3D modelling is the art of creating 3D objects and entities using a 3D software to be used in Games, Movies and other sources of entertainment. For a beginner the scale of things achievable might be somewhat overwhelming and that's totally alright. The purpose of this post is to introduce you to the first step to becoming totally awesome, picking your 3D software platform and the right mindset to begin working on it. Alright, let's begin.
3D modelling is one of those skills, once learnt will leave you feeling like a god. You have the power to create anything in that virtual space, and the only bottleneck would be your imagination and thoughts.
Above: Spider-Man Homecoming
Left: Tomb Raider 2013
Below: Assassin's Creed Origins
So, How do you start with this?
3D modelling is a very vast field. There are many software's out there which might draw your attention in the beginning ( *ahem blender *ahem). And there are different types of modelling also (will be covered in another post).
Pick a software. As simple as this sounds, it's not (at least for a beginner). Scroll down to the bottom, for the list.
Each software is great in its own way. DO NOT compare them.
Each of the software's I mention in this post have a huge community and fan following on various social media platforms (like Reddit, Discord, etc.). So, you will find a ton of tutorials for each on YouTube. If you're confident about which software to go with, you may buy courses on Udemy also.
Practice everyday. This is important. By practicing everyday, you'll get faster at doing the trivial things(moving stuff, keyframes, scaling, etc...) which will make your work more efficient and save you a ton of time for your future projects.
Work on your modelling technique. I believe everyone has their own unique way of building something. There are many ways of building the same thing. One way might be more efficient than the other. The only way to find out which is better is through practice and by observing veterans and their design style. Watch a lot of speed builds and build processes on YouTube.
If you're on social media, follow some great artists for inspiration (unlike @smith_076 on Instagram :| ). It may be Instagram or Facebook or Reddit. And do not forget Pinterest and DeviantArt. You'll find a ton of great work to drool upon. Artstation is also pretty great for getting quality references and concept art by famous designer and studios.
And have a good playlist on Spotify or any music streaming service you use. (Studies show that music can affect your work).
Well, that's about it, I guess. On to the list then.
1. CINEMA 4D:
On top of the list, we have Cinema 4D by Maxon (Ma list ,Ma rules). Jokes apart, Cinema 4D is great for beginners. It's a personal favourite because the UI is very flexible and comfortable. Everything you need for making good models is in one great package(3d painting, modelling, sculpting) . Cinema 4D is extensively used for motion graphics and animation and it's quite trending these days. Cinema 4D is great for animating and rigging and comes with pretty sweet Renderers inbuilt. The cover picture on the home page was done with Cinema 4D.
Check out their site: https://www.maxon.net/en-us/products/cinema-4d/overview/
Screenshot:
2. Blender:
Those of you who know me know how much I "love" Blender. Well for starters, IT'S FREE. And the Blender community seems to be growing by the hour. It can do everything the other "not free" software's can do. It's also open source, giving rise to craayzee plugins. And geometry nodes give a parametric way of designing things in Blender which gives a lot of room for creativity. As much as I rant about blender, it's a good contender for the seat of Most Popular 3D Software. Oh, and did I tell you that it's well within a 100 Megabytes. Well, now you know.
Check out their site: https://www.blender.org/
Screenshot:
3.Autodesk 3DS Max:
This is the big boy's terrain here. 3DS max is a fantastic piece of software, which has been around since the dark ages(kidding! ;) ). Other than the occasional crashes and a foot on the neck for your CPU, it's not bad. It is used extensively in Movies and high budget projects. Highly recommended if you have a decent CPU (i5 or Ryzen 5 series or higher).
Check out their site: https://www.autodesk.com/products/3ds-max/overview?support=ADVANCED&plc=3DSMAX&term=1-YEAR&quantity=1
Screenshot:
4.Sketchup :
Sketchup is a lightweight modelling software which aims at making modelling easy and non-intimidating. This software is used extensively in architectural firms all over the world, along with V-Ray. It's relatively easy to model simple parts in Sketchup, compared to all the above software and there is also a web version of it. If you want to make simple models for 3D printing, this is highly recommended. This is also great for rapid prototyping designs. Not recommended for high poly projects.
Check out their site: https://www.sketchup.com/
Screenshot:
5.Houdini:
Houdini is one more fantastic piece of software which is great if you're into procedural modelling and simulations. Best part about Houdini's workflow is that its totally node based. This gives you total control over things. Highly recommended if you want to do crazy ass simulations and particle effects. (Just make sure you have looooots of RAM. 32 GB is the sweet spot.16 will also do.)
Check out their site: https://www.sidefx.com/
Screenshot:
6.Maya:
Maya is yet another software by Autodesk which focuses more on animation and motion graphics (to some degree). Combined with Arnold Renderer this is a deadly combo which can tackle any challenge. The character animation and rigging toolset in Maya is second to none and I found the User experience to be really friendly compared to its older brother. The materials toolset was also super cool. The software itself has a lot of sophistication and supports customization a lot which is a great green flag for me.
You can try out the free trial here.
CONCLUSION:
There are many toys in the box. All you got to do is pick one and start playing. The more you play, the better you get. Explore everything. Be curious and keep experimenting.
Stay Home, Stay Safe. Sayonara.
Cheers,
Abhishek Jathan
Instagram: @smith_076
Was very helpful and informative 👍
Thanks for this, bud! 😀 Appreciate it.