Maxon’s Cinema 4D has been around for many years and is highly regarded in the worlds of motion graphics, visualisation and illustration. Limited features in free version -Expensive

The free version gives you access to virtually all of the features of the award-winning Houdini FX to develop your skills and for working on personal projects. The full-featured Houdini Indie also provides an affordable commercial option for small studios. Fortunately, SideFX offers Houdini Apprentice, a free version of Houdini FX, which can be used by students, artists and hobbyists for personal non-commercial projects. Like Maya, this level of power and non-standard workflow can be tricky to get to grips with. This nodal workflow isn’t to everyone’s liking, but Houdini also has more traditional tools for directly interacting with polygons on screen. Widely used in the VFX industry for creating a range of 3D imagery, Houdini's node-based procedural approach provides digital artists with an unprecedented level of power, flexibility and control.

Download Houdini Apprentice (free version)Ĭoming in second place in our guide to the best 3D modelling software is Houdini by SideFX.But for those who have the time, skill and patience to master it, Maya has some of the best 3D tools around and is a sound investment. This level of power also comes at a price – a subscription to Maya doesn't come cheap. There’s a chance you may never touch some of its functionality, so you need to decide if it’s actually overkill for your specific needs. Maya is great at modelling, texturing, lighting and rendering – its vast feature set includes particles, hair, solid body physics, cloth, fluid simulations and character animation.

However, if you’re aiming to get a job in the animation or VFX industries, you’d be wise to use the same software that the likes of ILM, Pixar, DNEG and Framestore use. This hugely extensible app isn't for the faint-hearted: its toolset is hugely complex and takes time to learn. Largely seen as the industry standard for CG, Autodesk Maya boasts an unrivalled range of tools and features. Ask any 3D artist to name the best 3D modelling software, and most will choose Autodesk Maya.

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