Read on for our detailed analysis of each appCreating 3D models once required expensive software running on tailored operating systems and specialist hardware. ExpensiveThe original Autodesk 3D Studio ran under DOS in 1988, but the current (formally 3DS Studio Max) has been a Windows tool since 1996.As a 3D modelling system, this one is especially popular with those creating animation, game assets and simulations.The standard features include skeletons and inverse kinematics, cloth simulation, skinning and character controls for bipedal motion.If the software doesn’t support the exact function or rendering mode you need, an extensive plugin system allows third-party modules to add this to 3DS Max. Some of these plugins are free, but the best ones are paid.For modelling purposes, 3DS Max supports conventional polygon construction, NURBS and also patch surfaces.Images can be generated using a very wide range of rendering systems, including Renderman created by Pixar and mental ray.With so much functionality, what’s the downside the 3DS Max? There are a few.The first is that if you use many plugins, then they can interact in somewhat unpredictable ways.
And, complex plugins that stress the PC can make 3DS Max unstable on occasion.The other issue with this product is the high price. 3DS Max costs a whopping $1,545 for each copy per year or $195 per month. A discount is available for a three-year commitment, but that still doesn’t make this a cheap experience. A steep learning curveWhen first appeared most 3D modelling systems did basic geometry and a few offered splines, but almost none of them could handle NURBS.To accurately model the body of a vehicle or aircraft, NURB surfaces, with their ability to curve in more than one plane, are important. And, Rhino is the undisputed king of NURBS.Available for both the Mac and PC, Rhino 6 can sculpt objects, adapt LIDAR scans, work with meshes from other systems and even render scenes using raytracing.Like 3DS Max this also has a plugin solution and a sophisticated developer platform for those wanting to create new ones.
Best Game Engine
Expensivewas one of the first commercial 3D rendering systems to introduce hair and fur, and it remains an industry standard for creating and modelling characters in 3D.Available for PC Windows, Apple Mac and Linux, Maya is the software equivalent of the magician's hat from which almost anything can be pulled.Its strengths are character creation and movement, and the simulation of natural elements such as water, fire, sandstorms and explosions. The latest release now includes Bifrost procedural effects, enabling complex elements to be constructed using dynamic solvers.Once a scene has been created and effects defined, photoreal rendering is available using the Arnold RenderView system for stunningly real results.If you want some idea of what Maya can do then watch Stranger Things, as the Mind Flayer from season 2 was created and rendered in this software.The cost of a single seat of Maya is $1,545 per annum, or $195 per month, exactly the same as 3DS Max, also from Autodesk. You can get both of them along with a five license pack for Arnold for $2,370 per annum.A lite version, Maya LT is just $250 per annum, if you only want the 3D modelling and animation.