List of the best 3D applications

[Vanilla]

Well, i've decided to throw together a list of the best 3D applications out there. Even in webdesign, 3D has come to take space. Whether being background images, animations, or advertisements - It looks best in 3 dimensions with raytraced gloss and shadows. Furthermore, unlike 2D, you product will look good from all angles. And a lot of other reasons.

- In case you're one of them geeks totally into Open Source software such as GIMP and Inkscape, or just don't want to throw several grand into a 3D package, please notice the last entry. It's just as capable as the "giants" despite being free.

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- 3D Studio Max
Company: Autodesk M&E Inc.
Price: $3,495*
OS: Windows
Webpage: Homepage

3D Studio Max is the uncrowned king of the 3D market. While it's usage have dwindled over the years, it still stands tall as one of the giants in the market. It is especially used in the gaming industry with it's extensive polygon modelling support.

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- Maya
Company: Autodesk M&E Inc.
Price: $3,495*
OS: Windows, OS X and Linux
Webpage: Homepage

Maya is a well known and renowned list in the the 3D film industry with exclusive plugins such as Renderman, used by large industry giants such as Pixar and Dreamworks. Maya fits very well into the pipeline of these companies, where workflow, speed and collaboration means everything.

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- Softimage
Company: Autodesk M&E Inc.
Price: $2,995*
OS: Windows and Linux
Webpage: Homepage

One of the latest Autodesk acquisitions. Formerly known as XSI, Softimage is indeed a very capable 3D application. Although not as intuitive as it's brethren above, it still continues to provide amazing and innovative features such as ICE and the mind blowing Lagoa physics engine. Also, you any of you should happen to mod with Valves Source Engine (Half Life 2 etc.) it's the best supported 3d application plugin vice.

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- Cinema4D
Company: Maxon GmbH
Price: $3,695
OS: Windows and OS X
Webpage: Homepage

The German developed Cinema4D is often praised as being the most intuitive 3D application in the market. With a very linear workflow, modelling, painting, rendering and compositing is fast like a charm. All in all, Cinema4D is probably the easiest way to create jaw-dropping 3D Graphics.

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- Lightwave 3D
Company: NewTek Inc.
Price: $895
OS: Windows and Mac OS X (Previously also Amiga and IRIX)
Webpage: Homepage

Lightwave 3D has a long history behind having been used in movies such as Jurassic Park, Star Trek, X-Files, 300, it still stands strong in the market. Although until recently, it was seen as relative outdated, but with the recent 10th iteration of the series, a complete rewritten overhaul as provided the foundation to a new and sophisticated 3d application. Furthermore, it's also quite cheap compared to other

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- Luxology
Company: Modo, LLC.
Price: $995.00
OS: Windows and OS X
Webpage: Homepage

Very new and provides many new innovative features. While Modo's workflow differ substantially from mainstream application such as 3D Studio Max and Maya, it still, it is still able to provide very quick and satisfying results. Also one of the cheaper 3D applications.

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- Blender
Company: The Blender Foundation
Price: FREE!! (Open Source @ GNU GPL)
Version: 2.56 Beta**
OS: Windows, Linux, OS X, FreeBSD, Irix and Solaris.
Webpage: Homepage | Beta Download

The latest iteration of the series, 2.5 (currently in beta). As a user of this program, I can only recommend it. I've tried all the other applications, but eventhough this one is the only free one, it doesn't lack features compared to the other industry giants. Furthermore, this also allows for real-time 3d interaction, as it includes a very capable built-in gaming engine with physics and versatile API. It is also easily extendable because of it being Open Source as well as relying heavily on the Python programming language. And the best thing: It's 100% free!

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*Without Subscription
**Eventhough the latest released stable 2.49b, it lacks a lot of features introduced with 2.55. Eventhough 2.55 is still in beta, I can still recommend it