The Best Software for 3D Design

So just like the hardware, many people question the software they should use for creating whatever it is they want to create, game assets, photo-realistic scenes, 3D printing models, or 3D animations. In this article, I plan to ease anyone's mind when choosing the software to use. Unlike software for other industries, specifically programming, 3D art & design is much more lenient.


In my previous profession, software was a huge part of the process when creating something great. You had to use certain software for certain purposes, and each variant of the software was basically a "tier" of greatness. Luckily creating anything spectacular in 3D ignores this process.

When it comes to modeling, lighting effects, renders, sculpting, and UV grids, I use Blender. While I have dabbled in other applications like 3Ds Max, and Sculptris, I feel most comfortable with Blender. It's not the price of the software, but that it's what I like, and every movement is like second nature to me.  I like having everything in one place, and not having to use multiple pieces of software to accomplish what I'm use to completing in a single Blender session.

In no way am I saying Blender is the best, I'm saying it is what works best for "me". Every single piece of 3D software, every game engine, and every render engine accomplish the exact same things, but in different ways. With 3D models, you can always export your model to open in any other modeler or game engine.  While I know many people that swear ZBrush is the best of all sculpting software, some die-hard Blender sculptors found how to cross the boundaries that made so many feel it was not good enough. There are so many scenarios where this has been the issue, but it is simply an artist trying to find what works, so they can create, not worry about tools. That is what makes every artist unique, a different view of how to complete the same objective. They all share the same methods, but with a different form of applying the shapes, so to speak.

The point of all of this is the same, where 3D modelers share a common goal, the same can be said for those who also create textures, or digital concept art. At the beginning of my digital design life, I used GIMP (the GNU Image Manipulation Program), to create all of my images. Half a decade back, I was introduced to Photoshop completely, and felt so much more comfortable, and have continued to use it since. I have watched GIMP evolve more and more, and it has come so far since I first used it, but I will still prefer Photoshop as I continue on.

This is my opinion, and usually mine alone.  Use what you feel works best for you, and for your style. If you simply want to learn, or cannot afford your software of choice, do not worry. Simply use what you can, and when you switch over to your desired platform, everything will make sense. All of the software has been created by artists for artists, so the majority of content is the same, with the same terminology found in all of them. It won't take that long to learn any of it. When you do, you can finally spend time creating, not worrying about what is best.