here are the links:
Maya Personal Learning Edition (http://www.alias.com/eng/products-services/maya/maya_ple/) (3D software)
Softimage|XSI EXP (http://www.softimage.com/products/exp/v3/) (3D software)
Gmax (http://www4.discreet.com/gmax/) (3D software)

UV Mapping Software:
LithUnwrap v1.3 (http://files.seriouszone.com/download.php?fileid=198) Free (Old version of unwrap3d. You can't get it from the official site anymore.
Ultimate Unwrap 3D - (http://www.unwrap3d.com/index.aspx) Not free: $39.95

You may also want to check out the links section of the Ultimate Unwrap site: http://www.unwrap3d.com/links.aspx

Btw, maybe it's a good idea to update the first post with all the links that are posted here.

*edit* Thanks notman! I just updated the links. http://boards.polycount.net/images/icons/poly139.gif

[notman]

Correction: The Ultimate Unwrap link should be http://www.unwrap3d.com/links.aspx /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Steve]

Rather than use the EXP of XSI which is based on 3.0, you might want to use the HL2 one, it's based on XSI3.5 and has some improved tools etc.

http://www.softimage.com/Products/EXP/HL2/

[ElysiumGX]

Don't forget ORB (http://www.soclab.bth.se/practices/orb.html)

Free application that creates Normal and Displacement maps from high and low poly model sources. Works as a previewer too.

[thnom]

http://pixel32.box.sk/

Looks quite good and is cheap..

[tpe]

My fave normal map app

http://developer.nvidia.com/object/melody_home.html

Will preview and create normal maps from .objs and will make its own mapping if none is specified

Melody

[Ryno]

Hash Animation Master. We were just chatting about this great little animation product at work today.
http://www.hash.com/products/am.asp

[TechSmith]

Tatoo a 3d paint tool that allows you to paint directly onto the model. Completely free for noncomercial use.

Tatoo (http://www.terabit.nildram.co.uk/tattoo/)

[Dark Bob]

Inkscape (http://inkscape.org/) is a free vector based program similar to Freehand and Illustrator.

[Mr.Reacto]

I wonder if theres any free 3d(skeleton)animating program that will export the animation files to 3d objects because last time I fiddled around with anim8or, they didn't ahve that feature.

does blender do it?

[diZzyWalnut]

GAMESPACE from CALIGARI (small baby of TRUESPACE)
http://www.caligari.com/gamespace/

you can find there also LIGHT version, which's free.

[diZzyWalnut]

[ QUOTE ]
I wonder if theres any free 3d(skeleton)animating program that will export the animation files to 3d objects because last time I fiddled around with anim8or, they didn't ahve that feature.
does blender do it?

[/ QUOTE ]

try to use CHARACTER FX _ animation tool, it cost only 15$ !!! Easy to use.
http://www.insanesoftware.de/
animation export format into DIRECT .X ( ideal for DARK BASIC, TORQUE )... and there's also format for BLITZ.

You can look at one of my animation what I've done under CHARACTER FX - for DARK BASIC. ( still in WIP )
http://www.miseryproduction.com/alien_run.html

[cold_electric]

Can character FX be exported into game models like Quake3, UT2k4, Half-Life2, etc.

This program sounds interesting.

[diZzyWalnut]

[ QUOTE ]
Can character FX be exported into game models like Quake3, UT2k4, Half-Life2, etc.

This program sounds interesting.

[/ QUOTE ]

unfortunately non , except if we will find a programmer to realize one plug-in, the SDK of this software is available on the website.
(I don't think that we can search the man here.) /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[bombadil]

Pixia. Is good for 2d painting. I just don't like the way it Blinks whenever u undo. But that perhaps will be removed.
http://park18.wakwak.com/~pixia/

In the same line, Open Canvas. very cheap, my fav painter for my wacom.
www.portalgraphics.net (http://www.portalgraphics.net)
http://www.portalgraphics.net/en/index.asp
curiously, seems japanesse site has oc 4, and english only 3.x... and a 2d animated toon maker

I downloaded from someone an old free 0.72 beta. But the newer ones are really good.


I model with wings ( a just started orco (http://picserver.org/view_image.php/A4X2ETP6590D/p.jpeg) ) and is my favourite modeller of all times.

I use Blender for animation and XSI Foundation...which is really good.

About Character Fx...You can export as X, or quake2 md2. You could in theory use Deep Exploration to convert an x file to other game formats. But Deep is not cheap. Max can import X since recently, I found a non translated site with an x importer supporting weights, bones, etc...I think there was no other before.

Blender can import md2 , full with animation, and export as md3 or md2, both animated also.Oh, and as x, md5, cal3d, Torque, and some more.

I have tested most of those and they work.

I prefer Blender to Character Fx, but Blender is way more complex to learn.

Milkshape is quite a good overall tool, but it supports no weights yet. While Character Fx and Blender, do.

[cold_electric]

Ok I found some more:

http://jpatch.sourceforge.net/

http://k3d.sourceforge.net/new/index.php

[JKMakowka]

http://aoi.sourceforge.net/index

Art of Illusion
Runs just about everywhere since it is written in Java and supports animations.
But haven't really tried it yet.

[cold_electric]

One more I found:

http://icculus.org/freyja/index.html

[StrangeFate]

http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=202348

[Foehammer]

HELP! hey i've tried to download GMAX from turbosquid, but i cant seem to find where to get, for some reason the page is displayed all half assed, while up here at work, can anyone provide a direct link to the actual file for me to download, or is anyone else hosting it? i've googled and done everything i can think of to find it and download it to kill time while here at work

[Wings3dee]

<ul type="square"> MarbleCLAY (http://homepage3.nifty.com/escargot/MCLFrm.html)
Ac3d (http://www.ac3d.org/)
Deled 3d (http://www.delgine.com/)
Doga 3d (http://www.doga.co.jp/english/index.html)
Neg 3d (http://www.negdesign.com/)
Lightray 3d (http://www.sxcreations.com/lr3d/lightray3d.php)
Curvy 3d (http://www.curvy3d.com/info.html) [/list]

Here are some more apps that needed mentioning.
Most are 3d app's.

and I almost forgot SketchUP 3d (http://www.sketchup.com/) . Its a little pricey but i like It.

[ironbearxl]

Here's a free 3d model file converter (over 400 formats including md3, obj, lwo, and 3ds: 3d model viewer/converter (http://web.axelero.hu/karpo/)

[firlefanz]

Hello everybody,
[ QUOTE ]
Here's a free 3d model file converter (over 400 formats including md3, obj, lwo, and 3ds: 3d model viewer/converter

[/ QUOTE ]

I am looking for a free converter for some time now, I need to convert 3DS to .X but with normals and UV coordinates. The Conv3ds included in the SDK doesn't do this right.
The above tool you mentioned is not free, it is shareware, and does not save most formats (like .X) with the shareware version, too bad.

Any other free converters out there that save .X with normals and UV please?

Firle

[NuclearTes]

I hope I'm not off topic, but I just noticed that the link to the normal &amp; displacement mapping tool ORB doesn't work anymore (http://www.soclab.bth.se/practices/orb.html). Does anyone know if there is an alternate download link for it? (I searched the net, but I couldn't find one).

[zach]

I'd say for the price, XSI Foundation is the way to go. I love working in it! I come from a Lightwave background though. Both appz lack ICONS, which is good for me. I like to read the name of a tool rather than trying to figure out what a sphere cut in half with a flap folded over revealing a half wireframe half shaded object with a swirly squiggle passing through a hole in the mesh (i've never seen this icon, but I am equally confused by those in TruSpace, Max, and Maya).

Whoops, I think I'm off topic. I can't think of anything beyond the appz already mentioned.

[cold_electric]

I was wondering if theres any freeware like polygon reduction program that does not mess up UV maps. I need them real badly for LOD performance wise.

[HonkyPunch]

Woah, i like Marble Clay.

[Option]

Cheetah 3D if you are on a Mac, it is free to try and like
$40+- to buy, much like a cut down version of Cinema 4D, I used it when I was first learning the super basics of modeling last summer cheetah3d.com (http://cheetah3d.com)

[JKMakowka]

Ok since the ORB website seems to be permantly down, I took the liberty to make ORB available on our FreeGameArts website.

http://freegamearts.myexp.de/tools.html
(Look under Image and Texture Software)

P.S.: The FreeGameArts website is always looking for contributions.
Don't let your unused etc models rot on your harddrive, make them available for use in (homebrew) games.

[Bree]

Just a side note - I noticed that if you join the CGSociety at CG talk for $35, you can get a discount on XSI foundation and pick it up for $400 - not too shabby.

let the good times roll.

Bree

[Slayerjerman]

GameMaker
www.gamemaker.nl (http://www.gamemaker.nl)

Low cost ($20 usd) game creation program. Mostly sprite based 2D games, but has 3d capability and multiplayer over TCP, IPX or Serial.

DirectX based, so you need windows.

I definitely give GameMaker a 4.5 out of 5.

[TheBrokenOne]

Its been mentioned before but Milkshape 3d is probably the best low cost 3d modelling editor out there, highly recommended. Supports a tank load of formats also.

[KDR_11k]

Bwahahahahaa! Yes, that's because Blender is free. Seriously, Milkshape is probably the worst modeling program I ever used.

[Tulkamir]

Why not throw up Maya PLE and Gmax as well? Seems to me that both (Maya PLE moreso probably) are better deals than Milkshape and such?

[Raven]

[ QUOTE ]
I hope I'm not off topic, but I just noticed that the link to the normal &amp; displacement mapping tool ORB doesn't work anymore (http://www.soclab.bth.se/practices/orb.html). Does anyone know if there is an alternate download link for it? (I searched the net, but I couldn't find one).

[/ QUOTE ]

It's now available from the main site, but none of the tutorials or plug-ins are now available.

http://engineering.soclab.bth.se/tools/177.aspx
that is it's new home.

I use this quite a bit.
Paint .NET (http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net/)

thought it has some way to go before it's even close to as useful as Photoshop, it's headed in the right direction.

[mookster]

Unfold3D (http://www.polygonal-design.fr/e_unfold/index.php)
Automatic (almost) uv mapping. Educational "Fraternaware" version available from site. The free version has limits, but I've found that what I get by unwrapping manually in Max I get in seconds with this.

[KDR_11k]

One reason I avoid Blender's auto-UV feature for serious stuff is that it doesn't keep parallel what I'd like to have parallel. The least-deformation form of e.g. an arm is different from the cylinder shape I'd prefer for painting it, it's even worse for complex surfaces like hands or faces.

[JKMakowka]

http://sharp3d.sourceforge.net/

Early version of a Zbrush like open-source program.

Catch22: only runs on Linux so far /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[KDR_11k]

Does it run on Cygwin?

[HonkyPunch]

Any programs that support .3dm files? Preferably a format converter.

[KDR_11k]

Either DeepExploration or you're screwed.

[JKMakowka]

http://www.misfitcode.com/misfitmodel3d/main.html

Misfit Model 3D

Haven't tried it, but it has quite a lot of features and is free. Seems to be more geared towards really low poly modeling.

[yiyun]

I've been spamming for a short while, but now I've been banned, so please disregard this post!

[thnom]

[ QUOTE ]
http://sharp3d.sourceforge.net/

Early version of a Zbrush like open-source program.

Catch22: only runs on Linux so far /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

NOW AVAILABLE IN WINDOWS FLAVOUR!

http://sharp3d.sourceforge.net/mediawiki/index.php/Windows_Development

[Creamy_Goodness]

&gt; Anyone know of any good free 2D animation programs? I don't have my copy of Adobe After Effects anymore, and there's a chance I'll get back into animation someday.

[JKMakowka]

http://www.synfig.com/

[Creamy_Goodness]

&gt; Thx JK. /images/graemlins/smile.gif Now I can make background movies for some songs I plan to write steps for in Stepmania.

[Sukasa]

im not reasding al this because im a bit tired, but i know there's a students vershion of 3dsmax you can pick up for about £80 i belive it doesnt even have watermarks, but ovcorse i have the ful vershion and im sure you all know about downloading stuff..

[MightyPea]

http://semicuro.sourceforge.net/index.shtml
A free little program that allows you to extensively layer vector-based 'bristles' to (and i quote, because i haven't actually used it yet) 'create complex patterns'
I suspect you can do a lot more than the current examples show.

[frettchen]

There is a program called "Plastic Animation Paper" you can google for which is pretty good. The software is pretty cheap, but there is also a shareware version which doesnt disable too many features if I remember correctly

[MightyPea]

Yeah, it's great. The interface is a bit daunting at first, but it's pretty solid software

[ptoing]

Free:
GrafX2 (http://code.google.com/p/grafx2/) Really good pixeltool for lots of systems.

Low Price:
Pepakura Designer (http://www.tamasoft.co.jp/pepakura-en/) Really cool and simple to use program that lets you make printoutsheets for paper models from 3d models.

Promotion (http://cosmigo.com/promotion) The non-plus-ultra as far as pixeltools go imo. Only windows tho.

[anoon]

I thought K-3D was kinda nice (I have only tried the Linux build)

http://www.k-3d.org/wiki/Main_Page

[metalliandy]

Its alive i tell you...ALIVE!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/metalliandy/thread_necromancer.jpg

:P

[Pope Adam]

rofl thread necromancer

[D.Woope]

Seeing as how Millen is doing little worth talking about, lets have a rousing conversation of past years great Free Agent signings..................

[RookLynx]

I am a complete Knewb. I have experience in Illustrator and Photoshop.
I think am interested in becoming a 3d technical artist, I would like to design and learn script.
I figure I need to know how 3d software works before I start scripting for it.

I don't have any money to spend right now so I was thinking of down loading Wings or Silo.
Which would you recommend ?