Animation & Game Design Software Recommendations and Profiles

Video editing needs can range from organizing an entire television show to being as simple as creating a short video montage for a relative or loved one. Different types of editing software fill different needs and expect different amounts of expertise and experience, so it’s important to do some research before diving into a product that you won’t meet your needs. This is a list of 8 products you consider first.

There are hundreds of 3D animation software options to choose from, so where should you start? The answer depends on how much technological background you have, as well as what kind of 3D needs you have. Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran, here are the first 10 3D modeling programs you should check out and consider using:

ZBrush is a bit like a “hipster” within the 3D art community. While most software packages provide artists with everything and anything they could ever need, ZBrush is instead content in going off and doing its own thing. Most 3D software tries to specialize in 3D modeling, textures, rigging, animating, and more, but ZBrush mostly focuses on really advanced “sculpting”. This allows users to create incredibly detailed 3D art relatively quickly, but animation is almost nonexistent in its software feature list. Because of this, ZBrush plays an interesting role in the creation process of many professional projects.

When talking about 3D animation software, conversations usually go immediately towards 3D Studio Max and Maya, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other equally robust software packages out there. What began as a contest winning ray-tracer submission in 1990 grew over the next decade to become a complete 3D art package. From 2001 to present day, Maxon’s Cinema 4D suite has been upgraded, fully fleshed out, and polished to the point that it can stand up against any of its competition.