3D Modeling Software for Beginners — Which to Choose?

For novices who plan to make a big splash in the 3D design industry, choosing a suitable software for further 3D creation may be the first difficulty encountered when getting started.

Therefore, we will recommend several 3D software that are commonly used in the field of 3D content creation, have relatively complete functions, and have a large user base for your reference. You can choose according to your actual needs.

Blender

We’ll start with this open source software since for may beginners, when the budget is limited and the software is not well understood, it is a very important prerequisite to invest as little as possible.

Therefore, Blender, a 3d animation and rendering program that included two powerful render engine by default and is totally free for using is definitely a good choice.

Blender provides a wide set of tools covering the entire creative pipeline, including but not limited to modeling, animation, rendering and compositing, which can meet the features required for the entire process of basic 3D content creation.

So if you have a limited budget, are still hesitant to invest more money in 3D content creation, or just treat it as a hobby, give Blender a try.

We have also shared some good add-ons that can be really helpful for Blender creation, you may click the here to give a watch!

3ds Max

The Autodesk production 3ds Max has been popular among 3D creators for a really long time, and it’s huge users base itself proves how powerful the program is. So there may be no need to introduce the features of 3ds Max, and we’ll focus more on the people who are suitable for this software, so that readers may make choices with good ones.

3ds Max includes may features like other 3d creation software, but it has won the recognition of many users in the field of visual representation of CGI (computer generated images) such as interior design, environmental design, and architectural performance.

By cooperating with rendering engines such as V-Ray and Corona, 3ds Max can efficiently display photo-level rendering effects. So if any of the fields mentioned above will be your feature, you may get start with 3ds Max!

Maya

Another famous product belongs to Autodesk, but wins more hearts of animators.

As the well-known 3d animation and modeling program, there may be no need to talk too much about Maya, and all the VFX works presented with it are enough to tell how powerful it is.

Maya is so frequently used by professional animators and studios working on large-scale animation projects, including feature-length films and TV shows, that most learn to use it in college before finding a job in the animation industry. So if you’re into character creation, animation, and a bunch of cool effects, then this is well worth checking out.

CINEMA 4D

Compared with Blender, 3ds Max and Maya mentioned above, C4D has a simple and intuitive product interface for novices with zero foundation, and it will be easier to learn.

At the same time, similar to Blender, C4D itself is small, has lower hardware configuration requirements during runtime, and faster startup speed, suitable for users with limited computer configuration;

In addition, the software comes with a rich material library, you can quickly find the lighting, materials, textures, etc. you want, it will be much more convenient to use, and you can make good effects simply and quickly.

You may also find some useful add-ons for Cinema 4D creation in the link here.

And if you are hesitant to choose C4D or Blender, the following article may help you:

Blender VS Cinema 4D: Which to Choose