One of the most beautiful activities we can do with a computer is to draw in 3D graphics, that is, giving a solid shape and consistency to all our creations, which are transformed from a simple 2D plane to real 3D modeling projects and level animations professional. In order to draw and create 3D graphics, expensive and unattainable programs are not required: many of the resources are in fact very famous, open source programs, which are used by the best graphics in the world to create their works.
In this guide we will show you in detail the best programs for 3D design and graphics with animation, modeling and polygonal objects that we can install on our PC for free, without incurring license fees.
READ ALSO: Draw 3D objects, graphics and three-dimensional animations
How to create drawings and 3D graphics
The difference between 2D drawing and 3D is that the first one can be realized with Photoshop or the Free GIMP program; the second instead requires a certain imagination and creativity to draw something realistic with polygonal and solid graphics similar to what you can see in modern video games.
From the solid forms we start the modeling operation in the true sense of the term and, as if we were sculptors, we can act on the corners and vertices of the form to file it and make it take the desired look. Instead of the chisel, however, there are software tools and the figure can be moved and animated.
3D studio Max, Lightwave and Maya are the professional, paid software most used by three-dimensional graphics professionals and are those that allow you to create those animations seen in video games, animated short films and films.
To start the study of 3D graphics or to try to make something at home we can use one of the free programs visible in the following chapter.
Best programs for 3D graphics
One of the best free 3D graphics programs is definitely Scupltris.
With the tools offered by this program we will be able to create, in a simple and intuitive way, any 3D object, adding details such as the color of the surfaces, appendages and other graphic elements useful to create the most complex shapes such as faces, animals and so on.
We also talked about this program in our guide on how to create sculptures and 3D graphic models with the Sculptris program, easy and free .
As an alternative to Scupltris we can create 3D models and drawings using the free Neobarok program.
Thanks to the simple interface (remember that of Phoshop) we will be able to create beautiful 3D models, adding and modifying the lines, curves from time to time and adding polygonal figures where necessary.
The result of our work can be exported to file, so we can save and share our work.
If we don't want to install any 3D modeling program, we can use the Web tool made available on SculptGL.
Starting from a predefined model, we can draw and model our figure in 3D using the mouse and the tools available in the interface, so that we can create faces, animals, sculptures etc. Among the most interesting features of the website is support for Wacom graphic palettes, which will allow us to draw with greater precision (even with the aid of a pen). All designs can be exported and imported, so that you can exchange the work done for study or for business needs.
Another program that we can try to model and draw in 3D is Daz study.
With it we can act on downloadable 3D models, on which we can model anything, including clothes and equipment. Fortunately, there is also the function of modifying existing 3D drawing shapes, therefore, to practice and learn the tool, it is better to start from drawings already made.
Using Daz Studio it should be possible to make an animated short film like Final Fantasy, with a kind of digitized cartoon. The basis of the 3D design is the geometric shape, where a parallelepiped can become a car while a human being can be broken down into cylinders and spheres.
If we are looking for a complete program for 3D modeling, the most famous in the free sphere is without a doubt Blender.
Blender is an open source program available for Windows, Linux and Mac, which has nothing to envy to the names of those other paid programs mentioned above. Completely free, it has developed over the years thanks to the Blender Foundation and has become a software also used in the world of cinema and video games .
The program is very complex to use but, with the right desire to learn, it can become a very powerful tool, especially by reading the Blender Italia community site.
The GUI or the graphical interface has been clearly improved and it is possible to act on the color, on the semi-transparent widgets with a vision of the objects and their much more powerful management.
The edit mode is divided into object mode and the edit mode. The first is used to model individual 3D objects, the other to modify the data of an object and the vertices of the "mesh". The workspace is completely object-oriented, that is, each element has its own window, even the buttons can be enlarged and treated like the drawings.
Everything is customizable and, as you can imagine, more customization brings ever greater freedom but also complexity.
Conclusions
Creating 3D drawings and modeling on the three dimensions for free is possible: all we have to do is try one or more solutions seen above, so as to transform our computer into a real "laboratory of ideas for 3D".Always with a three-dimensional theme, we advise you to continue reading our article on the best free 2D and 3D animation programs .
If instead we wanted to try the Disney Pixar software, you will be pleased to find that it can be tried for free, as seen in our guide on how to create 3D video animations such as Disney movies with the Pixar Renderman program .
