Adobe Substance 3D Painter

A 3D painting and texturing application for creating PBR materials directly on models, with layers, masks, baking, UDIMs and export to game engines and renderers.

Substance 3D Painter lets artists paint PBR materials directly onto 3D models using layers, masks, Smart Materials and baking. Version 12 improves projection, the layer stack, rendering and project preparation.

Windows
macOS
Linux

ArtStation

A leading platform for showcasing a creative portfolio, discovering artists and finding opportunities across visual industries.

ArtStation brings together portfolios, artistic discovery, job listings, learning resources and digital product sales. The service primarily targets 2D and 3D artists, concept artists, illustrators and professionals working in video games, film and entertainment.

Web
Android
iPhone / iOS

Autodesk Maya

Model, rig, animate, simulate, and render 3D characters and worlds within a professional production pipeline.

Autodesk Maya is a professional 3D creation suite used for modeling, rigging, animation, visual effects, and rendering. Its production tools, Bifrost procedural engine, Arnold integration, and OpenUSD compatibility make it a central component of many film, animation, and video game pipelines.

Windows
macOS
Linux

Blender

Model, sculpt, animate, simulate, and render complete 3D worlds with a free and open-source creative suite.

Blender is a professional 3D creation suite covering modelling, sculpting, animation, rigging, materials, rendering, simulations, compositing, motion tracking, video editing, and 2D drawing with Grease Pencil. Free, open source, and cross-platform, it also provides Geometry Nodes, a Python API, an extension system, and asset libraries.

Windows
macOS
Linux

C++

A compiled general-purpose programming language designed to combine performance, abstraction and resource control for systems software, games, engines and demanding applications.

C++ combines systems programming, objects, templates, the standard library and generic programming. It remains widely used for game engines, native software, embedded systems and high-performance applications.

Windows
macOS
Linux

Character Creator 5

Create, customize, rig, and export 3D characters ready for animation, video games, and rendering.

Character Creator 5 is a Windows application for creating realistic or stylized 3D characters. It brings together body shaping, skin, clothing, rigging, optimization, and export to Unreal Engine, Unity, Blender, Maya, ZBrush, and other professional pipelines.

Windows

Clip Studio Paint

Draw, paint, create manga, webtoons, and animations with software built around line work and graphic production.

Clip Studio Paint is professional software for drawing, digital painting, comics, and 2D animation. It combines customisable brushes, vector layers, perspective rulers, 3D models, manga and webtoon tools, an animation timeline, a material library, and cloud synchronisation.

Windows
macOS
Android

Daz Studio

Create, dress, pose, and render 3D characters from a vast library of ready-to-use assets.

Daz Studio is a free 3D creation application focused on characters, posing, scene composition, and rendering. Its Genesis system and extensive catalog make it possible to quickly assemble figures, clothing, environments, and props, then export them to Blender, Maya, Unity, Unreal Engine, and other specialized tools.

Windows
macOS

Fab

A digital asset marketplace for games and 3D creation, with models, materials, audio, VFX, plug-ins and integrations for Unreal, UEFN, Unity and DCC tools.

Fab brings together 3D models, materials, textures, animations, audio, VFX, interfaces, game systems and free or paid plug-ins. Epic Games’ platform integrates especially well with Unreal Engine and UEFN, while also supporting Unity, Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D and standard 3D formats.

Web
Windows
macOS

Godot Engine

A free and open-source 2D and 3D game engine with no royalties, featuring a scene and node system, GDScript, C#, C++, multiplatform export and an extension ecosystem.

Godot Engine brings together a scene editor, 2D and 3D engines, physics, animation, audio, shaders, scripting and multiplatform export. Distributed under the MIT license, it can be used free of charge for personal or commercial projects without subscriptions or royalties.

Web
Windows
macOS

Houdini

Procedural 3D software for modeling, animation and visual effects simulation, creating environments and building reusable tools for film and video games.

Houdini builds 3D scenes from editable node networks: geometry, destruction, smoke, fluids, animation, textures and rendering. Apprentice provides free learning access; Indie, Core and FX cover different professional uses and licenses.

Windows
macOS
Linux

Kling AI

AI-powered audiovisual creation studio for generating and animating images, characters, and scenes from text or references.

Kling AI generates videos from a prompt, an image, or several references, with control over movement, camera, characters, and sound. The platform also combines image generation, talking avatars, lip sync, creative effects, and tools designed for teams.

Web
macOS
Android

Meshy

Turn text or an image into a textured 3D model without starting with hours of manual modelling.

Meshy is a web-based AI 3D creation platform capable of generating a model from a prompt, an image, or multiple views. It can then take the asset through remeshing, PBR texturing, rigging, animation, and export to major 3D software, game engines, and 3D printing tools.

Web

OBS Studio

Free and open-source software for screen recording, scene composition and livestreaming, with audio mixing, a virtual camera, plugins and advanced settings.

OBS Studio captures screens, games, webcams and audio sources to create recordings or live broadcasts. Free and open source, it offers scenes, transitions, a mixer, Studio Mode, a virtual camera and plugins on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Windows
macOS
Linux

Rust

An open-source programming language focused on performance, reliability and memory safety, suited to systems software, network services, CLI tools, WebAssembly and embedded development.

Rust combines systems-level performance with compile-time memory safety guarantees. Cargo, crates.io and rustup provide an integrated environment for building, testing and distributing projects.

Windows
macOS
Linux

Sketchfab

A Web platform for publishing, viewing, sharing and embedding interactive 3D models, with a PBR viewer, annotations, AR/VR, Creative Commons downloads and APIs.

Sketchfab lets users host and present 3D models directly in the browser, embed them on websites and explore them in AR or VR. The platform still offers a large library of free downloadable models, while commercial buying and selling has moved to Fab.

Web

Three.js

An open-source JavaScript library for creating interactive 3D experiences in the browser with WebGL, WebGPU, glTF, animations, shaders, post-processing and WebXR.

Three.js simplifies the creation of 3D scenes on the Web through an API for cameras, lights, materials, models, animations and interactions. The library supports WebGL and WebGPU, numerous 3D formats, WebXR and a broad addon ecosystem, while remaining free under the MIT license.

Web
Google Chrome
Firefox

Unity

Create, program, and deploy 2D, 3D, mobile, Web, XR, and cross-platform games and interactive experiences.

Unity is a game engine and real-time development platform for creating games, simulations, and interactive experiences. It combines a scene editor, C# programming, URP and HDRP rendering, animation, physics, audio, UI, multiplayer, XR, profiling, cloud services, the Asset Store, and export to more than twenty platforms.

Windows
macOS
Linux

Unreal Engine

Real-time 3D creation engine for developing games, interactive worlds, films, simulations, and immersive experiences.

Unreal Engine brings programming, 3D rendering, animation, physics, audio, visual effects, and world building together in a single environment. It is used to create games, cinematics, virtual productions, architectural visualizations, simulations, and XR applications.

Windows
macOS
Linux

Choose the right tools to create and work.