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Application
|
Summary
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Platform
|
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Autodesk Maya
Multimedia
Games Design
|
Maya is one of the easier pieces of software to understand and
learn, and provides comprehensive tools for animation, modelling,
visual effects, simulation and rendering. It is a great all-rounder
that can be used for just about anything. A lot of film visual
effects are done in Maya.
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Windows
Linux
Mac OS X
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Autodesk 3ds Max
Engineering
Product Design
Multimedia
Games Design
|
3ds Max is perhaps the most difficult application to master. It
has been around in different guises for years and has many features
that make it incredibly versatile and powerful but also very
complicated. Because of this versatility, it is used in a diverse
range of industries, from games design to architectural
visualisation.
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Windows
|
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Autodesk 3ds Max Design
Built Environment
|
There are two versions of 3ds Max: Max and Max Design. Max
Design is used primarily for architectural modelling and designing,
and has additional features that do not come with the other
version. These include daylight analysis and BIM (Building
Information Modelling), which allow architects to model a building
and then analyse how it will function under certain
circumstances.
|
Windows
|
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Maxon CINEMA 4D
Multimedia
Games Design
Product Design
Built Environment
Engineering
|
CINEMA 4D has engineering, architecture and broadcast editions
that are tailored to each specific need. Where it really excels is
in animation. Using the built-in MoGraph toolset (made for creating
motion graphics) is easy and delivers amazing results very quickly.
The BodyPaint module also sets it apart from other applications as
it gives you the ability to paint a texture directly onto a model.
Without the need to arrange textures over specific co-ordinates,
texturing your models becomes fast and more intuitive. CINEMA 4D is
used heavily in both film and TV for these reasons and is a great
option for most 3D needs.
|
Windows
Mac OS X
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Mental Ray
Rendering Plug-in
|
Mental Ray is a rendering plug-in that comes free with most
Autodesk 3D applications. The plug-in is used to design and apply
materials to your models, add lights to a scene and much more.
Mental Ray is not used to make models, only to give them the
material that you want, such as a wood texture for the floor and
paint finish to a wall. It's a fairly complicated plug-in to learn
but does yield fantastic results when you get a bit of
experience.
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Windows
|
|
V-Ray
Rendering Plug-in
|
V-Ray is a separate render plug-in for 3ds Max, Maya, CINEMA 4D
and a few other leading 3d applications. Like Mental Ray, it is
used to apply materials and lights to a scene. In many industries,
V-Ray is the standard choice of renderer as it is considered the
best at generating photorealistic renders. V-Ray is packed with
features that make it more than just a renderer and is highly
respected within the industry.
|
Depends on application it is being used on.
|
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Autodesk Mudbox
Games Design
Multimedia
|
Mudbox is a digital sculpting and texture painting application
that is used primarily in the game, film, television and design
industries. Think of a lump of clay that you gradually sculpt into
the final model: Mudbox works in a similar way but, instead of
using a scalpel, you use a graphics tablet or mouse. It is very
intuitive and is great for creating odd shapes or characters.
Windows users have the option of a 32-bit or 64-bit version where
as OS X users need to be working in 64-bit.
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Windows
Mac OS X
|
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Pixologic Zbrush
Games Design
Multimedia
|
Zbrush is much like Mudbox and is used to create digital
sculptures of unique characters for the games or broadcast
industries. Zbrush has many powerful features and has a very
elegant and intuitive interface that allows greater freedom and
control.
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Windows
Mac OS X
|
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E-on Vue
Multimedia
Games Design
Built Environment
|
E-on Vue is one of the lesser known applications on the list but
is actually great at generating organic scenes such as mountains,
terrains, skies, trees, grass and anything else you might find in
nature. It is very simple to learn and was used extensively in
Avatar to populate their scenes with organic matter.
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Windows
Mac OS X
|
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Google SketchUp
Built Environment
Product Design
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SketchUp is great because it is free. There is a pro version
thats adds more features for professional use but, for students,
the standard version is a great place to start. SketchUp is
probably the easiest of the 3D programs to learn. Architects love
it because they can sketch out ideas for buildings very quickly and
accurately.
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Windows
Mac OS X
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Nemetschek Vectorworks
Built Environment
|
Vectorworks is a CAD (Computer Aided Design) application that is
used by architects to design and analyse their buildings, but is
considered to be one of the programs that is easiest to learn. One
advantage over other CAD/BIM applications that Vectorworks has is
that it is very customisable. If you are trying to re-design or
renovate an old building, you can adapt Vectorworks to suit the
specific requirement of the building and your workflow.
|
Windows
Mac OS X
|
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Autodesk AutoCAD
Engineering
Built Environment
|
AutoCAD is probably the oldest application on the list and has
been the benchmark for accuracy and precision. It is primarily used
by engineers and architects for this very reason. Historically, it
has been 2D but is increasingly integrating 3D elements into its
features.
|
Windows
|
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Autodesk Revit
Built Environment
|
Revit is another application made for CAD and BIM. Revit helps
architects and designers to capture and analyse early concepts and
can then be used to design all aspects of the design process, right
through to construction and handover. It is suited more to new
builds rather than renovations and retrofitting. Windows-only.
|
Windows
|
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Informatix Piranesi
Rendering plug-in
|
Piranesi is a rendering plug-in that architects use to produce
initial concepts. It doesn't try to be a photo-realistic renderer
but instead excels at producing traditional sketch-like renders
that both the building and architect trades still love. Windows and
OS X.
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Windows
Mac OS X
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