This page is extremely biased based upon my experience with each tools which I ever used for a while, so flames of emails regarding other opinions will be ignored.
This page is tilted heavily towards 3-D CG, and is not an introduction to 3-D tools, but a summary and quick link page for my own personal use to get updates and patches and might be helpful for you to follow how I work on various aspects of computer graphics.
2D Imaging Tool:
2-D Animation
3D Modeling, Animation and Compositing:
- Maya: The single most important tool for modelling and animation.
- 3DStudio Max is presently my favorite 3-D modeler in most cases.
- SoftImage: is now a history, but this used to be the major tool.
- Lightwave3D: I haven't used much, but the package is way cheaper than others.
- Maxon Cinema4D
- is a simple but powerful 3D tool.
- Houdini
- Hash Animation Master
- Foundry MODO
- Amapi3D is a 3D modeler, but is discontinued.
- trueSpace is a 3D modeller, but is discontinued now.
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- Rhinoceros is regarded as a best NURBS modeler in the market.
- AC3D is a polygon-based modeler and outputs into RIB, VRML, POV, DXF, 3DS, OBJ, and Alias triangle.
- SCED is a constraint-based CSG modeler and outputs into POV, RIB, VRML, Radiance and Rayshade.
- sPatch is a spline-based modeler and outputs into VRML, POV, and RIB, and very handy to use.
- Moray is a modeler for POV-Ray.
- XFROG is a tree, plant, flower generator and ouputs into VRML, DXF, POV, and Rayshade.
- Bryce3D creates 3-D background to be used for other programs. Some people speak very highly of this, and I found that it produces very stunning rendering.
- Leveller: is a Terrain Height Generator.
- ShellyLib produces various sea-shells interactively with Tcl/Tk and OpenGL installed.
- Lparser
- Universe Generator
- Bioform: Organic life on your desktop
- SpilinEditor is a graphical curve editor mainly designed for POV-Ray 3.0X raytracer <- link dead.
- PlantStudio is a modeller for herbaceous plants.
- GForge 3t Orb-Cyl are artificial terrain-making modellers.
- Warp: GIMP Plugin
- Christophe Bouffartigue's ClothRay Liens for POV-Ray
- Povman is a custom version of POV-Ray.
- Ayam is a NURBS/CSG modelling environment for the RenderMan interface.
- Strata
- RealSoft Graphics
- Ashlar Vellum3D
- Google SketchUp Google 3D sketching tool
- Unity Pro is a tool for vidoe game development
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- OpenFX Enhanced Image Mapping and Character Animation.
- Boris FX
- anim8or
- Deled Delgine
- Metasequoia
- Amabilis
- Aztec
- Silhouette FX
- 3D Nature
- Terragen (Terrain Generator)
- TreeGenerator Tree Generator
- PlantStudio Plant generator
- Onyx Tree Professional
- Realtime Landscaping Architect
- Comparison of tree generators
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- Eon Ozone 3 (3D cloud spectral atmosphere)
- Eon Vue (natural looking 3D environment)
- Autodesk Combustion: rotoscoping & compositing
- Chaos Group Aura (Smoke)
- Neat limit's Real Flow (water)
- Eyeon Digital Fusion (Compositing)
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- ZBrush is a 3D painter.
- Substance Painter is a 3D painter
- RealFlow is for Fluids.
- shag:hair is discontinued.
- ClothReyes is discontinued.
- Flame is for compositing.
- Digimation
3-D Character Modeler:
3-D Font Generator:
- Aurora 3D Text & Logo
- Corel MotionStudio 3D
- 3D Text Maker
- 3D Magic makes a quick 3-D font and outputs in VRML, DXF, OBJ, 3DS and more.
- Font3D converts TTF to POV, DXF, RIB, Radiance and RAW triangle.
- Elefont converts TTF to DXF, UDO & INC.
- Ulead Cool3D (defunct now) used to be very useful in creating 3-D logo of text.
- Swift 3D transforms TTF to a compelling 3D graphics image.
- Fontographer converts scanned handwritings into the custom-made fonts.
3-D Model and Texture Archives:
3-D Stereogram:
Animated Gif:
- GIF MovieGear edits with thumbnail of individual gifs and has more features than GifConstruction Set, but less than GifAnimator.
- Ulead Gif Animator: Probably the best gif animator with excellent FX plugins.
- Gif Construction Set is the most simple, handy, text-based tool with no special functions with the minimal hard disk space. If you are an expert in creating animated gif, this is the one you need.
Digitizer, Graphics Tablet and Input Devices:
CAD and Modeller
DVD, DivX and XVid
Editors:
- EMACS is for every programmer.
- Ghostscript and GhostView are PS and PDF viewer and generator.
- UltraEdit is a MS Windows-based text editor less powerful than EMACS and more powerful than VI.
Encoders (for VOD, IPTV, Streaming, Rich Media and Security Surveillance):
Format Converters:
GIS and 3D Map
Graphics Utilities:
Information Visualization:
- TIBCO Spotfire
- SAS JPM
- DataDesk
- ManyEyes
- Digg
Misc
Multimedia Authoring, Encoding and Editing
PhotoMosaic
Renderer
RenderMan
Scientific Visualization:
Simulation & Solid Modelling:
- MSC/NASTRAN is a modeling and structural analysis program, and converts DWG to solid model.
- Pro/ENGINEER does motion simulation.
- Superdraw III does finite element modeling.
- Helix Design System is for solid modeling and CAD/CAM and converts DWG to solid model.
Sound Editing
Storyboard and Concept Visualization
Tutorials:
Video Authoring/Editing
Data Visualization Tool
Photography
Portfolio of Great Artists
Support for my Tools (to get updates and patches)
Toyota Sienna XLE 2011