Difference between revisions of "Tools"
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This category describes software used by artists for game development. | This category describes software used by artists for game development. | ||
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<!-- ## For example, although Blender has 3D sculpting tools it is better to describe it as a Main 3D Software Package, since it doesn't specialize in sculpting. --> | <!-- ## For example, although Blender has 3D sculpting tools it is better to describe it as a Main 3D Software Package, since it doesn't specialize in sculpting. --> | ||
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== 3D Tools == | == 3D Tools == | ||
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|'''Price £/€''' | |'''Price £/€''' | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |[[ | + | |[[3D-Coat|3D-Coat]] |
+ | | Pilgway | ||
+ | | Linux/Mac/Windows | ||
+ | | $379 Pro / $99 EDU-Indie | ||
+ | | - | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |[[3ds_Max|3ds Max]] | ||
| Autodesk | | Autodesk | ||
| Windows | | Windows | ||
| $3,675 | | $3,675 | ||
− | + | | - | |
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | | - | + | |
|- | |- | ||
− | |Blender | + | |[[Blender|Blender]] |
| Blender Foundation | | Blender Foundation | ||
| Linux/Mac/Windows | | Linux/Mac/Windows | ||
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| Free | | Free | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |Cinema 4D | + | |[[Cinema_4D |Cinema 4D]] |
| MAXON | | MAXON | ||
| Windows | | Windows | ||
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| £2600 + VAT | | £2600 + VAT | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |Houdini | + | |[[Houdini|Houdini]] |
− | | | + | | SideFX |
| Linux/Mac/Windows | | Linux/Mac/Windows | ||
| $1,995 | | $1,995 | ||
| - | | - | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | |[[LightWave_3D|Lightwave 3D]] |
| NewTek | | NewTek | ||
| Mac/Windows | | Mac/Windows | ||
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| €1,304.24 | | €1,304.24 | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | [[ | + | |[[Maya|Maya]] |
| Autodesk | | Autodesk | ||
| Linux/Mac/Windows | | Linux/Mac/Windows | ||
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| £3,100 + VAT | | £3,100 + VAT | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |Modo | + | |[[Modo|Modo]] |
− | | | + | | Foundry |
| Mac/Windows | | Mac/Windows | ||
| $1,495 | | $1,495 | ||
| £999 | | £999 | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
|} | |} | ||
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| Mac/Windows | | Mac/Windows | ||
| $149 | | $149 | ||
− | | | + | | http://www.daz3d.com/products/carrara/carrara-what-is-carrara |
|- | |- | ||
|Hexagon | |Hexagon | ||
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| Mac/Windows | | Mac/Windows | ||
| $20 | | $20 | ||
− | | | + | | http://www.daz3d.com/hexagon-2-5-download-version |
+ | |- | ||
+ | | [[Marvelous_Designer|Marvelous Designer]] | ||
+ | | CLO Virtual Fashion Inc. | ||
+ | | Mac/Windows | ||
+ | | $50/$300/$490 | ||
+ | | https://www.marvelousdesigner.com | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Metasequoia | |Metasequoia | ||
| Tetraface | | Tetraface | ||
| Windows | | Windows | ||
− | | $45 | + | | $45/$150 |
− | + | | http://www.metaseq.net/en/index.html | |
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | | | + | |
|- | |- | ||
|Milkshape 3D | |Milkshape 3D | ||
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| Windows | | Windows | ||
| $35 | | $35 | ||
− | | | + | | http://www.milkshape3d.com |
+ | |- | ||
+ | |Nvil | ||
+ | | DigitalFossils | ||
+ | | Windows | ||
+ | | $35 | ||
+ | | http://digitalfossils.com/ | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Rhino3D | |Rhino3D | ||
− | | | + | | McNeel |
| Mac/Windows | | Mac/Windows | ||
| $995 | | $995 | ||
− | | | + | | http://www.rhino3d.com |
|- | |- | ||
|Silo | |Silo | ||
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| Mac/Windows | | Mac/Windows | ||
| $159 | | $159 | ||
− | | | + | | http://nevercenter.com/silo/ |
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |SketchUp | + | |SketchUp |
| Google | | Google | ||
| Mac/Windows | | Mac/Windows | ||
− | | $590 | + | | Free/$590 |
− | | | + | | http://www.sketchup.com/products/sketchup-make |
|- | |- | ||
|Wings3D | |Wings3D | ||
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| Linux/Mac/Windows | | Linux/Mac/Windows | ||
| Free | | Free | ||
− | | | + | | http://www.wings3d.com/ |
|- | |- | ||
− | + | |World Machine | |
| Stephen Schmitt | | Stephen Schmitt | ||
| Windows | | Windows | ||
| $99 | | $99 | ||
− | | | + | | http://www.world-machine.com/ [[#World_Machine]] |
|} | |} | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|<#000000>|Anim8or | |<#000000>|Anim8or | ||
− | | | + | | R. Steven Glanville |
| Windows | | Windows | ||
| Free | | Free | ||
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=== 3D Sculpting Software === | === 3D Sculpting Software === | ||
− | + | These tools are used to create a high-resolution 3D model with a series of painting strokes, using a pressure-sensitive tablet or screen. Usually the details from these models are [[Texture Baking|baked]] into [[Texturing|textures]] for a lower-resolution in-game model. Often these tools include 3D painting as well. | |
− | + | ||
+ | {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | ||
|'''Package''' | |'''Package''' | ||
|'''Company''' | |'''Company''' | ||
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| Windows | | Windows | ||
| $79 | | $79 | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Blender | ||
+ | | Blender Foundation | ||
+ | | Linux/Mac/Windows | ||
+ | | FREE | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Curvey3D | | Curvey3D | ||
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=== Decimation Software === | === Decimation Software === | ||
− | + | To decimate means to reduce the triangle count of a highly-detailed model. They may be created via [[DigitalSculpting]] or [[Subdivision Surface Modeling]]. Decimation makes a detailed model easier to load, manipulate, and render in other applications. Decimation tools should preserve the model's essential form without degrading texture coordinates or material boundaries. Decimation is also used for creating [[Level of Detail|LevelOfDetail]] (LOD) models. | |
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | ||
|<#383838>|'''Package''' | |<#383838>|'''Package''' | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|<#000000>|Meshlab | |<#000000>|Meshlab | ||
− | | | + | | University of Pisa |
| Linux(Source)/Mac/Windows | | Linux(Source)/Mac/Windows | ||
| Free | | Free | ||
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| Linux/Mac/Windows | | Linux/Mac/Windows | ||
| $379 Pro / $99 EDU-Indie | | $379 Pro / $99 EDU-Indie | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |<#000000>|[http://www.froyok.fr/blog/2013-06-maya-froretopo-3-4-a-fast-and-easy-retopology-script froRetopo] for Maya | ||
+ | | Piquet "Froyok" Fabrice | ||
+ | | Maya 2011-2014 | ||
+ | | Free | ||
|- | |- | ||
|<#000000>|Max_Retopo (for 3ds Max) | |<#000000>|Max_Retopo (for 3ds Max) | ||
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=== 3D Paint Software === | === 3D Paint Software === | ||
− | Many of the | + | Many of the main packages include bare-bones 3D paint tools, and most [[#3D Sculpting Software|sculpting software]] also has 3D paint. The Blender site has a [http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:Ref/Competitor_Analysis/Texturing list of 3D paint programs here]. The following tools are dedicated to 3D paint: |
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | ||
|<#383838>|'''Package''' | |<#383838>|'''Package''' | ||
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|<#383838>|'''Price''' | |<#383838>|'''Price''' | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |<#000000>|[http://www. | + | |<#000000>|[http://www.blacksmith3d.com/ Blacksmith3D Paint] |
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
| BlackSmith3D | | BlackSmith3D | ||
| Mac/Windows | | Mac/Windows | ||
| $80 | | $80 | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |<#000000>|BodyPaint 3D | + | |<#000000>|[http://www.maxon.net/products/bodypaint-3d/why-this-package.html BodyPaint 3D] |
| MAXON | | MAXON | ||
− | | Windows | + | | Mac/Windows |
| $995 | | $995 | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |<#000000>|CrackArt | + | |<#000000>|[http://crackart.org/ CrackArt] |
− | | | + | | Diego Castano |
| Windows | | Windows | ||
| Free | | Free | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |<#000000>| | + | |<#000000>|[http://www.thefoundry.co.uk/products/mari/ Mari] |
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
| The Foundry | | The Foundry | ||
− | | Linux | + | | Linux/Mac/Windows |
− | | | + | | €1463 / €430/quarter |
|- | |- | ||
− | |<#000000>|P-XCEL | + | |<#000000>|[http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=14495.0 P-XCEL] |
− | | | + | | "__stdcall" |
| Windows | | Windows | ||
| Free | | Free | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |<#000000>| | + | |<#000000>|[https://www.allegorithmic.com/products/substance-painter Substance Painter] |
− | | | + | | Allegorithmic |
− | | Windows | + | | Mac/Windows |
− | | | + | | $149 Indie / $549 Pro / $20/month Indie |
|} | |} | ||
+ | |||
+ | See also [[PaintingAcrossSeams]]. | ||
=== 3D Normal Map Software === | === 3D Normal Map Software === | ||
These packages are used specifically for creating [[NormalMap|normal maps]] from 3D meshes. See also [[#A2D_Normal_Map_Software|2D Normal Map Software]]. | These packages are used specifically for creating [[NormalMap|normal maps]] from 3D meshes. See also [[#A2D_Normal_Map_Software|2D Normal Map Software]]. | ||
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− | |||
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | ||
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|<#383838>|'''Price''' | |<#383838>|'''Price''' | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |<#000000>|[ | + | |<#000000>|[https://www.knaldtech.com/ Knald] |
− | | | + | | Knald Technologies |
− | | | + | | Windows |
− | | $ | + | | $100 Freelancer / $200 Studio |
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
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− | + | ||
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|- | |- | ||
− | |<#000000>|[http://www. | + | |<#000000>|[http://www.mightybake.com/ MightyBake] |
− | | | + | | MightyBake |
− | | | + | | Mac/Windows |
− | | | + | | $99 Individual / $199 Studio |
|- | |- | ||
|<#000000>|[http://www.xnormal.net/ Xnormal] | |<#000000>|[http://www.xnormal.net/ Xnormal] | ||
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|} | |} | ||
+ | * [http://doc.crymod.com/AssetCreation/frames.html?frmname=topic&frmfile=PolybumpStandAloneTutorial.html PolyBump2] by [http://www.crytek.com/ Crytek] | ||
+ | * [http://www.iddevnet.com/doom3/bumpmaps.php Renderbump] by [http://www.idsoftware.com/ id Software] | ||
+ | * [https://udn.epicgames.com/Three/SHToolsReference SHTools] by Epic Games | ||
+ | * [http://www.illuminatelabs.com/turtle/technical-specifications Turtle] by Illuminate Labs | ||
* [http://www.mankua.com/kaldera.htm Kaldera] by [http://www.mankua.com/ Mankua] is a commercial baking plugin for 3ds Max, but it hasn't been updated since 2005. | * [http://www.mankua.com/kaldera.htm Kaldera] by [http://www.mankua.com/ Mankua] is a commercial baking plugin for 3ds Max, but it hasn't been updated since 2005. | ||
* [http://developer.nvidia.com/object/melody_home.html Melody] by [http://developer.nvidia.com/ NVIDIA] is a free baking application, but it hasn't been updated since 2005. | * [http://developer.nvidia.com/object/melody_home.html Melody] by [http://developer.nvidia.com/ NVIDIA] is a free baking application, but it hasn't been updated since 2005. | ||
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=== 3D Texture Coordinate Software === | === 3D Texture Coordinate Software === | ||
− | These packages are specifically for creating [[ | + | These packages are specifically for creating [[Texture_Coordinates|UV texture coordinates]] for a 3D mesh. |
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | ||
|<#383838>|'''Package''' | |<#383838>|'''Package''' | ||
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| $200 | | $200 | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |<#000000>| | + | |<#000000>|[http://www.polytools3d.com/polyunwrapper/index.html PolyUnwrapper] |
| Jorge Rodríguez | | Jorge Rodríguez | ||
| Windows (requires 3ds Max) | | Windows (requires 3ds Max) | ||
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| Free | | Free | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | |<#000000>|[ | + | |<#000000>|[https://polycount.com/discussion/69736/textools-3-0/p1 TexTools] |
| renderhjs | | renderhjs | ||
| Windows (requires 3ds Max) | | Windows (requires 3ds Max) | ||
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[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_raster_graphics_editors#Features Wikipedia has a nice table] comparing the features of multiple 2D editing packages. | [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_raster_graphics_editors#Features Wikipedia has a nice table] comparing the features of multiple 2D editing packages. | ||
− | === | + | === Concepting Software === |
These packages are most often used for painting concepts and illustrations. | These packages are most often used for painting concepts and illustrations. | ||
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | ||
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| KnaldTech | | KnaldTech | ||
| Windows | | Windows | ||
− | | | + | | $100 Freelance License / $200 Studio License |
| https://www.knaldtech.com/ | | https://www.knaldtech.com/ | ||
|- | |- | ||
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** Rotate 180: Rotates current normal map layer 180 degrees and fixes your red and green channels so that it doesn't break your normal map. | ** Rotate 180: Rotates current normal map layer 180 degrees and fixes your red and green channels so that it doesn't break your normal map. | ||
− | === | + | === Vector Software === |
These packages are used for creating vector graphics, commonly used for [[:Category:UserInterface|user interfaces]] or print media. | These packages are used for creating vector graphics, commonly used for [[:Category:UserInterface|user interfaces]] or print media. | ||
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | ||
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|} | |} | ||
− | === | + | === Image Overlay Software === |
These tools are helpful for overlaying reference images, drawing quick review comments on artwork, remote collaboration, marking animation reference points, etc. | These tools are helpful for overlaying reference images, drawing quick review comments on artwork, remote collaboration, marking animation reference points, etc. | ||
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | ||
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| Windows | | Windows | ||
| Free | | Free | ||
− | | http:// | + | | [http://adiboo.cba.pl/sculptris/DAG_foregroundUtility.rar download], [https://vimeo.com/19583976 video tutorial] |
|- | |- | ||
|<#000000>|Ghost-It! | |<#000000>|Ghost-It! | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|<#000000>|ozToolOverlay | |<#000000>|ozToolOverlay | ||
− | | [http://www.polycount.com/forum/member.php?u=15407 | + | | [http://www.polycount.com/forum/member.php?u=15407 Osman Tsjardiwal] |
− | | | + | | Windows |
| Free | | Free | ||
| http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1040899 | | http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1040899 | ||
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(free for personal use) | (free for personal use) | ||
| http://www.irfanview.com/ | | http://www.irfanview.com/ | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |<#000000>|Kuadro | ||
+ | | Kruel Games, LLC | ||
+ | | Windows, OSX | ||
+ | | Donationware | ||
+ | | http://kruelgames.com/tools/kuadro/, [http://polycount.com/discussion/146446/kuadro-free-reference-view-tool/p1 Polycount Forum thread] | ||
|- | |- | ||
|<#000000>|XnView | |<#000000>|XnView | ||
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(free for personal use) | (free for personal use) | ||
| http://www.xnview.com/ | | http://www.xnview.com/ | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |<#000000>|Textur.us | ||
+ | | Textur.us | ||
+ | | Windows/Mac | ||
+ | Photoshop CC 2014+ | ||
+ | | $5/$10/$15 a month | ||
+ | | http://textur.us/ | ||
|} | |} | ||
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* [http://www.redfieldplugins.com/filterSeamlessWorkshop.htm Seamless Workshop] free Photoshop filter that fixes tiling errors by blending edges. | * [http://www.redfieldplugins.com/filterSeamlessWorkshop.htm Seamless Workshop] free Photoshop filter that fixes tiling errors by blending edges. | ||
* [http://www.stefandavid.com/sdvtile/ sdvTile] free Photoshop script that expands the canvas 3x and repeats your texture across it. | * [http://www.stefandavid.com/sdvtile/ sdvTile] free Photoshop script that expands the canvas 3x and repeats your texture across it. | ||
− | |||
* [http://www.frankdebresser.net/index2.php?id=2026 Texture Frank] free 3d tile previewer. Great for viewing tiled textures while painting. EXE shows textures on meshes, drag-n-drop, auto refresh, diffuse/normal/specular/displacement maps, multi-layer PSDs, etc. Many options! | * [http://www.frankdebresser.net/index2.php?id=2026 Texture Frank] free 3d tile previewer. Great for viewing tiled textures while painting. EXE shows textures on meshes, drag-n-drop, auto refresh, diffuse/normal/specular/displacement maps, multi-layer PSDs, etc. Many options! | ||
* [http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/ww_overview.htm Wood Workshop] free procedural-wood tiled-texture editor. | * [http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/ww_overview.htm Wood Workshop] free procedural-wood tiled-texture editor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Screen Recording Software === | ||
+ | Record your screen to a video file. | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [http://camstudio.org/ CamStudio] (free) | ||
+ | * [https://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html Camtasia] ($) | ||
+ | * [http://fraps.com/ Fraps] ($) | ||
+ | * [http://www.gadwin.com/screenrecorder/ Gadwin ScreenRecorder] ($) | ||
+ | * [http://www.polygon.com/2015/7/31/9081715/windows-10-game-bar-how-to-record-screen-video Game DVR] (free, Windows 10 required) | ||
+ | * [https://obsproject.com/ Open Broadcaster Software] (free) | ||
+ | * [http://store.overwolf.com/apps/capture-streaming Overwolf] (free) | ||
+ | * [http://www.geforce.com/geforce-experience/shadowplay ShadowPlay] (free, Nvidia card required) | ||
=== Sprite Tools === | === Sprite Tools === | ||
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* How to Inset faces like in 3DS Max: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1168816&postcount=14 | * How to Inset faces like in 3DS Max: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1168816&postcount=14 | ||
* How to Push like the 3DS Max modifier: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74491 | * How to Push like the 3DS Max modifier: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74491 | ||
+ | * How to fix corrupted files: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66262 | ||
=== Sculptris === | === Sculptris === | ||
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=== Zbrush === | === Zbrush === | ||
− | Best known for: being well a supported and innovative sculpting package. Zbrush's Ztool system allows for minimal use of a traditional 3D package, while | + | Best known for: being well a supported and innovative sculpting package. Zbrush's Ztool system allows for minimal use of a traditional 3D package, while its tools attempt to bring digital media as close to traditional, physical media as possible. |
* [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90444 ZBrush Custom UI Showcase] Polycount forum thread, people sharing their UIs and tools. | * [http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90444 ZBrush Custom UI Showcase] Polycount forum thread, people sharing their UIs and tools. | ||
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/!\ Note: prices are accurate as of June 27, 2010 | /!\ Note: prices are accurate as of June 27, 2010 | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | [[Category:Tools]][[Category:Technology]] |
Latest revision as of 11:24, 26 June 2021
This category describes software used by artists for game development.
3D Tools
Main 3D Software Packages
These are "complete" 3D packages with a wide variety of art tools. However external packages are often used in conjunction with the main package, since some of the included tools are often not quite as efficient or strong as external specialized packages. Please also note that the prices below may be different, if upgrading from already own package.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price $ | Price £/€ |
3D-Coat | Pilgway | Linux/Mac/Windows | $379 Pro / $99 EDU-Indie | - |
3ds Max | Autodesk | Windows | $3,675 | - |
Blender | Blender Foundation | Linux/Mac/Windows | Free | Free |
Cinema 4D | MAXON | Windows | $3,695.00 | £2600 + VAT |
Houdini | SideFX | Linux/Mac/Windows | $1,995 | - |
Lightwave 3D | NewTek | Mac/Windows | $1,495 | €1,304.24 |
Maya | Autodesk | Linux/Mac/Windows | $3,675 | £3,100 + VAT |
Modo | Foundry | Mac/Windows | $1,495 | £999 |
3D Modeling Software
Most modeling is done in the Main 3D Software Packages. Sometimes artists will use specific modeling tools, to speed up their workflow. These packages are used mostly for 3D modeling, but they often have additional features as well.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price | Website |
Carrara | Daz3D | Mac/Windows | $149 | http://www.daz3d.com/products/carrara/carrara-what-is-carrara |
Hexagon | Daz3D | Mac/Windows | $20 | http://www.daz3d.com/hexagon-2-5-download-version |
Marvelous Designer | CLO Virtual Fashion Inc. | Mac/Windows | $50/$300/$490 | https://www.marvelousdesigner.com |
Metasequoia | Tetraface | Windows | $45/$150 | http://www.metaseq.net/en/index.html |
Milkshape 3D | ChumbaLumSoft | Windows | $35 | http://www.milkshape3d.com |
Nvil | DigitalFossils | Windows | $35 | http://digitalfossils.com/ |
Rhino3D | McNeel | Mac/Windows | $995 | http://www.rhino3d.com |
Silo | Nevercenter | Mac/Windows | $159 | http://nevercenter.com/silo/ |
SketchUp | Mac/Windows | Free/$590 | http://www.sketchup.com/products/sketchup-make | |
Wings3D | IZWare | Linux/Mac/Windows | Free | http://www.wings3d.com/ |
World Machine | Stephen Schmitt | Windows | $99 | http://www.world-machine.com/ #World_Machine |
3D Animation Software
Most animation is done in the Main 3D Software Packages, though here are some tools that specialize just in animation.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price |
Anim8or | R. Steven Glanville | Windows | Free |
CharacterFX | Insane Software | Windows | Free |
Messiah Studio | pmG Worldwide | Mac/Windows | $399 |
MotionBuilder | Autodesk | Windows | $3,995 |
3D Sculpting Software
These tools are used to create a high-resolution 3D model with a series of painting strokes, using a pressure-sensitive tablet or screen. Usually the details from these models are baked into textures for a lower-resolution in-game model. Often these tools include 3D painting as well.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price |
3D-Coat | Pilgway | Linux/Mac/Windows | $379 Pro / $99 EDU-Indie |
Amorphium | EI Technology Group | Windows | $79 |
Blender | Blender Foundation | Linux/Mac/Windows | FREE |
Curvey3D | Aartform | Windows | $99 |
Mudbox | Autodesk | Mac/Windows | $745 |
#Sculptris | Pixologic | Windows | Free |
ZBrush | Pixologic | Mac/Windows | $795 |
Decimation Software
To decimate means to reduce the triangle count of a highly-detailed model. They may be created via DigitalSculpting or Subdivision Surface Modeling. Decimation makes a detailed model easier to load, manipulate, and render in other applications. Decimation tools should preserve the model's essential form without degrading texture coordinates or material boundaries. Decimation is also used for creating LevelOfDetail (LOD) models.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price |
3D-Coat | Pilgway | Linux/Mac/Windows | $379 Pro / $99 EDU-Indie |
Atangeo Balancer | Atangeo | Windows | $52 |
Decimate Modifier (Blender) | Blender Foundation | Linux/Mac/Windows | Free |
Decimation Master (ZBrush) | Pixelogic | Mac/Windows | (included) |
Mesh Reduce (Maya) | Autodesk | Linux/Mac/Windows | (included) |
Meshlab | University of Pisa | Linux(Source)/Mac/Windows | Free |
MultiRes (3ds Max) | Autodesk | Windows | (included) |
Optimize (3ds Max) | Autodesk | Windows | (included) |
Polygon Cruncher | Mootools | Windows | $129 |
Polygon Reduction (Softimage XSI) | Autodesk | Windows | (included) |
ProOptimizer (3ds Max) | Autodesk | Windows | (included) |
Re-Topology Software
Re-topology means creating a new mesh surface from scratch, that conforms to an existing "messy" mesh, often created via digital sculpting. Messy meaning that it either has too much detail or has a topology that's not the best for texturing, shading, or animation. The details from the "messy" mesh are transferred to the new re-topologized mesh by baking a DisplacementMap or NormalMap. The new mesh can either be used directly in-game, or it can be used as the control cage for a subdivision surface. For opinions/reviews of re-topo software, see retopo tools for Max? on the Polycount forum.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price |
3D-Coat | Pilgway | Linux/Mac/Windows | $379 Pro / $99 EDU-Indie |
froRetopo for Maya | Piquet "Froyok" Fabrice | Maya 2011-2014 | Free |
Max_Retopo (for 3ds Max) | cyfer | Windows | Free |
TopoGun | PixelMachine Srl. | Linux/Mac/Windows | $100 |
Wrapit (for 3ds Max) | Matt Clarke | Windows | TBA |
Conform Software
These tools are for conforming an existing mesh to another mesh. Two finished models can be shrink-wrapped to one another, for example to fit a new mesh layout to the size/shape of an existing model. If the models have a different vertex count and order, a conform-style tool must be used instead of a morph tool.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price |
Conform Wrap (for 3ds Max) | Paul Hormis | Windows | Free |
polyShrinkWrap (for Maya) | Linux/Mac/Windows | Free | |
xyShrinkWrap (for Maya) | Linux/Mac/Windows | Free |
3D Paint Software
Many of the main packages include bare-bones 3D paint tools, and most sculpting software also has 3D paint. The Blender site has a list of 3D paint programs here. The following tools are dedicated to 3D paint:
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price |
Blacksmith3D Paint | BlackSmith3D | Mac/Windows | $80 |
BodyPaint 3D | MAXON | Mac/Windows | $995 |
CrackArt | Diego Castano | Windows | Free |
Mari | The Foundry | Linux/Mac/Windows | €1463 / €430/quarter |
P-XCEL | "__stdcall" | Windows | Free |
Substance Painter | Allegorithmic | Mac/Windows | $149 Indie / $549 Pro / $20/month Indie |
See also PaintingAcrossSeams.
3D Normal Map Software
These packages are used specifically for creating normal maps from 3D meshes. See also 2D Normal Map Software.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price |
Knald | Knald Technologies | Windows | $100 Freelancer / $200 Studio |
MightyBake | MightyBake | Mac/Windows | $99 Individual / $199 Studio |
Xnormal | Santiago 'jogshy' Orgaz | Windows | Free |
- PolyBump2 by Crytek
- Renderbump by id Software
- SHTools by Epic Games
- Turtle by Illuminate Labs
- Kaldera by Mankua is a commercial baking plugin for 3ds Max, but it hasn't been updated since 2005.
- Melody by NVIDIA is a free baking application, but it hasn't been updated since 2005.
- NormalMapper by ATI/AMD is a free baking application, but it hasn't been updated since 2004.
- ORB (Open Render Bump) by Martin Fredriksson and C. Seger is a free baking application, but it hasn't been updated since 2003.
Also, the Main 3D Software Packages and the dedicated 3D Sculpting Software each usually have their own integrated normal map creation tools.
3D Texture Coordinate Software
These packages are specifically for creating UV texture coordinates for a 3D mesh.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price |
3D-Coat | Pilgway | Linux/Mac/Windows | $379 Pro / $99 EDU-Indie |
Cas Auto UV | Castor Lee | Windows | Free |
Headus UVLayout | Headus Ltd. | Linux/Mac/Windows | $200 |
PolyUnwrapper | Jorge Rodríguez | Windows (requires 3ds Max) | $25 (free for non-commercial) |
Roadkill UV | Pullin Shapes | Windows | Free |
TexTools | renderhjs | Windows (requires 3ds Max) | Free |
Unfold 3D | Polygonal Design | Windows | 299.00€ |
Special Effects Software
- Indie Tools & Utilities – 2010 Update An extensive, ever growing list of free, cheap or simply "so good they need a mention" tools & utilities for typical development jobs.
2D Tools
Main 2D Software
These are "complete" 2D packages with a wide variety of art tools for photo manipulation, texturing, concepting, etc.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price |
GIMP | GNOME Foundation | Linux/Mac/Windows | Free |
Krita | KDE | Linux/Mac(beta)/Windows | Free |
Paint.NET | dotPDN LLC | Windows(XP+) | Free |
PaintShop Pro | Corel | Windows(XP+) | $50 |
Photoshop PhotoshopTools | Adobe | Mac/Windows | $20 per-month, subscription only |
Texturing workflow - software Polycount Forum thread has discussion about the texturing tools game artists are using.
Wikipedia has a nice table comparing the features of multiple 2D editing packages.
Concepting Software
These packages are most often used for painting concepts and illustrations.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price |
Alchemy #Alchemy | N/A | Linux/Mac/Windows | Free |
Art Rage | Ambient Design Ltd. | Mac/Windows | $50 |
Illust Studio #Illust_Studio | CEL SYS | Windows | ??? |
Krita | KDE | Linux/Mac(beta)/Windows | Free |
Open Canvas #Open_Canvas | PortalGraphics | Windows | $50 |
Paint Tool Sai | Systemax | Windows | 5250 JPY |
Painter | Corel | Mac/Windows | $429 |
SketchBook Pro | Autodesk | Mac/Windows | $60 |
2D Normal Map Software
These packages are used specifically for creating normal maps from 2D images. See also 3D Normal Map Software.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price | Website |
!Bitmap2Material | Allegorithmic | Windows/Mac | $149 | http://www.allegorithmic.com/products/b2m/overview |
CrazyBump | N/A | Windows | $299 | http://www.crazybump.com/ |
Knald | KnaldTech | Windows | $100 Freelance License / $200 Studio License | https://www.knaldtech.com/ |
MindTex | FrozenFlame Software | Windows | $15 | www.mindtex.frozenflamecorp.com/ |
NJob | Free | http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=68860 | ||
PhotoSculpt | Hippolyte Mounier | Windows | 139 Euros | |
PixPlant | N/A | Mac/Windows | $195 | http://www.pixplant.com/ |
ShaderMap Pro | Rendering Sytems Inc. | Windows | $29.95 (command-line version is free) | http://shadermap.com/ |
Smart Normal | Web | Free | http://www.smart-page.net/smartnormal/ |
- Photoshop nDo Normal Creation Toolkit is a plugin that costs $99. Windows only.
- Photoshop NVIDIA Normal Map Filter is a free plugin.
- Photoshop NVIDIA DDS texture compression plugin is free.
- Same as the NVIDIA normal map filter, but lets you create the best-quality Mip Maps for a normal map, by filtering each mip independently from the original source image, rather than simply scaling down the normal map. Windows 32bit only.
- Photoshop Xnormal filters is a free plugin by Santiago 'jogshy' Orgaz.
- Five filters for Photoshop: Dilation (see EdgePadding), !Height2Normals (see NormalMap), !Height2Occlusion (see AmbientOcclusionMap), Normalize normal map, !Normals2Cavity.
- GIMP normalmap plugin is a free plugin by Shawn Kirst.
- NSpace is a free converter from Diogo Teixeira that can convert Object Space normal maps into Tangent Space normal maps. The tool is discussed in this thread and Osman "osman" Tsjardiwal has created GUI for it as well.
- Normal Map Actions for Photoshop by Will "sinistergfx" Fuller
- Overlay: Levels blue channel of current layer to 128 and sets the blend mode to overlay. Used for overlaying additional normal map detail.
- Normalize: Just does a nVidia normal map filter normalize on the current layer.
- Normalize (flatten): Flattens the image and does a nVidia normal map filter normalize.
- Rotate 90 CW: Rotates current normal map layer 90 degrees clockwise and fixes your red and green channels so that it doesn't break your normal map.
- Rotate 90 CW (inverted Y): Rotates current normal map layer 90 degrees clockwise and fixes your red and green channels so that it doesn't break your normal map. For normal maps that use the inverted Y convention.
- Rotate 90 CCW: Rotates current normal map layer 90 degrees counter-clockwise and fixes your red and green channels so that it doesn't break your normal map.
- Rotate 90 CCW (inverted Y): Rotates current normal map layer 90 degrees counter-clockwise and fixes your red and green channels so that it doesn't break your normal map. For normal maps that use the inverted Y convention.
- Rotate 180: Rotates current normal map layer 180 degrees and fixes your red and green channels so that it doesn't break your normal map.
Vector Software
These packages are used for creating vector graphics, commonly used for user interfaces or print media.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price |
Flash | Adobe | Mac/Windows | $20 per-month, subscription only |
Inkscape | N/A | Linux/Mac/Windows | Free |
Illustrator | Adobe | Mac/Windows | $20 per-month, subscription only |
Krita | KDE | Linux/Mac(beta)/Windows | Free |
Image Overlay Software
These tools are helpful for overlaying reference images, drawing quick review comments on artwork, remote collaboration, marking animation reference points, etc.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price | Website |
Floaty | 'StrangeDave' | Windows | Free | http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99709 |
Foreground Reference Utility | Mark Grice | Windows | Free | download, video tutorial |
Ghost-It! | Matthew T. Pandina | Windows | Free | http://download.cnet.com/Ghost-It/3000-2072_4-10077652.html |
ozToolOverlay | Osman Tsjardiwal | Windows | Free | http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1040899 |
PureRef | Natascha 'Arookh' Schirmuli | Mac, Windows | Donationware | Reference image viewer - PureRef Polycount Forum thread |
refBoard | Jonathan 'Equanim' Richards | OSX, Windows | Free | refBoard! Nifty little reference viewer Polycount Forum thread |
ScreenMarker | BeamYourScreen GmbH | Free | http://www.screenmarker.com/ | |
Snippet tool | Microsoft | Windows Vista, Windows 7 | (included) | windows.microsoft.com |
Image Browsing Software
These packages are used for browsing image collections and for displaying reference imagery while an artist is working.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Price | Website |
ACDSee | ACD Systems International | Windows(XP+) | $60 | http://www.acdsee.com/ |
DeskPins | Elias Fotinis | Windows(95+) | Free | http://users.forthnet.gr/pat/efotinis/programs/deskpins.html |
FastStone Image Viewer | FastStone Soft | Windows | $35
(free for personal use) |
http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm |
First Impression | Utilhaven.com | Windows(XP+) | Free | http://www.utilhaven.com/fi/index.htm |
Foreground Reference | Mark Grice | Windows | Free | http://www.silo3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16966 |
IrfanView | Irfan Skiljan | Windows(95+) | $12
(free for personal use) |
http://www.irfanview.com/ |
Kuadro | Kruel Games, LLC | Windows, OSX | Donationware | http://kruelgames.com/tools/kuadro/, Polycount Forum thread |
XnView | Pierre Gougelet | Linux/Mac/Windows/etc. | $34
(free for personal use) |
http://www.xnview.com/ |
Textur.us | Textur.us | Windows/Mac
Photoshop CC 2014+ |
$5/$10/$15 a month | http://textur.us/ |
Tiled Texture Tools
- Filter Forge ($) procedural tiled-texture editor.
- PixPlant ($) texture tiling tool.
- Seamless Texture Generator ($) texture tiling tool.
- Seamless Workshop free Photoshop filter that fixes tiling errors by blending edges.
- sdvTile free Photoshop script that expands the canvas 3x and repeats your texture across it.
- Texture Frank free 3d tile previewer. Great for viewing tiled textures while painting. EXE shows textures on meshes, drag-n-drop, auto refresh, diffuse/normal/specular/displacement maps, multi-layer PSDs, etc. Many options!
- Wood Workshop free procedural-wood tiled-texture editor.
Screen Recording Software
Record your screen to a video file.
- CamStudio (free)
- Camtasia ($)
- Fraps ($)
- Gadwin ScreenRecorder ($)
- Game DVR (free, Windows 10 required)
- Open Broadcaster Software (free)
- Overwolf (free)
- ShadowPlay (free, Nvidia card required)
Sprite Tools
- TexturePacker by CodeAndWeb - Sprite sheet packer supporting many game and web frameworks
- ShoeBox by Hendrik-Jan "renderhjs" Schoenmaker tools for working with transparencies and sprites.
- SpriteSheet Preview free tool for viewing multi-frame sprite sheets.
Tablet Utilities
These are tools that help with using a tablet or Cintiq.
Package | Company | Supported OS | Description |
How To Easily Make Your Cintiq/Tablet Better | ConceptArt.org forum | Windows/Mac | How to manually tweak your Wacom sensitivity, and links to some tablet tweaker apps |
Tablets - Tips, Tricks and Resources | Polycount forum | Windows | Tips and links to tablet tweaker apps |
Tablet PC annoyances BEGONE! | Polycount forum | Windows | Removing the annoying UI gizmos on tablet PCs. |
Tablet Pressure Curve Editor with a GUI | TabletPCReview.com forum | Windows | Note: might not be supported with latest Wacom drivers. |
Lazy Nezumi Pro | Guillaume Stordeur | Windows | Smooths out cursor motion in a similar way to ZBrush's Lazy Mouse feature, and adds other useful line processing features. See the Polycount thread Lazy Nezumi Pro - mouse and pen smoothing in PhotoShop and other apps! |
Illusoft's Wacom Monitor Switch Utility | Illusoft | Windows | Use a hotkey to switch the tablet from one monitor to another, on a multi-monitor setup. |
3D Tool Information
3D-Coat
Best known for: Voxel sculpting for topology-less sculpting, texture painting and advanced retopology capabilities including auto-retopology which can generate all-quad meshes using nothing more then a few basic guide splines drawn by the user. It also has polygonal sculpting with dynamic tessellation, PBR Shading/Material painting, advanced curves based painting/sculpting tools and a unique UV unwrapping algorithm called "Globally Uniform" that unwraps even some complex meshes with near perfect uniform polygons across the UV map.
- 3D-Coat Online Documentation
- PBR Materials in 3D-Coat - by Javis Jones
- Construct a PBR Material in 3D-Coat - by Javis Jones
3ds Max
Best known for: the power of its modifier stack for modeling. Features powerful viewport shaders such as Xoliul's Shader and the 3Point Shader. Category:Shaders lists some popular shaders and has articles about how to make new ones.
- 3dsmax Basics - Solving the Preferences - by Sascha Henrichs
- Max and Maya: Similarities and Differences - by Paul Neale
- MAXScript for MEL users - by Borislav Petrov
- 3DS clean - 3ds Max 2009 customized for speed
- <3 3ds Max 2009 - more tips for customizing 3ds Max.
Plugins and Scripts
- ScriptSpot Your community resource for 3ds MAXScript or SketchUp Rubyscript.
- MAX Plugins.de The database for freeware and commercial 3ds Max plugins.
- Creative Crash List of 3ds Max plugins & scripts.
- Autodesk AREA Plugins List of 3ds Max plugins.
- Autodesk AREA Scripts List of 3ds Max scripts.
- Quad Chamfer Modifier {$} - better chamfer for SubdivisionSurfaceModeling.
- PolyUnwrapper - many maxscripts for UVW Unwrap.
- Advanced UV Normalizer - use custom Texel Density to normalize the UV Shells across different models.
- TexTools - many maxscripts for UVW Unwrap.
- IllusionCatalyst - Scripts - maxscripts for edgeloop modeling.
- select every other edge on collapsed subdivided mesh - 3dsmax - maxscript to revert subdivided meshes
- EdgeSmooth - Free, open source smoothing plugin - maxscript for defining hard edges like Maya does, instead of assigning Smoothing Groups manually.
- Grabviewport 2.5 - capture high-resolution screenshots with passes (alpha, wire, ssao, etc.).
- Max plugins archive Polycount thread
Blender
Best known for: being a free alternative to more expensive packages, and as a very inclusive package with it's own compositor, sequencer, sculpting system, and game engine.
- Download
- Release notes for the latest releases
- Blender 2.5 Crash Course (Not For Retards) Polycount forum thread
- How to set 3ds max default viewport controls in Blender Polycount forum thread
Mari
Best known for: being used in the production of Avatar film, and can handle multiple 32k resolution textures.
Mari is a 3D painting app best known for it's high res texture painting capabilities. It uses the hard drive heavily as a swap disk, and thus requires a significant amount of free space (250gb free recommended).
- Mari - does anyone actually use it? thread on Polycount (the answer is, yes!)
- Mari release thread on Polycount: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75224
- Mari video: http://media.fxguide.com/fxguidetv/fxguidetv-ep078.mov
Maya
Best known for: the speed of its marking menus while modeling, and ease of animation due to the versatility of attributes.
- Guides for Transitioning to Maya - by Autodesk. Four guides to transitioning to Maya from: 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, Lightwave, or Softimage XSI.
- How to switch UI styles in Maya 2011: Autodesk Maya 2011 Qt style switch
- How to Inset faces like in 3DS Max: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1168816&postcount=14
- How to Push like the 3DS Max modifier: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74491
- How to fix corrupted files: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66262
Sculptris
Best known for: adding geometry to a mesh dynamically, avoiding worries about topology while sculpting. Sculptris is a powerful, easy to use, and lightweight sculpting app. Because you don't have to worry about geometry or using a base mesh, it is quickly becoming popular for roughing out and concepting ideas. Afterwords artists will retopologize their concept sculpt and take it into ZBrush or Mudbox for refinement. There are also painting tools for color and bump, but as of v1.02 their is no way to preserve the paint if one decides to go back into sculpt mode.
As of July 23 2010 Sculptris has been purchased by Pixologic, and its Developer (Tomas Petersson) hired by them (whom now works for The Foundry). What this means for the future of Sculptris, its technology, and its 'free' status has yet to be determined.
For v1.01 :
- Unofficial Mac port: http://drpetter.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=sculptris&action=display&thread=661
- French translation: http://drpetter.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=tech&action=display&thread=316
Softimage XSI
Best known for: the modeling toolset, and ICE (used for creating effects) is considered very powerful, plus tight Mental Ray integration. Even though Softimage XSI isn't as commonly used as in the games industry, there are big studios that use it as their primary 3D software. Some notable examples are Ubisoft (Assassins Creed), Lionhead (Fable series), Konami (Metal Gear Solid 4), Valve (Half life 2).
- 3ds Max to Softimage XSI Transition Tips - by Stefan Didak
- Max to XSI Jumpstart - by 'Vmpre'
World Machine
Best known for: Widely used in the game industry for creating terrains using natural erosion techniques. Great for creating height maps, textures, and texture masks.
- Category:EnvironmentTerrain has tutorials for World Machine.
- World machine, advanced coloring macro - by 'Buzzcore'
Zbrush
Best known for: being well a supported and innovative sculpting package. Zbrush's Ztool system allows for minimal use of a traditional 3D package, while its tools attempt to bring digital media as close to traditional, physical media as possible.
- ZBrush Custom UI Showcase Polycount forum thread, people sharing their UIs and tools.
- Custom Brushes using Zbrush and Max video tutorial by Michael 'Orb' Vicente
- Free Custom Zbrush Brushes by Michael Dunnam
- Nick's Tools - Zbrush Plugins by Nick 'nyx702' Miller
- ZBrushCentral user forums, galleries, etc.
- Pixologic ZClassroom video training
2D Tool Information
Alchemy
- Alchemy thread on Polycount
Illust Studio
Open Canvas
Best known for: The 'Network Canvas' feature that was present in its free pre-commercial version, which allowed multiple users to paint on a single canvas over the net or LAN (This feature was removed once Open Canvas became commercial software, but the free version despite its limitations and age remains popular to this day because of it).
- Download the free version here.
Photoshop
See PhotoshopTools.
/!\ Note: prices are accurate as of June 27, 2010